Bertram's logbook

The future of cruises

700394

I actually wanted to write about my most magical cruise moments here. At least that was the plan and the announcement. But then an article appeared in "Welt am Sonntag" by Sönke Krüger, who I hold in high esteem both personally and privately. In his "Ten-point plan for the cruise", he analyzes the current situation and gives an outlook on what could come. I particularly like three of his ten points:

For example, he calls for "better health measures" on board. For him and many other experts, this includes more medical staff, mandatory temperature checks for guests and staff and the installation of mobile laboratories. Anyone who, like me, has fallen ill once (or several times) on a cruise ship can only subscribe to these demands - and will probably also call for more qualified on-board doctors. Many shipping companies still place the medical care of their passengers in the hands of doctors who see their stay on board as a paid vacation rather than a central job. The days of on-board doctors who have already retired or failed on land must finally be over!

Another demand that I find absolutely worthy of support: "Abolish buffets"!
Buffets - whether in ship or hotel restaurants - are not only problematic in terms of hygiene, they are also a relic from times when food was handled differently. Anyone who has ever seen in a galley how many untouched dishes first end up on meter-long counters, then on overflowing plates and finally as fish food, can only call for an end to this unethical and environmentally harmful waste of resources!

And then there is the call for "more days at sea instead of shore leave": Today in Barcelona, tomorrow in Marseille and the day after tomorrow already in Rome: especially on the racing routes in the Mediterranean, the ship experience is completely lost in many cases because cruises only take place at night. But for me, cruising always has something to do with slowing down and the "sea experience". Lying in a deck chair and counting wave crests, watching the clouds, browsing through the ship's library or strolling along the decks in peace and quiet and discovering lounges and bars - after all, all of this is only possible if you're not rushing from one excursion to the next. What's more, more days at sea would also mean less overtourism. Another question I have often asked myself in this context: Why can't the big shipping companies simply coordinate their schedules with each other? It is incomprehensible to me why in Barcelona last summer, for example, the same eight cruise liners always released tens of thousands of passengers into the city at the same time every Tuesday, while only one medium-sized ship docked in the port the next day.
Here, too, old habits and ways of thinking must finally be thrown overboard - so that the cruise does not go under in the future.

The future of cruises

Jörg Bertram

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