THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVEN’T BEEN KIND to tourism, and cruising has fared worse than most in the industry. Up until the pandemic hit, the cruise industry was riding a wave of success, having experienced a boom in popularity during the naughts and teens of the 21st century which resulted in more ships, more inclusions, more port visits, more passengers, more everything.
There had been rumblings of discontent, though. Residents and government officials in historic European cities such as Barcelona and Venice bemoaned the overcrowding, the pollution and the loss of authentic aspects of the local lifestyle that they experienced courtesy of the ships
