The European Chamber’s Shipbuilding Working Group is delighted to invite you to the Working Group Meeting “Feeling the Surge of the Pandemic: Management of Business Restart in the Cruise Industry” which is to take place on Tuesday 23 June 2020, 15:00-16:30 pm CST.
Register online or email Charlotte Svensson at csvensson@europeanchamber.com.cn before 22 June, COB. You will receive a confirmation email containing the link to join the meeting via Zoom after registration closes.
From a cruise operator perspective, COVID-19 caused disruptions across the global industry, with sailings either being cancelled or re-routed, with passengers being placed under quarantine and cruise ship operators being barred from docking. While changed schedules initially looked better than outright cancellations, changing a cruise ship’s itinerary is a complicated process and highly dependent upon berth and port availability, with few global ports possessing the infrastructure to accommodate big cruise ships. Overall, cruise operators will need to pay out substantial sums to passengers in refunds, compensation and cancellation fees, meaning they may find themselves in a position whereby they are unable to service loan repayments and attend to cash flow problems. If demand decreases over a prolonged period of time, cruise operators might also consider laying-up their cruise ships.
In addition, both shipbuilding and maritime equipment are very much dependent upon global macro-economic trends, trade volumes, and the evolution of tourism and mobility patterns, as well as customer confidence. It is expected that COVID-19 will have a particularly negatively impact the market for complex ship types, among them cruise vessels.
At this meeting, we will hear from Mr. Claude Maillot, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive for Marine & Offshore North Asia Zone and China, Bureau Veritas and Leader of the recent established Cruise Ship Expert Group under by the Ministry of Transportation. We will also hear from Ms Vanessa Wei, Cruise Portfolio Manager at Bureau Veritas. In addition, members will also have the opportunity to ask questions directly to Director Wang Xiaobing, Ship Inspection Department of Guangdong Marine Safety Administration (MSA).
Tentative Agenda
15.00 Welcome Remarks
15.10 Presentation by Mr. Claude Maillot, and Ms Vanessa Wei, Bureau Veritas
15.30 Q&A
15.50 Q&A with Director Wang Xiaobing, Director of the Ship Inspection Department of Guangdong MSA
16.15 Working Group updates
16.20 Closing remarks