Brexit might cause “a few bumps in the road” but won’t drastically change the way cruises operate in Europe, according to Royal Caribbean Group’s vice president of government relations.
Trade talks topped the mainstream news agenda this week and Boris Johnson reported a no-deal exit from the EU was “very, very likely” for the UK on Friday.
Speaking on a panel discussion at the Clia Virtual Cruise Showcase on Thursday, Stuart Leven said: “We still don’t know what we’re dealing with. As an industry we’ve had three years to get ready, and you could say we’re in a fortunate position as the ships aren’t operating at this time, so we’ve had a bit of time to deal with it.
“But cruise lines operate in over 300 ports globally and in dozens and dozens of countries, and they find a way to move customers between the countries regardless of what the restrictions are.
“It will be no different [with Brexit] – whatever we end up dealing with in Europe, we will do it. There will be a few bumps in the road; it might take a little bit longer to get into places, but it won’t be a deal-breaker when it comes to actually having a holiday.
He said “every single company” would have Brexit contingency plans in place regardless of the outcome on January 1, adding: “I cannot see us getting to a stage March/April/May time where we’re unable to operate cruises because of the consequences of Brexit.”