A cruise line based in Seattle has sold four cruise line vessels in its fleet, as the ongoing global health crisis has impacted operations and subsequently slowed down businesses.
Holland America Line made the announcement after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended a restriction Thursday on cruise travel in U.S. waters until the end of September to reduce the spread of the virus, KING-TV disclosed.
Holland America is selling the Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Veendam, and Maasdam, which the company said reduces its fleet to 10. Both cruises booked on the ships are canceled or changed.
The cruise ships were sold in pairs. The S-Class Maasdam and Veendam ships will be delivered to an undisclosed company in August. Norwegian group Bonheur has purchased the R-Class Amsterdam and Rotterdam and will be moved in the next coming months.
The 2021 Grand World Voyage on Amsterdam has been suspended until next year and will sail aboard Zaandam. Additionally, Grand Africa Voyage which is set to leave on October 10 next year will sail on Zaandam on the same dates.
Holland America along with other major cruise companies remain saddled under a U.S. no-sail mandate that was just extended by the CDC until Sept. 30 because of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Giant cruise groups are trying to save their finances and borrow more cash to literally stay afloat.
According to Holland America Group chief executive officer Stein Kruse, "it is always hard to see any ship leave the fleet, especially those that have a long and storied history with our company," Alex Smith of Cruise&Ferry quoted Kruse in his report. Kruse is also CEO of Carnival UK.
From March 1 to July 10, almost 3,000 cases of coronavirus or similar diseases and 34 deaths have been reported on cruise ships, the CDC reported. Almost a hundred outbreaks of the virus covering 80 percent of the ships in U.S. waters have been reported, the CDC added. Currently, nine ships are still dealing with the outbreaks, the agency stated.
Seattle anticipated a record of more than 1 million visitors this year, but the virus left nations doubting the safety of allowing potentially infected passengers to disembark. Compared to the summer of last year, it was crowds of people walking shoulder to shoulder, now it is not that at all," Ngozi Archbold, who works at a pasta stand in Pike Place Market, observed.
The cruise industry rakes in around $900 million each year and every vessel brings with it about $4.2 million in regional economic activity, the Port of Seattle disclosed.
