Greetings from Thailand!
I made a short video this week with some commentary on the news of a recent COVID-19 outbreak on one of Hurtigruten's ships, the result of lax vigilance amidst a push to get the business back on track.
It's a bad look at a time when the cruise industry can ill afford more negative press, and though these ships are more than just tourism vessels in Norway (they provide an essential service to the many communities along the Norwegian coast), the oversight means the virus could potentially spread in places that should have otherwise been at lower risk due to their relative geographic isolation.
It's a reminder of the challenges in place for us all as we try to navigate the pandemic, and a strong reminder for us to be vigilant in assessing risks, ask the right questions of our partners, and provide the best possible advice we can to our community of travellers.
You can't build the kind of incredible infrastructure the Norwegians are known for without exceptional attention to detail and process, and thus I would expect Hurtigruten to rapidly make the necessary adjustments to keep their passengers and crew much safer from here forward.
My penchant for sunny optimism is challenged by it all, but such is the nature of the experience we are all currently sharing. Our individual actions matter and we have to be collectively well-organized and vigilant to keep all of us safe. Let's do that and see where it gets us 🙂
Cheers!
Gordon Dreger
Founder, Wheel & Anchor
Gordon Dreger is the founder of Wheel & Anchor and has been in the travel industry for over 30 years. Travel is a self-expression for him, and there is nothing he likes more than talking about travel and sharing all of the joys of it with others.
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