Cruise lines will not cancel any orders for new ships in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but schedules for delivery of new tonnage will have to be adjusted.
Speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast about the impact of the pandemic on the cruise sector, Princess Cruises vice president for the UK & Europe Tony Roberts said: “Once the ship yards get up and running and can return to normal business, we will continue to see those ships that are planned continue to be built and delivered, albeit to a slightly new schedule, because there is going to be an impact from the current crisis.”
Antonio Paradiso, UK & Ireland managing director for MSC Cruises, added: “I don’t believe we will be cancelling anything. It’s still early days. We’ll need to adjust timings and schedules. This is for logistical reasons. We have impediments and obstacles because the ship yards are shut or operating with limited numbers of people.
“You will see delays to the timings of ship launches and the other thing we are going to have to take into account is where we base these ships in the future. Which areas are going to open up first and which areas are going to have to wait a bit longer. But we are not cancelling anything.”
Referring to a delay to the delivery and naming of Princess Cruises’ new ship Enchanted Princess (pictured), Roberts added: “It’s an unfortunate but inevitable situation, but to be frank, it would not be right to proceed with ship naming celebrations at the moment, nor would it be logistically possible.”