(Health Times reporter Lin Jing) "Virus Cruises", "Terror Cruises", "Deadly Drifting" and "Floating Prisons". Since the global outbreak of the new crown epidemic, cruise ships traveling around the world have become "hot potatoes", and major cruise companies around the world have successively announced suspensions plan. Recently, these luxury cruise ships have a new destination-shipbreaking yard.
Ariaa Port, north of Izmir, Turkey, is the largest shipbreaking port in Europe. For more than 40 years, it has mainly dismantled scrap cargo ships. But this year, this year is full of luxury cruise ships waiting to be dismantled. Because the epidemic has severely hit the global cruise industry, some cruise companies have to drastically reduce the size of their fleets, and more and more cruise ships are sent here to wait for dismantling. Take the United States as an example. Up to now, 80% of US cruise companies have been affected by the epidemic. The Carnival Group, the world's largest cruise company, has decided to handle at least 18 cruise ships.
From the air, the miniature golf course, swimming pool and other facilities on the luxury cruise ship are clearly visible. One of them is the American Carnival "Fantasy", which was only refurbished last year. But after 6 to 10 months, they will be disassembled one by one, and 95% of the parts will be shipped to the steel plant.
Onar, chairman of the Turkish Ship Recycling Association, said in an interview with reporters that they are currently dismantling five cruise ships and another three are in transit. Most of these scrapped cruise ships came from the United States, Britain, Italy and other countries, and they were once famous luxury cruise ships.
Analysts believe that in the next one to two years, the global cruise industry will continue to be sluggish, and it is expected that more cruise ships will be sent to ship recycling yards in the future.
Previously reported:
Floating at sea: the "Diamond Princess" sailed after three months of mooring
The luxury cruise ship that is famous for the new crown epidemic is the "Diamond Princess".
On January 20, the luxury cruise ship "Diamond Princess" carrying more than 3700 people set off from Yokohama, Japan for a 16-day sailing trip. As one of the top fifteen most luxurious cruise ships in the world, its luxury is self-evident. From facilities to services, it is among the top in the world. Then, when people boarded the cruise ship with a happy and perfect New Year trip, they fell from heaven to hell after a Hong Kong tourist was diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia. The virus is like a dandelion that is blown away, and it takes root on whoever it falls.
Because some airtight rooms can only be ventilated through central air-conditioning, this increases the possibility of virus transmission. Even if you close yourself tightly in the house, you can't escape the trick. According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as of May 15, a total of 712 confirmed cases and 13 deaths have been reported on the Diamond Princess. In addition, a number of workers and quarantine officers from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare were diagnosed during the quarantine of the cruise ship.
Because there was no better solution at the time, the tourists on the Diamond Princess were asked not to disembark. After more than three months of berthing, the British cruise ship "Diamond Princess", which reported a total of 712 confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia, left the port of Yokohama, Japan, and restarted its travel route.
Fangcang shelter hospital: "Virus hotbed" has transformed into "sea hospital".
In order to alleviate the tension in medical resources, some cruise ships that have docked and berthed were later transformed into temporary "above-water cabins" or "over-water hotels" to treat patients or provide accommodation for medical teams.
On March 19, GNV Shipping Company took the lead in officially delivering a luxury ro-ro passenger ferry that was transformed into an "oversea cabin hospital" in Genoa, Italy, to the Italian region of Liguria to support the region’s medical system against the new crown Virus outbreak. When it was first opened, it could treat 25 patients, which was later increased to 400 total beds. MSC Mediterranean Shipping Group charged 1 euro symbolically until the state of emergency was lifted in Liguria.
On the same day, Carnival, the world's largest cruise company, also announced that its Carnival Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and P&O Cruises can be used as temporary hospitals to help solve the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic on the global medical system.
During the severe epidemic in Wuhan, Hubei, in order to make up for the lack of hotel rooms, Wuhan also requisitioned 7 Three Gorges cruise ships as accommodation service points for the Chinese aid medical team.
