TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – With Taiwan’s domestic cruises suspended for half a year, Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang (林 右昌) urged the country on Wednesday (December 1) to strike a balance between economy and disease prevention the cruises.
Lin said the cruises operated by Dream Cruises on the Explorer Dream cruise ship had been hugely popular, and he thanked the cruise line for using Keelung as its base of operations, CNA reported.
Noting the country had gone nearly a month without a local COVID-19 case, the mayor said the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) should be able to strike a balance between the economy and disease prevention. He urged the CECC to reopen island hopping and cruises around the island, the report said.
Hong Kong-based parent company of Dream Cruises, Genting Cruise Lines, said in a statement that Explorer Dream’s doing nothing has cost the company NT $ 120 million (US $ 4.33 million) a month, which is up to 720 million in the past NT $ totaled six months.
The shipping company said it had submitted a plan to resume operations for the Explorer Dream to the CECC for approval. The plan includes guidelines for cleaning and disinfection on the ship, as well as requirements for the crew and passengers in order to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to the statement, the CECC has neither given a clear answer nor issued any instructions. It takes at least a month for the ships to be ready to set sail after the go-ahead. The uncertainty has led the company to reassess the viability of the Explorer Dream in Asia as more countries and regions elsewhere reopen their cruise industries, Genting said.
The company asked the CECC to come up with a clear timetable for the reopening of the cruises and guidance on how to do this as soon as possible.
