3 4 Striving for a stronger future FEATURE: GOOD TIMES AHEAD When the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, it wreaked havoc on the global cruise industry, forcing brands to cancel all operations, spend weeks repatriating both guests and crew members from stricken ships, and rapidly rethink health and safety protocols. For almost a year, cruise brands battled against ever-changing restrictions at a local, national and international level to gain approval to safely resume operations. Now, more than two years on from the start of the pandemic, the global industry is largely back up and running, with ocean, river and expedition cruise brands once again successfully sailing to destinations around the world. The path back to normality has been challenging, with many brands having to rethink their itinerary planning processes, redesign planned voyages and find new destinations to ensure they accommodate both ever-evolving guest expectations and future disruptions. In the following pages, executives from Silversea Cruises and Ponant explain how the pandemic has impacted their itinerary planning processes. We also ask selected ports to share their forecasts for the seasons ahead now that they are able to welcome cruise traffic again. Photo: Ponant/Ian Dawson Rebecca Gibson asks Ponant, Silversea Cruises and ports and destinations how they have overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic to successfully welcome guests back and create more compelling itineraries than ever before
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