VesselsValue, a UK-based maritime data provider, has created a calendar to show how the cruise industry has been affected by the coronavirus.
The infographic shows the industry from January 2020 – when the total number of COVID-19 cases in the world was not clear while cruise sailings were at a “record high” – to November 2020, which brought a “new hope” to the industry thanks to the CDC no-sail order being lifted and news of successful coronavirus vaccine trials.
In these 11 months, many cruise ships were sold for scrap, the global fleet value had fallen by nearly $40 billion, some cruise lines tentatively tried to resume operations in the Mediterranean but had to stop due to renewed lockdowns, and cruise ships’ average speeds “plummeted to below 11 knots to save on fuel and in-port costs whilst the vessels are en route to their layup locations.”
Additionally, VesselsValue stated, April 2020 saw cruise liquidity more than double compared to previous years, setting an “all-time high.”