Cruise ship holiday demand surges in WA, despite COVID-19 legacy

Travel agents are reporting a surge in cruise bookings in recent weeks, despite ships being dubbed “floating Petri dishes” and associated with one of Australia’s highest-profile COVID-19 outbreaks — the Ruby Princess in March 2020.

One travel agent on WA’s south coast reported bookings swelling with cruises as far away as March 2022 sold out.

“Most people are keen to get back on a cruise ship again,” Albany Travel and Cruise owner Lynne Meade said.

With international trips off the cards, she said domestic tours were selling fast with the first cruise to set sail in October this year.

She said a round-Australia trip set for March next year sold out in “a couple of months”.

Despite the demand, Ms Mead said some passengers had also been turned off cruise ships.

COVID-safe cruising 

To allay fears, Ms Meade said cruise ships would need to enforce health protocols but she said the detail was not clear.

“We don’t even know yet if you have to have a COVID test,” she said.

“I would say it would probably be a commonsense approach.”

Meanwhile in South-West WA in Bunbury co-owner of Cathie Rice Travel Crandon Keddie said he had been given directives from cruise ship companies.

Similarly, demand was high for domestic tours.

“We’ve been getting bits and pieces of Broome, Cocos Islands, and Christmas Island has been a bit sought after,” Mr Keddie said.

“I think people are wanting to travel, so that’s one of the places where they feel like they can.”

Cruise ship bubbles

Chairman of Cruise Western Australia and Honorary Professor of Tourism at Edith Cowan University Ross Dowling said he expected Singapore and New Zealand to be the first non-domestic cruise destinations.

“Singapore has a very strict quarantine situation and they have a very good medical situation,” Dr Dowling said.

“I would imagine that would be one place that Australia would feel comfortable opening up to.”

Apart from testing, Dr Dowling said onboard behaviour would need to change.

“The buffets will have gone, there will be the wearing of masks in public spaces on the cruises,” he said.

“Many cruise lines are going to reduce the number of passengers.”

He said he foresaw “COVID passports” becoming mandatory for international travel in the future.