Cruise lines, passengers scramble to respond to coronavirus

MIAMI —

The spread of a the coronavirus is disrupting the cruise industry in the midst of its busiest season for bookings.

Cruise lines have canceled or redeployed their Asia-based ships to regions such as Australia and Alaska.

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Ships have been quarantined or turned away by port authorities even far away from the affected areas in popular destinations in the Caribbean.

Cruise passengers are canceling or postponing their trips, and travel advisers are seeing fewer last-minute bookings.

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While the final impact on the cruise industry is not yet known, fears already have sent cruise stocks plummeting over the past week.

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Travel experts worry about the impact it could have for future cruises.

Passengers on The MSC Meraviglia were not allowed to disembark in Jamaica or Grand Cayman after a crew member was said to be ill.

According to the cruise line, that worker tested positive for the flu, not the coronavirus.

The cruise industry has already taken a hit from the coronavirus as the world watched the Diamond Princess cruise be quarantined in Japan for two weeks. Hundreds of passengers contracted the illness and four of them died.

Those in the cruise business hope people won’t buy into the belief that cruising is not a good idea right now.

For travelers concerned about what just happened with the ship denied entry in the Caribbean, travel expert Scott Bartle said it was the exception and not the rule.

“The majority of ships are still being able to gain access to the ports. They haven’t made the blanket statement that ships aren’t allowed to come in if someone is quarantined for the flu,” Bartle said.

Travel experts believe the cruise ship industry will bounce back once the coronavirus outbreak is contained.