What’s happened?
The Foreign Office have issued a warning against all cruise ship travel based on medical advice from Public Health England.
In the early stages of the pandemic, the ban only applied to holidaymakers over the age of 70.
This was then replaced by a blanket embargo on ‘all but essential’ global travel, but by this point cruise operators had cancelled all sailings anyway.
Now, despite flights resuming with the relaxing of travel restrictions, officials have declared an indefinite warning against all cruise holidays,.
Why have they done this?
Experts fear cruises are simply too risky at this stage.
There are two reasons for this: the first is because of the health risks of cramming an average of 3,000 people, many of them elderly, on board a liner where social distancing is hard to maintain.
The second reason is diplomatic. The Department for Transport’s (DfT) travel corridor scheme is based on the assumption that most will travel between the UK and one other country.
Cruise ships, by contrast, stop at multiple locations and often berth in small villages or towns where the arrival of thousands of foreigners would pose a significant risk to local communities.
What are the risks?
Cruise ships have for years been described as ‘floating petri dishes’ for viruses.
This is due to the close proximity of passengers and crew, as well as the high proportion of elderly people who tend to go on cruise holidays and are more vulnerable to illness.
One study last month into the coronavirus outbreak on the Diamond Princes said communal facilities such as dining halls, pools and spas also contributed to the risk of infection.
What if I have booked a cruise holiday this year?
There is uncertainty over whether sailings for this autumn are likely to go ahead and you should contact your cruise operator or travel company for guidance.
If your trip is cancelled, you will be legally entitled to a cash refund within 14 days under the package travel regulations – although this may take longer due to the volume of claims.
Customers are advised to avoid accepting credit note vouchers towards a future trip because these come with little consumer protection.
You may also be offered a replacement sailing in 2021, when cruise operators hope to resume operations – although this is not guaranteed because the advice against all cruises is indefinite.