Cruising was a Covid disaster. Now it claims to be the ‘safest vacation available’

THE world’s cruise ships were once titans of the oceans, raking in billions in profit as their city-sized passenger populations traveled across the globe.

But last year, many of these floating palaces became coronavirus epicenters, turned away from port after port as Covid cases rose on board and the pandemic escalated on land.

First passengers, and then crew members, struggled to get home. By summer 2020, the world’s cruise ship fleet was essentially out-of-action. Most vessels were laid up, and some were sold off for scrap as the industry struggled to survive financially.

Now, the first cruise ship carrying fare-paying passengers to depart US shores in over a year has set sail.

The departure of Celebrity Edge, a 1,004-foot ship with a pre-Covid capacity of 2,918 guests, marks a significant step for an industry that has hemorrhaged thousands of jobs and millions of dollars a day during cruising’s suspension.