And now an invasion

The immediate impact on cruise ships

By Virginia López Valiente,
General Director of Cruises News Media Group and Editor of CruisesNews magazine

It is clear that the situation created by Russia has had an immediate impact on the cruise industry. Twenty-four hours after Russian forces entered Ukraine, major cruise lines were already feeling the effects on both bookings and the corporations' stock prices. Furthermore, several companies had ships positioned in the struggling Black Sea, and these will obviously have to be repositioned. The cost of fuel, which had already increased in recent months and will inevitably continue to rise, will also be significant.
With the cruise industry on the verge of recovery, in what was supposed to be a year of takeoff, after the threat of COVID-19 and with the Omicron variant almost a thing of the past, Russia's invasion of Ukraine comes at the worst possible time.
Back in November 2014, most, if not all, cruise lines canceled their Black Sea season amid the turmoil between Russia and Ukraine. The same is likely to happen now. And it is not only the Black Sea that will suffer a significant impact.
A trade embargo against Russia also means that Baltic cruises including stops in St. Petersburg should be canceled; some already have been. Although there are many other ports in the region, and Europe is a vast continent, some cruise lines, with primarily American clients, might consider changing itineraries or ships if these clients decide not to come to what they would consider a continent at war. This would affect all destinations, as well as local tourism and travel agencies. It may no longer be a global crisis, and let's hope it doesn't become one, but in such a globalized world, what happens in one corner of the globe affects everyone.
Finally, let's not forget that there are thousands of Ukrainian crew members on board cruise ships, far from their country under attack, and with the uncertainty of not knowing if they can return home or how their families are doing.
For those of us who thought the difficult times were behind us, this is a new wake-up call, although on the other hand, it seems our capacity for shock has clearly been affected in these last two years.