This quote was brought to my attention as I considered the current state of chaos experienced by the International Cruise Industry and the opportunities available to rebuild the Indonesian Economy amid the turmoil.
Based on more than two decades of experience in the cruise industry management This editorial suggests that Indonesia is a strategic opportunity to be an important international cruise hub.
Indonesia is an International Cruise Hub
We believe that Indonesia to be a perfect Indonesian island cruise destination. Indonesia covers a 5,150-kilometer stretch that spans the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans. The geographical area of Indonesia is approximately equal to the distance between Seatle Island and Bermuda Islands. With 17508 islands, with a majority of them are habitable, Indonesia has ports-of-call and cruise destinations all over the world.
In actual fact, it's worth noting that no one has ever had the chance to spend even a single day on every Indonesian island. If you do not calculate the travel time between islands such an Odyssean quest could take 48 years.
Unparalleled Choice of Cruise Stops
"Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" The Indonesian nation's motto is a reference to the many exciting cruise ports that are accessible to Indonesian island cruise ships. The purpose of this motto is to inspire them to spend time and explore the archipelago. The islands of the Republic are home to complex and ancient civilizations. These include the societies which created the Borobudur Temple in the 9th century and the Gunung Padang megalithic site in West Java. This date dates back to 20.000 BCE.
Indonesia - The Emerald Equator
Because Indonesia is an equatorial nation and has arguably the best climate in the world for sailing. Located primarily in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCV) which is a region that sailors refer to as "the doldrums" Indonesia experiences "calm weather" throughout the whole calendar year. There are two seasons throughout the year that are the "dry" that falls between the months of May and October and the "wet" between November and April. Although rainfall can be abundant in parts of Indonesia during the "wet" but it's very rare to see be raining for longer than a couple of days. This allows daily shore programs to continue in the same way as they were planned.
A further good news for passengers aboard cruise ships and crews alike: Typhoons and massive storms typically extend towards the north and south of Indonesia's principal geographical boundaries. Modern cruise ships are not being impacted by the strong currents that flow through the archipelagic chains' North-South Straits.
The Global Cruise Industry: Current Situation
The roughly 272 ships that were operating around the globe during the outbreak, which erupted in the early months of 2020, were the most severely affected. Because confirmed cases of COVID-19 were frequent among passengers on ships including the elderly who are most at risk of contracting the disease, ships were quickly identified as "clusters in infection".
While the world tried to come to terms with the coronavirus novel, many ships turned into refugee ships with five stars suddenly refused landings rights in ports around the world. These vessels were constructed to look like the "Flying Dutchman" and were destined to sail the oceans for an inexorable time. Crew members and passengers were typically locked in their cabins for weeks or months, waiting for the right to leave and return to their families.
A Chance for Indonesia
We believe that the current turbulence in the cruise industry offers Indonesia an chance to grow its economy and become an international destination.
