Cruise ship outbreaks fail to scare off travelers ahead of busy summer season

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Recent outbreaks of hantavirus and norovirus aboardcruise shipshave been drawing a great deal of attention, but many travelers do not appear to be changing their vacation plans as a result.

Cruise industry experts say demand remains strong heading into the busy summer travel season, despite recent illness cases reported on several ships.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) recently projected that more than 38 million people worldwide will take ocean cruises this year, up from a record 37.2 million passengers last year, according to The Associated Press.

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Some travelers say thehealth concernsare not enough to deter them from booking future trips.

“I have eight cruises booked, and I’ll absolutely be booking another,” cruise blogger Jenni Fielding told the AP.

A chart showing cruise ship cleanliness scores comparing independent brands and conglomerates

Despite recent illness outbreaks on cruise ships, traveler demand remains strong ahead of summer, according to industry insiders.(Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group)

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Fielding said cruise vacations remain as safe as other types of travel when passengers follow health guidance and stay aware of official updates.

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The continued demand comes even after three passengers aboard the MV Hondius died following ahantavirus outbreakconnected to a stop in Argentina.

“We have not seen any drop in demand.”

CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein told the AP that bookings through the company increased by more than 30% during the first half of May, compared to the same period last year.

View of the cruise ship MV Hondius

Pictured is the MV Hondius, the cruise ship tied to a hantavirus outbreak after a stop in Argentina that left three passengers dead.(Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)

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Experts saynorovirus casesoften receive heightened attention because cruise ships are required to publicly report illnesses affecting a certain percentage of passengers.

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Many cruises are also booked months in advance — making recent health concerns less likely to immediately affect travel plans.

the recent outbreaks.

“I’m leaving … next week.It hasn’t even occurred to me to be worried about the hantavirus,” one user wrote.

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“Going to Alaskanext month, not the least bit concerned,” another commenter added.“[Norovirus] is more likely, and that risk is understood.”

“Never crosses my mind at all.Cruise on!” one person wrote.

Passengers walking back to cruise boat at Cozumel port pier

Experts say cruise outbreaks get more attention due to public reporting rules, but many travelers still plan to sail as booked.(Myloupe/Universal Images Group)

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Industry experts said that while cruise lines have voluntary passenger protections in place, policies can vary depending on the situation and the cruise operator involved.

 

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