Most cruise lines won’t be able to restart on May 17 unless they “chose to place a bet” before Monday’s confirmation that domestic sailings could resume in line with leisure and hospitality.
Clia chairman Tony Roberts (pictured) pointed out that it takes 12 weeks to get a cruise ship back into service and predicted that most won’t begin operations until “several weeks later”, if there is no delay to a restart on May 17, the earliest possible date sailings could resume.
Speaking on a Clia media update after the Department for Transport confirmation earlier this week, Roberts said: “The magnitude of bringing a ship back to service with only very few staff on board is huge.
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“It’s a minimum 12-week period from saying ‘go’ to bringing a ship back into service. So it depends on when individual cruise lines said ‘go’ as to when they will be able to restart.”
He explained that most lines would also want to do load tests, and a testing of their protocols, before accepting fare-paying passengers.
This is the case for Princess Cruises, of which Roberts is vice president for the UK & Europe. “We won’t be ready to sail until several weeks after May 17,” he confirmed.
Roberts acknowledged that some lines may have taken a punt on the government allowing domestic sailings ahead of its announcement on Monday evening.
“Some may have chosen to place a bet and start the process before then,” he said.
Bud Darr, executive vice president of maritime policy and government affairs for MSC Cruises, which restarted operations in the Mediterranean last August, said bringing a ship back from an extended period of lay-up was similar to launching a new ship.
He said staff had to be brought back, new training is required, new operational procedures have to be worked through and a “fair deal” of maintenance is required.
“Eight to 12 weeks is about right,” said Darr. “The first ship is the hardest to bring back but the ones after are easier.”
But Roberts said news this week that domestic sailings could resume in line with leisure and hospitality was “very welcome in terms of giving us the reassurance that we have been right to prepare for that”.
He added: “We are feeling very excited and confident about a return to UK cruising this summer and a return to a very successful UK cruise industry.”
Asked if the green light for domestic sailings that currently applies to just England, would apply also to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Clia UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer said: “We are engaging with the devolved nations.”
Roberts added that the success of domestic sailings this summer would be “constrained by supply”, but said: “This would be countered by the fact that we’ll be operating shorter itineraries than we normally would run”.