Cruise ships cancelling their summer visits

More than 50 foreign cruise ships were scheduled to arrive at the Port of Tórshavn this summer.

Now, due to the current Covid uncertainty, all but 17 have cancelled their plans.

According to the port authorities, the shipping companies are awaiting clarification from the Faroese government regarding Covid restrictions for passengers wishing to explore the city and the surrounding area.

Further cancellations expected

One of the many companies feeling the sting from these cancellations is bus company Mouritsens Bussar, which had scheduled trips for passengers on 47 cruise ships this summer.

According to owner Magni Mouritsen, the 17 cruise ships that have not yet cancelled will most likely also cancel.

“With the current Covid situation, I don’t think we’ll be seeing any of these ships this summer,” he says.

A financial blow

“Cruise ship passengers represent about 80-90 percent of our annual revenues. We have had one cruise ship since September 2019, so you can imagine that this is not great for our company.”

He adds that were it not for the government’s Covid rescue packages, his company would not have made it through the pandemic.

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

Translated by prosa.fo.

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