Happy holidays and thanks for your support

It’s almost the end of the year we’d rather forget. Thanks for staying with us through thick and thin.

Cruise Passenger remains one of the biggest travel sites in the region, with an audience of almost 500,000.  We’re humbled by the responses we’ve received to our surveys, the comments on our stories and the fact that you’ve continued to read us. We’ve loved your feedback. We’ve been amazed at your sensible, rationale ideas and inspired by your extraordinary enthusiasm for the return of your favourite form of travel. Recently, we revealed the results of our Readers’ Choice Awards.  Our special section on how crews handled the pandemic was particularly revealing. The Washy Washy crew on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas took out the gong for most caring crew.

Yes, the pandemic has turned the Guys who took on the most hated shift on the ship into heroes. And deservedly so.

We hope you enjoy our video awards show. You can watch it here:   We always knew that cruise would be a victim of the tall poppy syndrome.  Its success meant that it was in the cross hairs of many mainstream media outlets. The pandemic provided the ammunition. And for the past six months, several TV channels and publications have delighted in attacking the cruise industry. Throughout it all, you’ve remained incredibly sensible and stoic. Cruising is already back.  In Australia, thanks to Coral Expeditions, an Aussie flagged and Aussie crewed fleet. And in Asia, thanks to Royal Caribbean and Dream.

Cruise Lines have completed some excellent work around health protocols, technology and hardware which mean ships will be safer than ever.  So we are optimistic about next year. But we accept a pandemic must be handled with care.

So Goodbye 2020.  Though you’ve changed our lives forever, we won’t miss you. Now bring on 2021.  We’re ready!