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“We’re supposed to be on the P&O Azura now, going around the Baltic,” mourns Craig Hanlon.
His wife, Tracey, is sanguine: “This is the next best thing.”
The couple, from Kenilworth in Warwickshire, married on a cruise a decade ago. They were hoping to celebrate their 10th anniversary afloat. But not like this.
The Hanlons departed from the quayside at Poole in Dorset at 6.30pm aboard the pleasure boat Solent Scene, for an evening voyage around a cruise-ship parking lot. A further 46 people paid £15 each for the two-hour trip around the bay.
Even before the vessel leaves one of the world’s largest natural harbours and sails out into the English Channel, the targets are clearly visible: the smooth horizon is disrupted by the ghostly shapes of three huge ships.
The vast majority of the 270 cruise vessels that were in service worldwide before the coronavirus crisis began are immobile.
Before the pandemic, they were the star performers in travel, the industry of human happiness. Efficiently and affordably, they took holidaymakers around the sights of the world.
Over the past five months, the travel industry has suffered dreadfully as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – and the worst-affected part has been cruising.
Today, almost all are frozen in time and space, with the added ignominy of becoming novelty tourist attractions.
Solent Scene pauses for the Sandbank chain ferry to clank across from the Isle of Purbeck. For some would-be cruisers, that five-minute voyage is likely to be the limit of their maritime experience this summer – exchanging the high seas for the low hills of Dorset.
As the boat bobs towards the idle assets, what passes for an entertainment deck on Solent Scene is several degrees short of the all-singing-and-dancing extravaganzas that would ordinarily be getting under way around this time of the evening aboard the ships. We cruise voyeurs are simply invited to buy pints of local beer in plastic glasses.
The trip gets close to the trio of vessels standing in their monumental emptiness. But not too close.
“Security warning: keep 50 metres away.”
Arcadia, P&O’s adults-only ship, is moored within sight of the beach at Bournemouth, with a sign warning smaller pleasure craft to keep a respectful distance.
Right now, Arcadia and her sister ships in the P&O Cruises fleet should be shuttling around Europe, plying the Mediterranean and the Baltic with thousands of passengers and crew on board.
Instead, they are being cared for by a skeleton crew in offshore moorings in various parts of the globe. Arcadia‘s planned world cruise at the start of 2021 has just been cancelled – and the adjacent ship in Poole Bay, Aurora, will no longer be enjoying a “Caribbean & South America Adventure” in the New Year.
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Created with Sketch.
1/11 Grand prize winner and 1st place: Cities
"Upernavik is a fishing village on a tiny island in west Greenland. Historically, Greenlandic buildings were painted different colors to indicate different functions, from red storefronts to blue fishermen’s homes—a useful distinction when the landscape is blanketed in snow. This photo was taken during my three-month, personal photo project to present life in Greenland."
Chu Weimin
2/11 1st place: Nature
"A gorgeous griffon vulture is seen soaring the skies in Monfrague National Park in Spain. How can anyone say vultures bring bad omens when looking at such tenderness in this griffon vulture's eyes? Vultures are important members of the environment, as they take care of recycling dead matter. Vultures are noble and majestic animals—kings of the skies. When looking at them flying, we should feel humbled and admire them."
Tamara Blazquez Haik
3/11 2nd place: Cities
"There are four runways at San Francisco's International Airport (SFO). This is a rare look at the approach end of runways 28 left and right. I had dreams of documenting the motion at SFO and arranged permission to fly directly overhead. What a windy day it was. Winds at SFO were 35-45 miles per hour, which meant a bumpy flight, and it was much harder to control the plane while photographing. The flight was challenging, but it was also so thrilling that I couldn't sleep for several days afterward."
Jassen Todorov
4/11 Honourable mention: People
"I captured this layered moment during sunrise along the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, India. This boy was thinking silently, and visitors were enjoying the loud musical chirping of thousands of seagulls. The early morning golden light from the east mixed with the western blue light, creating an ethereal atmosphere. I am a regular visitor here and have photographed this place for the past three years. Now, many national and international photographers have begun visiting too."
Navin Vatsa
5/11 Honourable mention: Nature
"A herd of ibex in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland cross a ridge above Lake Brienz. Their powerful and impressive horns show who the king of the Alps are. Ibex are ideally adapted to live at dizzying heights. The continuing ridge path and the rising fog show the natural habitat of these animals. After a few hours of observing the animals, I spotted the ibex herd on one side of the ridge. Several ibex stopped at the transition to view the world around them."
Jonas Schafer
6/11 3rd place: People
"Every year on the feast of Saint Anthony the ceremony of the purification of animals, called Las Luminarias, is celebrated in Spain. In the province of Avila, horses and horsemen jump over bonfires in the ritual that has been maintained since the 18th century. The animals are not hurt, and it is a ritual that is repeated every year. To make the photo, I moved from Seville to San Bartolomé de Pinares because I am very interested in photographing ancestral rites."
