Foreign cruises banned from entering India amid coronavirus spread

With Covid-19 coronavirus cases rising in India, entry of cruise ships from abroad into the country has been halted — effective Wednesday, says the central government order. 

“Due to this, we (Mumbai port) have had to cancel 15 pre-booked cruises in the final leg of the season,” Yashodhan A. Wanage, deputy chairman of Mumbai Port, told Business Standard. 

Only those cruise ships which had planned and intimated their call to an lndian port not later than January 1 will be allowed to call at such a port, goes the shipping ministry notice. However, it adds, any such ship or crew member or passenger having visited any Covid-19 affected country since February 1 will not be permitted to enter any lndian port till March 31.

 

 

Mumbai port had seen no cancellations for the cruise season starting October. Of 243 pre-bookings, 220 cruises had already taken place. The current 15 cruise cancellations are from the remaining 23 pre-bookings.

Essel Group-owned Jalesh Cruises, a multi-destination one with a 2,000-passenger capacity, returned empty from Dubai on Thursday morning. The crew were mostly of Indian nationality; also some Americans and Filipinos. “Our 631 crew members are from non-restricted regions that never left the vessel. Medical check-up for all has been conducted. 
 

The entire crew has tested negative (for coronavirus),” said Jurgen Bailom, president and chief executive officer at Jalesh. Formally a domestic cruise product, it is not impacted by the latest change in stance by the government, meant for foreign cruises calling at Indian ports.

“We have decided to postpone (not cancel) our remaining nine trips of the season to the end of March,” said Bailom. "As of now, we have not thought of anything beyond March 31.