No Smooth Sailing For the Cruise Industry

2012 has not been kind so far to the cruise industry. Images of the Costa Concordia submerged on its starboard, off the Italian Coast with at least 18 people confirmed dead was the beginning. Questions about safety and conduct of crew came into light, and cruise lines went back to the drawing board to re-evaluate their procedures. At least three U.S. based cruise ships had to be disinfected after outbreak of norovirus a.k.a. stomach virus. The cruise industry is taking a hit as a result of negative publicity of such incidents. Cruise Lines have done fairly well, but the presence of thousands of people in close proximity for 7+ days with quick turnarounds for the next cruise is bound to cause some issues. It is not possible to scrub and clean giant ships when you have an average of 10 hours between the end and the beginning of each cruise. www.premieretravel.com