And there was light
By Virginia López Valiente
Managing Director of Cruises News Media Group and Editor of CruisesNews magazine
Editorial from CruisesNews magazine no. 57 – June 2021
I'm writing this editorial aboard one of the most modern and digitized ships in the industry, on an itinerary through the Greek Islands and Cyprus. It's already exciting to be christening a ship I saw at the shipyard just a month before the lockdown, a ship whose maiden voyage couldn't take place as planned. But here I am, witnessing the debut of its full potential.
Two days ago, the first international cruise ship arrived in Barcelona, carrying passengers who were taking excursions in the city and others who were embarking to begin their voyage. We now have cruise ships in Spain, and cruises are now operating around the world.
It seems that countries are gradually opening their ports to cruise ships, albeit in very different ways and with very different requirements, and generally adopting much of what the industry has implemented independently to ensure its safety. I know I used the word "UFO" in the previous editorial when referring to how administrations around the world have treated cruise ships in general, but it works perfectly, and the same applies to television and mainstream and/or sensationalist press. I won't go into details.
I'm not going to list the protocols either; they're already very well known, and arguably the best in any tourism or passenger transport industry. In this edition, we've compiled a list of cruises that are currently operating. Depending on the cruise line and the destinations, the requirements may vary. For example, Greece and Cyprus allow passengers not participating in excursions to disembark independently, as they have either arrived with a negative PCR test or have been vaccinated.
What I really want to do now is explain that the product, the cruise experience, is still excellent. Last night, at the premiere of a show in the theater, we ended up on our feet, applauding wildly for the artists and technicians who explained how hard it had been to be out of work for over a year, with a show they had rehearsed for months and couldn't premiere. You get the same feeling everywhere: in airports, taxis, hotels, when boarding, when they serve you a drink, or when the chef explains how much care they put into a menu they designed almost two years ago.
With ships sailing at reduced passenger capacity, our need to get out, travel and enjoy ourselves, and the desire and commitment of all the workers in the tourism industry, and especially the cruise industry, to offer the best of themselves, the experience of taking a cruise is now wonderful.
