NEWS UPDATE: Genting Bankrupt & Crystal Cancels ALL Cruises | Aussie Travel Action Group Makes Waves

Join my private Facebook group for cruise deals, tips and advice - the more members we have, the better we’ll get! www.facebook.com/groups/CTGdeals Head to my website for great cruise and travel deals: www.thecruiseandtravelguy.com.au Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: www.facebook.comn/thecruiseandtravelguy www.instragram.com/thecruiseandtravelguy Genting Hong Kong filed for bankruptcy. The owner of Dream Cruises - famously known for being one of the first cruise lines to resume operations during the pandemic with it’s cruises to nowhere from Singapore, has appointed provisional liquidators to deal with the impending fallout from the filing. According to reports, Genting’s German shipyard filed for insolvency just last week after plans for a government bailout were abandoned when the company couldn’t come up with 10 per cent of the capital needed in order to qualify for the handout. The shipyard housed an unfinished cruise ship which was to be named Global Dream. The impact is being felt right across the world, with Genting subsidiary Crystal Cruises shutting down its operations effective immediately. It’s three ocean going ships will finish up their current cruises and then pause any further voyages until April 29th. Instead of recommencing sailing in March, Crystal’s river-based fleet will likewise remain non-operational, at this stage through to the end of May. Guests affected by the cancellations have been promised a refund. Back home in Australia, the Aussie Travel Action Group has been formed. Created just over a week ago, the group has already managed to attract over 1200 members. Started by travel agents and for travel agents, the group aims to unite travel and tourism business owners and staff seeking immediate action and support from policymakers to end the industry’s plight. The group’s efforts will be focused on what’s been dubbed the Day of Action next Tuesday January 25th. Agents and suppliers will converge on the offices of MPs around the country, to share their stories and highlight the need for urgent government action and support for the industry. This uprising is truly inspiring, and I will be interviewing the group’s founder, Belle Goldie this weekend to learn more about this important movement. I’ll be bringing that interview to my channel in the coming days. In the US, the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order has officially lapsed. The CSO was the first step in allowing cruises to recommence from the US and allowed millions to return to the sea in 2021. In place of the mandatory CSO, the CDC will be initiating a voluntary program that cruise lines can opt in to which will give the CDC the ability to continue to monitor case numbers and health protocols onboard. For cruise lines that choose to opt out of being monitored, safety practices onboard will remain much the same, but cruise lines won’t be compelled to report case numbers. In late December, Royal Caribbean indicated that it had carried around 1.1 million guests since it resumed service in June 2020, with just 1,745 people testing positive for Covid-19 - a positivity rate of under 0.2%. Compare that to anything on land. Thanks for watching and see you soon!