Positive Signs Emerge for Future of Cruising

A series of positive signs has emerged for the cruise line industry, including an optimistic forecast from MSC Cruises North America chairman Rick Sasso.

“Our ambition is to be fully operational by October (of 2021), even as soon as next summer,” Sasso said during a panel discussion at Seatrade Cruise Virtual, an online version of the cruise industry’s annual meetup, according to the travel blog The Points Guy.

Sasso spoke during the session entitled “This Time Next Year: A No-Holds-Barred Look into the Crystal Ball from Some of Cruising’s Most Forward-Thinking Leaders.”

Much will depend on the virus itself, Sasso said’

“This will evolve, and it will evolve quicker than we would have assumed even a month ago,” he said. “It certainly will be a gradual, staggered, evolving deployment schedule.”

MSC Cruises already launched in Europe and a few other places; he is hoping America is next. The U.S. is under a no-sail order by the Centers for Disease Control until Oct. 31.

Cruise line executives met with Vice-President Mike Pence earlier this week to discuss a return. The industry, under fire back in the spring for adding to the woes of the virus, has actually led all travel sectors in implementing health and safety protocols across the board.

Alex Sharpe, president and CEO of Signature Travel Network, also spoke at the annual meeting and said he felt like the coronavirus actually made people want to travel more.

“Travel becomes even more a need than a want or a luxury” Sharpe said. “It used to be that travel was lumped in with luxury goods. Now it’s really one of the core things that people and families in particular need.”

Virgin Voyages senior vice president for design and customer experience Dee Cooper agreed.

“I think the sad but great thing is there’s loads of untapped demand to go back sailing,” Cooper said. “The Virgin brand attracts a lot of people that love it. We have the cruisers that love getting on the new ships, and there’s loads of pent-up demand to get on those new ships.”