Seychelles island bans cruise ships from visiting until 2022
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Cruises may be coming back as early as August, but they won’t be heading here.
The Seychelles archipelago off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean has announced it will not be allowing cruise ships to port until 2022 over fears of the coronavirus.
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Didier Dogley, the country’s minister for tourism, civil aviation, ports and marine, said the ban is effective immediately and will continue through the end of 2021, the news outlet Seychelles Nation reported.
The ban will block cruise vessels from docking at its Port Victoria.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The move comes as a way to minimize a possible second wave of coronavirus cases. (iStock)
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Though the islands have a lot of industries depending on tourism, the country’s government has stepped in to ensure those businesses can weather the COVID-19 pandemic with financial help, the outlet reported.
The move comes as a way to minimize a possible second wave of coronavirus cases, of which the island country only has 11 reported positives and no deaths.
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Though the Seychelles is not the largest port for cruise ships, other more popular destinations are also instituting extended bans on visits.
The Cayman Islands in the Caribbean has closed its port through at least September, The Points Guy reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I don’t think that we’re going to see cruise vessels back in Grand Cayman [in the] second [quarter], third quarter or fourth quarter, to be quite honest,” tourism minister Moses Kirkconnell told the Cayman Compass.
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In related news, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line, two of the world’s biggest cruise lines, announced last week that they would be extending the “pauses” in their operations through at least the end of the summer season. Holland America, meanwhile, has extended some cancellations into the fall.
Fox News’ Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.