Cruise demand hits record highs despite hantavirus and norovirus health scares
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Recent outbreaks of hantavirus and norovirus on cruise ships have been attracting a lot of attention, but many travelers don’t seem to be changing their vacation plans because of it.
Cruise industry experts say demand remains strong as we head into the busy summer travel season, despite recent illness cases reported on several ships.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) recently revealed that more than 38 million people worldwide will cruise this year, up from a record 37.2 million passengers last year, according to the Associated Press.
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Some travelers say health concerns aren’t enough to stop them from booking future trips.
“I’ve booked eight cruises, and I’ll be booking another,” cruise writer Jenni Fielding told the AP.
Despite recent outbreaks on cruise ships, passenger demand remains strong ahead of summer, according to industry insiders. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group)
Fielding said cruise vacations remain as safe as other forms 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 an outbreak of hantavirus linked to a stopover in Argentina.
Fox News Digital also recently reported on the norovirus outbreak on the Caribbean Princess that sickened more than 100 passengers and crew members.
“We’ve never seen a drop in demand.”
CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein told the AP that bookings through the company increased more than 30% in the first half of May, compared to the same period last year.
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“I can say unequivocally that we haven’t seen a drop in demand,” Levinstein said.
Pictured is the MV Hondius, a cruise ship embroiled in a hantavirus outbreak after docking in Argentina that left three passengers dead. (Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)
Experts say norovirus cases often get more attention because cruise ships are required to publicly report illnesses that affect a certain percentage of passengers.
Most cruises are booked months in advance – making recent health concerns less likely to affect travel plans.
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On Reddit, many cruise passengers said they were not changing their plans due to the recent outbreak.
“I’m leaving … next week. It didn’t even occur to me to worry about the hantavirus,” another user wrote.
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“Going to Alaska next month, I don’t care at all,” added another commenter. “[Norovirus] It is very possible, and that risk is understood.”
“It never crossed my mind. Cruise on!” one person wrote.
Experts say cruise ship outbreaks are getting more attention because of public reporting laws, but many travelers still plan to go on cruises as they are booked. (Myloupe Team/Universal Images)
Fox News Digital previously reported that some cruise passengers have raised questions about what protections they have in place during medical emergencies and outbreaks at sea.
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Industry experts said that while cruise lines have voluntary protections for passengers, policies can vary depending on the situation and the cruise operator involved.
Brittany Miller and Jessica Mekles of Fox News Digital, and The Associated Press, contributed reporting.
