Novel Coronavirus deals blow to Hong Kong cruise industry

The 151,000 dwt cruise ship World Dream, owned by Hong Kong-based Genting has been found to have carried at least three passengers infected with the coronavirus. The three passengers took the same China to Vietnam tour. A further two are suspected to be infected following the vessel’s departure from Nansha port in Guangzhou with 4,000 passengers on January 19 and returning on January 24.

 

Meanwhile, Carnival Corp’s Princess Diamond has been detained following news that a Hong Kong resident who had sailed on the vessel from Yokohama on January 20 and disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25, later tested positive for coronavirus on February 1.

 

Earlier there had been a scare when a Macanese couple (who flew via HK and were labelled Hong Kongers by the media) showed flu symptoms on a cruise in Europe.  They tested negative for the coronavirus, but the ship was prevented from entering port for a day but it made headlines.

 

Since those incidents, most ship calls to Hong Kong for this month and next have been cancelled.  Earlier this week, a ship with Hong Kong passengers on board was barred from docking by the Philippines (despite no cases on board reported), disrupting the itinerary.  More ship calls to Hong Kong have been cancelled.  Many of these calls were shifted to Singapore or Keelung.

 

Describing the impact to the Hong Kong cruise sector, the managing director of World Cruise Terminals, operator of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Jeff Bent says, “There are no cruise ships coming from China to Hong Kong now, because the mainland cruise ports were closed before Chinese New Year.  Also, at this time of year, most itineraries from Hong Kong go southward.  Overseas governments like the Philippines are conflating the situation in Hong Kong with the outbreak in the mainland.

 

“Hong Kong has fewer confirmed novel coronavirus cases than another major cruise hub – Singapore. But the anecdotal incidents have involved Hong Kong people, and that is driving the cruise lines’ actions.”

 

Mr Bent adds, “When countries start banning entry by ships because Hong Kong people are on board, the cruise lines have to react.  The cruise industry body, CLIA, which represents 98% of cruise line capacity, has banned embarkation by passengers and crew with travel history to mainland China in the prior 14 days.  However, Individual cruise lines are making stricter policies, and / or just cancelling calls in Hong Kong outright.

 

Meanwhile, at the terminal, management had already installed no touch soap / water / towel kits in the restrooms late last year, and from early January have been cleaning touch points with 1:99 bleach solution hourly and after every call.

 

“Our staff and contractors are temperature checked before duty, and issued face masks,” says Mr Bent.

 

“We have provided more hand sanitizers for passengers.  Air filters are being replaced early.  We have regular drills for various scenarios; the last infectious disease exercise was just a few months ago.  But most of the calls for February were cancelled, both for overseas visitors coming here, and for Hong Kong people to board for vacations elsewhere.  There are no calls coming from mainland China.”

 

A somewhat disgruntled Mr Bent concludes, “The line of questioning seems like how to protect passengers from the ships? “But sadly the cruise industry is more afraid of Hong Kong people than Hong Kong people are afraid of the cruise industry.

 

“Again, it is not scientific, considering that many lines have shifted calls to cities with similar or more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus than Hong Kong, but the anecdotes so far have involved Hong Kong people, not people from other Asian cities.  Cruise line actions stand in contrast to aviation; airlines have basically maintained regular flights to Hong Kong while paring back in mainland China.”

 

Source:hongkongmaritimehub

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