Asia's cruise industry will be forever changed by coronavirus crisis

Passengers stuck on Diamond Princess made consumers and governments panic

Peter Lynch

April 17, 2020 14:00 JST

After the Diamond Princess incident, can cruise lines convince consumers that they are clean and safe? © Reuters

Peter Lynch is Editor-in-Chief of ASEAN Cruise News, Cruise&Travel Asia and Cruise Passenger Australia.

Global cruise line Princess is proud of its catchy slogan "Come back new." It is an exhortation that conveys how a healthy holiday on one of its big ships refreshes and renews. The line has been extraordinarily successful in Asia, taking tens of thousands to Japan, a major market for its ships.