| ACA update 04 Aug 21

WITH Jill Abel, CEO, Australian Cruise Association – International hope:
As we watch our Olympic
athletes compete in Tokyo,
it is also encouraging to read
about more international cruise
successes this week.
Princess Cruises returned to
Seattle on the weekend after
completing its first American
voyage – a round trip to Alaska –
after a long pause in sailings.
The cruise line is hoping to also
begin itineraries from LA, San
Francisco and Fort Lauderdale in
Sep.
In Asia, Dream Cruises has also
enjoyed its first departure, with
Genting Dream sailing out of HK.
It has been interesting to observe
the cruise line’s strict set of
protocols for both on-board life
and onshore visits – many of which
have been discussed here.
Great news out of Canada, with
the government bringing forward
the restart in that country to Nov
– mostly due to the progress made
in their vaccination roll-out.
With vaccination uptake starting
to increase in Australia, is it
hopeful to think that we might
follow down this same path?
The cruise industry has drawn up
extensive plans, but the Australian
Government continues to remain
silent on the roadmap for cruising
to recommence beyond limited
domestic operations.
A voice for the industry has come
forward in MP Warren Entsch who
is championing the importance of
cruising, particularly for regional
markets.
Maybe his push, along with other
numerous MPs he is bringing
onboard, will help us overcome
the final hurdles in our race to the
finish line!