Jose Antonio Zamora
7/11 2nd place: People
"This photo was taken at a public park at Choi Hung House in Hong Kong. When I visited during the afternoon, it was very crowded with many young people taking pictures and playing basketball. But when I visited at sunrise, it was quiet and a different place. The area is designated for neighborhood residents in the early morning, and there was a sacred atmosphere. I felt divinity when I saw an old man doing tai chi in the sun."
Yoshiki Fujiwara
8/11 3rd place: Nature
"Dusky dolphins often travel together in great numbers in the deep canyons of the Kaikoura, New Zealand in search of food. They glide through the ocean effortlessly, coming up only to breathe. Dusky dolphins are fast and will often keep pace with a speeding boat. I waited on the bow of the boat as the Dusky dolphin almost broke through the surface. Their elegance and streamlined bodies are built for speed and maneuverability—accentuated by the smooth, clear water of the New Zealand coastline."
Scott Portelli
9/11 2nd place: Nature
"What happens before a wave breaks? That question has been my assignment this past year. On this particular day, I decided to shoot the sunset on the east side of Oahu, Hawaii. About 100 photographers were out in the morning, but I had the evening to myself. The textures from the trade winds created subtle colors from the west and blended well using my 100mm lens. I had to look into my viewfinder while this wave was breaking. Not an easy task when a wave is about to crush you."
Danny Sepkowski
10/11 1st place: People
"Actors prepare for an evening opera performance in Licheng County, China. I spent the whole day with these actors from makeup to stage. I’m a freelance photographer, and the series “Cave Life" is a long-term project of mine. In China's Loess Plateau, local residents dig holes in the loess layer to create cave living spaces, known as yaodongs, and use the heat preservation properties to survive cold winters. This series mainly records the life, entertainment, belief, labor, and other daily scenes of the people living in the caves."
Huaifeng Li
11/11 3rd place: Cities
"People pray on the street in Dhaka, Bangladesh during Ijtema. Bishwa Ijtema is one of the major Islamic religious gatherings which is observed annually in Dhaka and millions of Muslims visit during this time. Dedicated prayer grounds are not large enough to handle this huge number of people, so large numbers of people come to Tongi, the main street of Dhaka. All the ground transportation and pedestrian crossings are suspended during that time."
Sandipani Chattopadhyay
1/11 Grand prize winner and 1st place: Cities
"Upernavik is a fishing village on a tiny island in west Greenland. Historically, Greenlandic buildings were painted different colors to indicate different functions, from red storefronts to blue fishermen’s homes—a useful distinction when the landscape is blanketed in snow. This photo was taken during my three-month, personal photo project to present life in Greenland."
Chu Weimin
2/11 1st place: Nature
"A gorgeous griffon vulture is seen soaring the skies in Monfrague National Park in Spain. How can anyone say vultures bring bad omens when looking at such tenderness in this griffon vulture's eyes? Vultures are important members of the environment, as they take care of recycling dead matter. Vultures are noble and majestic animals—kings of the skies. When looking at them flying, we should feel humbled and admire them."
Tamara Blazquez Haik
3/11 2nd place: Cities
"There are four runways at San Francisco's International Airport (SFO). This is a rare look at the approach end of runways 28 left and right. I had dreams of documenting the motion at SFO and arranged permission to fly directly overhead. What a windy day it was. Winds at SFO were 35-45 miles per hour, which meant a bumpy flight, and it was much harder to control the plane while photographing. The flight was challenging, but it was also so thrilling that I couldn't sleep for several days afterward."
Jassen Todorov
4/11 Honourable mention: People
"I captured this layered moment during sunrise along the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, India. This boy was thinking silently, and visitors were enjoying the loud musical chirping of thousands of seagulls. The early morning golden light from the east mixed with the western blue light, creating an ethereal atmosphere. I am a regular visitor here and have photographed this place for the past three years. Now, many national and international photographers have begun visiting too."
Navin Vatsa
5/11 Honourable mention: Nature
"A herd of ibex in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland cross a ridge above Lake Brienz. Their powerful and impressive horns show who the king of the Alps are. Ibex are ideally adapted to live at dizzying heights. The continuing ridge path and the rising fog show the natural habitat of these animals. After a few hours of observing the animals, I spotted the ibex herd on one side of the ridge. Several ibex stopped at the transition to view the world around them."
Jonas Schafer
6/11 3rd place: People
"Every year on the feast of Saint Anthony the ceremony of the purification of animals, called Las Luminarias, is celebrated in Spain. In the province of Avila, horses and horsemen jump over bonfires in the ritual that has been maintained since the 18th century. The animals are not hurt, and it is a ritual that is repeated every year. To make the photo, I moved from Seville to San Bartolomé de Pinares because I am very interested in photographing ancestral rites."
