Thursday, June 24, 2021 - 12:06 by ce-press
A small group of Cruise Europe members gathered for the first time in 15 months for the Cruise Europe AGM and panel discussions. Trondheim hosted the meetings and made sure that the technology was available for the vast majority of CE members to join online.
From his office in Cork, chairman Michael McCarthy gave the opening address and chaired one of the panels, resumption of cruising in the UK and the North Atlantic.
Amongst many things, he said: “Ports will have to be agile and resilient, as we develop plans for the future, including consideration of enhanced boarding procedures, additional public health and sanitation protocols, monitoring capabilities, quarantine arrangements and shore side care for guests and crew.”
Looking to the future and as we all adjust to the ‘new normal’, a term that he dislikes, he said:
“We must adapt and get it right. We must embrace a new business model, and tackle the old issues which are still there, and have not gone away. We need to promote ships as being very efficient, a reliable mode of transport and its green credentials. We need to work with our colleagues in the cruiselines, remain positive, focus on what we can achieve and provide leadership.”
All being well the AGM and Cruise Europe Conference will be held in Edinburgh in February next year, almost two years since its original date.
