Cruises set for long recovery - expert warns

“I think just the sheer scale and size, there are so many people on some of the big cruise lines which will just scare people,” Mr Gower continued.

Earlier in the year, some cruise lines made the decision to attempt a return to the ocean.

Though successful in some cases, news reports of fresh coronavirus outbreaks began to circulate, offering yet another blow to the industry.

Hurtigruten’s ship MS Roald Amundsen was one of the first cruise ships in the world to resume operation after lockdown.

However, just days into its voyage the virus was detected among staff, forcing the cruise line to cancel the rest of the journey.

It was not alone; most recently Royal Caribbean was also forced to abandon its “cruise to nowhere” after a passenger was thought to have tested positive for coronavirus onboard.

Outbreaks such as these lead the Department for Transport (DfT) to warn it is still “not the right time” to restart cruises.

READ MORE: Cruise: Disney becomes latest to axe sailings – cruise restart dates