10 Reasons To Rethink Cruise Tourism (during Covid)

Cruise ships introduce, transmit, and spread viruses--including Covid-19--putting passengers and crew at risk. Throughout the current pandemic, cruise operators have repeatedly demonstrated their inability to prevent and control these outbreaks. However, Covid-19 is not the first time cruise ships have been a vector for disease. Cruise ship operators have a long history of demonstrating they cannot be relied upon to take the necessary steps to protect public health, and their ships simply aren't safe places in a pandemic. Instead, they’re perfect incubators for pandemics due to their confined spaces, high population density, and prolonged duration of exposure. Plus, cruise ships have limited medical personnel and resources. There is no such thing as “safe cruising” during a pandemic. #RethinkBeforeRebook

Outbreaks onboard cruise ships risk spreading the infection to port communities, overwhelming local healthcare infrastructure. Many cruise port cities have a limited number of hospital beds, putting the lives of passengers, crew, first responders, health care workers, and port community members at risk. Cruise ships already put the health and safety of port communities at risk from air pollution caused by constantly idling engines.  #RethinkBeforeReinfect

Their irresponsible choice to continue sailing during the pandemic played a critical role in the spread of COVID-19. Cruise corporations knowingly and willfully continued to operate cruise ships after Carnival’s Diamond Princess had already demonstrated the risks. The choice to continue cruising after pandemic outbreaks onboard reflects a profound and systemic failure of leadership. Allowing potentially infected passengers to disembark and travel home via public transportation was extraordinarily irresponsible. These choices put public health at risk, and demonstrate once again how cruise companies fail to prioritize public health and safety over revenues and profits. Cruise lines face numerous civil lawsuits from victims’ families and criminal investigations by governments with potential prosecutions over their role in spreading the pandemic. #RethinkCruiseTourism

If your cruise is cancelled, you may not get your cash deposit back. Thousands of travelers have been denied refunds when they need it the most - either to weather increasing economic uncertainty or unemployment. Buyer beware. #RethinkBeforeRebook

Instead of cash refunds, many cruise companies are urging customers to accept a credit for future cruises. In many cases the credit expires in as little as 12 months, before safe use is possible. The cruise line, of course, keeps the cash. Don’t pay a cash deposit you can’t afford to lose. #RethinkBeforeRebook

You may not get the cruise you paid for. The cruise industry desperately needs cash and is willing to mislead customers to get it: some lines are selling cruises to ports closed due to Covid, where they cannot visit. For now, consider a safer, more reliable vacation. #RethinkBeforeRebook

Major cruise operators like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Lines intentionally flag their vessels in different countries from where they’re incorporated and headquartered to reap the greatest revenue. This allows them to avoid paying higher corporate taxes and simultaneously deprives nations of the tax they deserve and need, particularly if these nations are burdened with the costs of receiving and quarantining exposed and infected passengers. So-called “flags of convenience” allow cruise ship companies to exploit lax legal and regulatory regimes, and put their own bottom line before the health and safety of passengers, crew, and communities. These locations support some of the weakest public health, environmental, and labor laws in the world. #RethinkCruiseTourism

...and have an record of breaking environmental laws. Burning fossil fuels like HFO and LNG contributes to climate change, and directly risks the health of passengers, crew, and port communities during a cruise by exposing them to air pollution that increases the risk of severe respiratory illness and complications from Covid. Cruise ship companies break environmental laws, as demonstrated, for example, in the recent criminal conviction of Carnival Corporation where the company also attempted a cover-up. Until cruise companies address all their negative impacts on our air, water, climate, and communities, they should not be allowed to return to sea.  #RethinkBeforeRestart

There is no urgent need for the resumption of cruising during an ongoing pandemic, particularly when these ships may increase risks to public health. A global pandemic is not the time to put the health of our communities at risk for an industry with a track record of reckless behavior. #RethinkBeforeRestart

Cruise lines only recognize revenue when a ship sails. With most cruise operations suspended, revenue from ticket sales hasn’t materialized for months. To remain solvent, they have been forced to take on enormous debt to keep their idle ships afloat, while they repay expiring debt and refund customer deposits. The world’s three largest cruise companies, Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which account for approximately 73.8% of the global cruise market share, are collectively burning through over $1 billion in cash per month. Ships are held as collateral for secured debt. Once cruises are able to restart, many of the passengers will be sailing on Future Cruise Credits, not paying with cash. Additionally, the three biggest operators--Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean--all face shareholder lawsuits claiming that the companies made false and misleading statements or failed to disclose and concealed damaging facts known to them about their risks while operating during a global pandemic. Investors claim the companies deceived the investing public regarding each company’s prospects and business, artificially inflated the price of common stock, and caused investors to purchase common stock at inflated prices.