How Cruise Ports Coped with the Cruise Shutdown?! 

Have you wondered how Cruise Ports like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Southampton, Barcelona and Port Everglades are coping with the 2020 Cruise Shutdown?
Looking at these ports, you’d notice a steady flow of empty cruise ships coming and going.
These “ghost” cruise ship movements are a symptom of the impact of COVID-19 on the global cruise industry. The impact of the Pandemic has been devastating for cruising. In the months since a Pandemic was declared, international and domestic cruise vacations have ground to a halt. And cruising is not expected to recommence any time soon.
Throughout the 2020 lockdown, cruise ships continue to sail in and out of major ports - such as Southampton, Barcelona, Cozumel, Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
The cruise ships leave port to facilitate the exchange of water - with treated grey water being discharged outside government mandated boundaries, and new salt water taken on board for desalinated drinking water.
Around 300 cruise ships have been devoid of passengers for months, putting immense pressure on cruise lines, cruise ships and their crew.
To look at COVID-19’s impact on Port Cities around the world, let’s use Southampton as an example.
In this video I am joined by Andy Skinner from Southampton’s Sea City Museum to look at how the UK’s leading cruise port is coping in 2020, with no cruise ships taking on passengers.
Cruise ports support a number of industries and cruising forms a major part of the economy. From cruise ship travel agents to hotels, taxis and retail, the impact of the COVID-19 shut down is hard felt throughout the city.
With no cruise ship passengers, livelihoods have been hit hard. Workers in the hospitality and tourism sectors, including hotels, restaurants, taxis, railways and retail, are heavily impacted by the cruise shut down.
But despite the shut down, Southampton water remains a hive of activity as cruise ships in warm layup come and go from the port to take on supplies.
This allows for some employment for those people who are critical to the maintenance, storing and fuelling of the empty cruise ships.
Southampton is the homeport for Cunard Cruise Line and P&O Cruises. With these cruise ships visiting Southampton throughout the lockdown; the crew aboard the Cunard and P&O cruise ships have come together in support of city, to help acknowledge the efforts of healthcare workers and the NHS.
From a cruise perspective, the impact is unprecedented - leaving a heavy toll on cruise ports around the world.
But by looking at Southampton’s history - a port that has survived the Titanic disaster, WWII, and the end of ocean liner shipping in the 1960s - it is clear that even after the hardest times, people will come together and rebuild and the cruise ports will survive.
Images:
My thanks to Andy Skinner (bit.ly/3ebc0JE), Southampton City Council & Andrew Sassoli-Walker (bit.ly/36n5Djt + Thumbnail 2023) for image support.
Other References:
T1: Titanic: Public Domain (Author Unknown Tag): bit.ly/2V5G2aK
T2: Titanic at Sea: Public Domain (US) National Archives: bit.ly/2Z57s3a
T3: The sinking of the Titanic: Public Domain (Engraving by Willy Stöwer: The sinking of the Titanic): bit.ly/3b6MeoN
T4: Titanic Lifeboat: National Archives / Public Domain: bit.ly/3abdNM5
T5: RMS TItanic: Public Domain (Author Unknown Tag): bit.ly/3ejvexw
W1: Tea and buns (ARP) - Imperial War Museum, Public Domain: bit.ly/3630DAz
Thanks to Andy Skinner and Rachelle Cross for proofing and edit assistance.
Music: RU-vid Audio Library.
Check out Andy at Sea City: bit.ly/2Xl21uf
Check out Southampton Sea City: seacitymuseum....
Check out my Cunard history website: www.chriscunar...