Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

2 2 0 numbers for August, September and October were on the rise. In August, La Belle de l’Adriatique resumes operating out of Dubrovnik along the Adriatic. During this unprecedented situation, working relationships both internally and externally come to the fore: “We have always had excellent relations with our partners, such as Voyage Jules Verne, Noble Caledonia, Great Rail Journeys, Titan and Saga, and we are continuing with those. We know about different countries’ circumstances and how these can be handled. The collaboration has been excellent, even with small coach operators, which is a very good sign. “I know all tour operators have more or less the same goal: to save the business; keep security and health care a priority; to be able to travel and look forward to when times are better. It is good teamwork internally, but also with partners.” CroisiEurope’s health and safety protocols, which were already stricter than in land-based hotels and restaurants, have now been significantly increased. The company has also earned a Safeguard Certification Label from Bureau Veritas, showing the it has properly applied new preventative sanitary measures and that its crew members have been thoroughly trained to implement them. For Dubrovnik and Nice, however, CroisiEurope has worked closely with the port authorities to adopt and respect local processes. Onboard, the company is following the relevant countries’ guidelines which, as Grimm points out, are changing almost every day. There is good news: “The feedback we have from the cruises which we have been operating for five weeks is that the atmosphere onboard is friendly and the people are happy,” says Grimm. “The processes are quite easy to handle because the cruises are not totally sold out. There are between 60 per cent and 85 per cent onboard, so we haven’t had to reduce sales [due to coronavirus protocols].” Grimm admits that it would have been easier to put everyone on furlough and to put the ships into layup until next year. However he says: “This is not the way we do business in this company. And, more important, I think when you face challenges you have to fight to achieve your goal and reach your dreams and not let others take control of your life. “In terms of river cruise business, we are the European leader and one of the leaders in the world, so we have to show our contribution for the river cruise industry. We have to try.” CFR INTERV IEW “The feedback we have from the cruises is that the atmosphere onboard is friendly and the people are happy” Photo: Alexandre_Sattler