Estonia postpones the acceptance of cruise ship calls until May
The Estonian Government introduced special measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, including postponing the acceptance of cruise ship calls until May 1, 2020.
The Government formed a Government Committee tasked with resolving issues arising from events related to the spread of the coronavirus, and issues of public health and the economy. The activities of the Committee are led by the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas said:
"Since the spread of the virus is a complex phenomenon which affects many different areas of life in Estonia, then dealing with it requires greater and more focused attention than before. In particular, it is important to ensure the efficient and timely resolution of issues concerning the economy and public health that are related to the spread of the virus. It is also necessary to coordinate the cooperation of institutions, and to see to it that the risks accompanying the spread of the virus would be kept to a minimum."
The Port of Tallinn estimates that this decision will not significantly affect the Group’s financial results, as the cruise season begins in April and the restriction concerns cancellation of only four cruise ship calls. The port has not received any other cancellations from cruise companies until now.
During the 2019 cruise season from April to October, the total number of cruise ship calls was 345 and the number of cruise passengers was 660 thousand. The Government’s restrictions do not concern international passenger lines or ferry lines between Estonian mainland and largest islands.