Jose Antonio Zamora
7/11 2nd place: People
"This photo was taken at a public park at Choi Hung House in Hong Kong. When I visited during the afternoon, it was very crowded with many young people taking pictures and playing basketball. But when I visited at sunrise, it was quiet and a different place. The area is designated for neighborhood residents in the early morning, and there was a sacred atmosphere. I felt divinity when I saw an old man doing tai chi in the sun."
Yoshiki Fujiwara
8/11 3rd place: Nature
"Dusky dolphins often travel together in great numbers in the deep canyons of the Kaikoura, New Zealand in search of food. They glide through the ocean effortlessly, coming up only to breathe. Dusky dolphins are fast and will often keep pace with a speeding boat. I waited on the bow of the boat as the Dusky dolphin almost broke through the surface. Their elegance and streamlined bodies are built for speed and maneuverability—accentuated by the smooth, clear water of the New Zealand coastline."
Scott Portelli
9/11 2nd place: Nature
"What happens before a wave breaks? That question has been my assignment this past year. On this particular day, I decided to shoot the sunset on the east side of Oahu, Hawaii. About 100 photographers were out in the morning, but I had the evening to myself. The textures from the trade winds created subtle colors from the west and blended well using my 100mm lens. I had to look into my viewfinder while this wave was breaking. Not an easy task when a wave is about to crush you."
Danny Sepkowski
10/11 1st place: People
"Actors prepare for an evening opera performance in Licheng County, China. I spent the whole day with these actors from makeup to stage. I’m a freelance photographer, and the series “Cave Life" is a long-term project of mine. In China's Loess Plateau, local residents dig holes in the loess layer to create cave living spaces, known as yaodongs, and use the heat preservation properties to survive cold winters. This series mainly records the life, entertainment, belief, labor, and other daily scenes of the people living in the caves."
Huaifeng Li
11/11 3rd place: Cities
"People pray on the street in Dhaka, Bangladesh during Ijtema. Bishwa Ijtema is one of the major Islamic religious gatherings which is observed annually in Dhaka and millions of Muslims visit during this time. Dedicated prayer grounds are not large enough to handle this huge number of people, so large numbers of people come to Tongi, the main street of Dhaka. All the ground transportation and pedestrian crossings are suspended during that time."
Sandipani Chattopadhyay
The planned passenger numbers for these two P&O ships combined do not come close to the figures for the final member of the trio. She is one of the flagships of the world’s cruise fleet: Allure of the Seas.
“I think there’s like a park on the ship, there’s a carousel, there’s theatres, bars, restaurants, three or four swimming pools,” says Craig as we approach the vessel that should be carrying around 6,000 passengers, looked after by 2,200 crew.
“It’s a floating resort, really,” he concludes – with a zipwire and ice-skating rink adding to the nautical allure of a vessel described by its owner, Royal Caribbean, as “the most awarded ship in the world”.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Allure and her equally gigantic sister ships symbolised the way cruise firms had finessed a mass-market model that brought together thousands of passengers and crew from across the world.
Holidaymakers sleep, eat and party in an inevitably confined space, while visiting a sequence of destinations in different countries.
The pandemic has hit every aspect of the extremely complex logistics of cruise operations, with a labyrinth of restrictions on the movement of people and vessels. Cruising has also acquired an image problem, with some ships becoming pariahs as the crisis engulfed the world.
Diamond Princess became a coronavirus hotspot in her own right while being held in quarantine in Yokohama, Japan. Six months on, several countries – including the UK – warn their citizens not to board cruise ships.
Tracey and Craig Hanlon are annoyed by the indefinite Foreign Office warning against ocean cruising anywhere in the world.
“It’s quite upsetting,” says Tracey. “The standards of cleanliness on the ships are top-notch. They’re tirelessly cleaning.”
Craig adds: “With what happened on the Princess cruise when the Covid started has given the cruise lines a bad name.
“I hope people will be confident in cruising. It is a nice way to holiday.”
But the couple do not themselves expect to be back on board a cruise ship for three more years.
“Because of all the restrictions that would be in place, it wouldn’t be something we’d be happy to do,” says Tracey.
“We’re not sure about what’s going to be happening with the face masks,” says Craig. “You dress up on an evening on a cruise ship. I’m not sure it’s really going work with a face mask.”
Tracey adds: “You’re spending a couple of hours putting on your make-up, to then cover it up?”
Cruising must make more than cosmetic changes before it restarts at scale. There are likely to be fewer ships, visiting fewer countries and with fewer people on them. And given the cruel arithmetic of Covid-19, those passengers may well be significantly younger.
Pleasure cruises around the ghost ships may help fill them in time. One potential customer is Oswald Darikwa, a 46-year-old nurse from Birmingham, who is aboard Solent Scene as part of a summer tour of the UK.
As the setting sun adds a ripple of gold and crimson to Arcadia, he concludes: “This is fantastic. l will definitely go an a cruise.”