When an oil spill interferes with the planned route of a cruise ship, the cruise company must plan a different route. Because the oil spill can move, the captain of the ship may need to make further alterations during the cruise to avoid boating through the area. It is best to avoid the oil spill to prevent further spreading the oil, as well as to prevent issues with the ship.
If a cruise ship does end up going through a section of an oil spill, the unrefined oil will stick to the hull. Once the ship reaches port, the ship must be cleaned before it can venture back out into the water. Cleaning the ship prevents it from spreading the oil into unaffected waters. The need to clean the ship while it is in port can affect the departure times as it can take some time to thoroughly clean the hull.
While most cruises will not allow an oil spill to cancel or severely alter the schedule on which the cruise operates, the overall schedule may change slightly. Because the oil is dark and thick, it is advised not to travel through these areas at night. Therefore, a cruise must alter its schedule to ensure the area in which the oil spill has occurred is approached in the daylight hours. If that is not possible, the ship may need to stop for the night.
Besides possible alterations in scheduling and routes, an oil spill has very little effect on the cruise industry. In fact, cruises encourage visitors to travel despite the oil to help the areas affected by the oil spill recover its tourism money. Most cruise lines do not cancel trips solely because there is an oil spill in the area. However, if you want to ensure you can back out of your cruise because of an unforeseen event, such as an oil spill, purchase cancellation insurance.
