By Jodell Haverfield, Luxury Travel Consultant ACC
Start packing your bags; statistics in the industry are showing that 92% of cruisers will cruise again with 10% of them saying they will cruise even more. I am happy to report that passengers are busy booking their cruises in anticipation of brighter days just around the corner.
Last month, I described the bygone golden era of cruising from San Francisco to Honolulu in the 50’s. I had no idea when I wrote it just how much the cruise industry would change yet again, in just the last 30 days. The truth is, it would come to a halt throughout the world!
This unprecedented pause in travel is only temporary. Estimates are passengers will be making their way to their next adventure before too much longer. Naturally, some things will be different and that is not all bad.
I believe good things often come from tough experiences. It all depends on what we learn from them. After 9/11, airports became perhaps more inconvenient, but air travel has never been safer. We now know that the illness we carry inside us can be as dangerous as what we carry with us. Because of this fact, medical scientists are working on vaccines and medications, not to mention early and easy detection. We might even see more flexible, last-minute cancellation policies to allow for rescheduling due sudden illness without fear of losing money.
While we obediently social distance and work from home, safety measures are being put into place to ensure heightened health screening and sanitation of planes, ships and terminals. We will forever be prepared as much as possible for future issues and outbreaks should they occur.
Cruise lines are busy upping their game by making their onboard medical centers larger and more complex with added medical experts, supplies and equipment ready to address passenger needs, making cruising safer than nearly any other form of travel. Health screening will be as important as your ID and buffets will be, shall we say, at lot less hands on. There might even be less crowding and more personal space, whether you’re on a cruise ship or a plane.
When this is all over, groups will be the first to travel. There will be pent-up demand and people will perceive travel and time spent with friends and family as something not to be taken for granted. Our family has enjoyed reminiscing and sharing our travel memories with each other and on social media through videos, photos and stories. Our most recent family cruise was to the Southern Caribbean just last spring. But we have shared memories spanning the last 18 years. Most of us derive happiness not only from memories, but also from anticipating an upcoming event and we are looking forward to our next cruise.
I have confidence that travel will eventually resume and be as rewarding as ever. While it may look and feel different, we can count on the transformative and positive impact of travel to improve our quality of life and leave us with memories that last forever. So, start planning your next trip and looking forward to what you’re going to do when this is all over.
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