Luxury cruisers call for Covid testing according to study

October 12, 2020

Luxury cruisers want to sail but with strict Covid protocols in place

Whether you’re luxury cruisers, family voyagers or prefer to sail solo, we have it on good authority that lots of you are itching to get back on board.

The future cruise landscape will be different though. Our industry has had a particularly bumpy ride this year and is still weathering the storm. While hygiene and safety has always been exemplary on board ships, it’s understandably a concern for future cruise passengers.

A recent survey by our friends at Mundy Cruising has revealed that an overwhelming majority of luxury cruisers favour refusing boarding to guests from regions and countries with high levels of Covid-19 infection.

In fact, 43 per cent stated that this would make their cruise much more enjoyable, while 23 per cent said that it would make their trip a little more enjoyable.

There was also strong support for compulsory Covid-19 testing prior to embarkation. A total of 44 per cent of respondents indicated that this would make their cruise much more enjoyable, while 12 per cent said that it would make it a little more enjoyable.

There was strong support for compulsory Covid-19 testing prior to embarkation, with 44 per cent of respondents indicating that this would make their cruise much more enjoyable

Silversea – heaven on the ocean for luxury cruisers

Three quarters of luxury cruisers said that making face masks mandatory in public areas would make the cruise experience less enjoyable

The results represent the first findings of Mundy’s new Cruise Expert Panel, which is comprised of 240 people, including clients and regular cruisers.

While previous research by Mundy has shown that cruisers are keen to return to the oceans and are happy to comply with new safety protocols, this survey looked specifically at the extent to which new measures might affect clients’ enjoyment of their cruise.

The idea of cruises that don’t call at any ports (‘cruises to nowhere’) proved particularly unpopular, with 67 per cent believing this would make their next cruise much less enjoyable.

Those surveyed were also not keen on the prospect of cruises being limited to ex UK and short haul itineraries, with 71 per cent expressing either strong or moderate opposition to the idea.

Interestingly, the survey revealed a lukewarm response to some of the measures outlined in the Covid-19 Framework recently published by the UK Chamber of Shipping and CLIA.

Three quarters of luxury cruisers said that making face masks mandatory in public areas would make the cruise experience less enjoyable, and just over half felt that removing self-service buffets would have a negative effect on their enjoyment.

The idea of limiting visits ashore to the ship’s own excursions, as has been trialled on MSC Cruises this summer, was also unpopular, with 70 per cent responding negatively to this suggestion.

‘This survey shows that luxury cruise buyers are concerned about what the experience will be like on board when operations resume, and I can understand that – cruising is such a sociable way to travel,’ commented Mundy Cruising’s managing director Edwina Lonsdale.

‘However, we also know from conversations with our clients that safety is paramount, and this is reflected in the desire for testing and pre-departure health screening. We have already seen these measures successfully deployed by cruise lines in Europe this summer, creating a safe bubble at sea.

‘The detailed proposals from CLIA and others lay the foundations for the safe return of cruising, and while the measures proposed will of course take some getting used to, they will ensure that a cruise ship is one of the very safest places to be.’