‘Having suspended operations in response to COVID-19, all CLIA cruise line ships that had been operating in and around Australia have now disembarked passengers and have either left the region or are at anchor or berthed while out of service,’ Katz said.
Standard practice
‘Cruise lines are now focused on arrangements to return crew from remaining ships to their homes and families overseas, as is standard practice at the end of crew contracts, and on preparing their ships to be laid up with skeleton crew while they are out of service.’
Further support needed
Katz said further support and collaboration from government is needed to achieve workable solutions.
‘Governments are refusing permission for crew who disembark ships to be repatriated,’ he said.
‘The cruise lines are very aware that crew are far from their families and eager to get home, and together with CLIA are lobbying governments to allow this.’
Katz said cruise lines will arrange charter flights for their crew.
Safe and feasible
‘Australia has successfully processed many tens of thousands of people through its airports in line with COVID-19 precautions and we believe it is entirely safe and feasible to allow movements of crew in a similarly sensible and ordered process,’ he said.
‘We are dealing with people who are at the heart of our industry and who were at the front-line in caring for our guests and we now need to provide certainty for them.’
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited.
Add Seatrade Cruise News to your Google News feed.  |
