COVID Conundrum – Where Have All The Cruise Ships Gone?
Few industries around the world have been more adversely affected by COVID-19 than cruising. I’m not talking private yacht charters, or the sublime bareboat sailing adventures we love. I mean the gargantuan cruise line companies; promulgators of the very worst style of mass tourism.
Indeed, floating cities that deliberately and repeatedly pollute our seas, while delivering precious little positive economic impact on our islands really aren’t our thing. It’s no surprise, then, that we didn’t shed any years over not seeing any megaships in port during our recent trips to/through Antigua, Saint Croix, and Montserrat.
At the same time, though, I have wondered where all those huge ships had gone to. The answer, at least in some small part, is just a wee bit west of the spot pictured above.
This idyllic-looking corner of The Bahamas lies approximately 10 miles northwest of Chub Cay. Due east of here sits the Berry Islands, which, as previously noted, has strong ties with the cruise industry.
This, perhaps, explains the dozens of cruise ships sitting adrift in the waters here. They were plainly visible, though not-so-easily-photographed, from the sky along our flightpath to Saint Croix last week.
Look for them on your next trip south to the islands. They may yet be there idling for a little awhile…