Cruise companies must record a million dollar loss due to the stoppage of all operations in Brazil until January 21 due to outbreaks of Covid-19.
A survey by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), made at the request of CNN, shows that the sector should have a loss of approximately R$ 45 million in the period.
The study, coordinated by economist Joelson Sampaio, takes into account that at least 50% of the 45,000 passengers affected by the new determination will prefer to ask for a refund of the cost of the trip.
The researcher also estimated that the average ticket per person was R$2,000, according to an analysis carried out on the cruise operators’ own websites.
“The negative impact for these companies due to the suspension is significant. This sector has already suffered a lot during the pandemic and, now, it has taken another loss. And the cruise segment is also the one that employs the most. Each ship directly and indirectly employs more than a thousand people. This amount of R$45 million is very expressive”, highlighted Joelson Sampaio.
The Brazilian Association of Cruise Ships (CLIA) has already started a round of negotiations with authorities from the three spheres to deliberate on the return of the cruise season in the country.
CLIA estimates that the three-week stoppage affected 15 weekly itineraries for five ships, three from MSC and two from Costa.
Costa has already stated that they may have a voucher for future travel or a refund of the amount paid for the canceled tour. MSC has not yet manifested itself.
The sanitarist and professor of Public Health and epidemiology at the São Camilo University Center, Sérgio Zanetta, reinforces the study and explains that most people will ask for reimbursement due to the impossibility of rescheduling trips.
He cites that the Covid-19 cruises ‘scared’ the public who were scheduled to do the tour program in January.
In addition, the researcher says that many people would probably only have that certain period to travel and that the possible rescheduling of the tour to a new date should not happen because of each one’s professional routine.
“I think the refund application rate must be very high and I really recommend it. I recommend that people wait for an opportunity to improve the epidemiological scenario. I don’t think this is the time to travel, especially on cruises. Confine yourself for days in a closed place. Insecurity is very high. I consider that the risk of taking a trip on a ship is currently unbearable”, emphasizes Sérgio Zanetta.
AT CNN, the expert said that the decision to suspend sea voyages was late and led to the infection of several people. Last week, he claimed in an interview with CNN that cruises are “covid-19 broadcast traps.”
The five vessels operating in Brazil registered 798 new cases of Covid-19 in just 9 days. The information was released by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).
On the Splendida cruise, there were 78 infected on a New Year’s Eve trip and the vessel docked in a hurry at the Port of Santos, on the 30th.
In Costa Diadema, 68 cases were diagnosed and the ship was docked in Salvador, with 4,000 people in quarantine since the last 30th.
Another MSC ship, the Preziosa, which had its final destination in the city of Rio de Janeiro, registered 28 infections.
A passenger from the Preziosa, who declined to be identified, spoke with the CNN this Tuesday (4) and stated that the moments after the confirmation of the Covid-19 cases were ‘chaos’ inside the vessel.
Asked, she stated that she would not recommend taking a cruise at this time.
“Today I don’t know if I would take a cruise again because of the fear of Covid-19. By the time it is officially released, you believe that everything is fine. My kids were also pretty scared. We had no idea it would be chaos. Without the Covid-19 outbreaks, I highly recommend the tour. But currently I don’t recommend people taking a cruise,” he emphasized.
*With information from Pedro Duran, from CNN
Reference: CNN Brasil
