No port of call: coronavirus may sink the cruise industry
Economist Podcasts
The Economist
4.3 • 5K Ratings
🗓️ 2 April 2020
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Cruise ships had been enjoying a golden era—until covid-19 came along. The pandemic has been a catastrophe for the industry. Stranded passengers have taken ill and even died, ships have been banned from ports, and revenue has collapsed. But lawmakers are unlikely to bail it out. In Sweden, daily life has been pretty normal, despite the coronavirus, but can that continue? And we report on Dutch disease—the language’s unusual affinity for poxy swear words.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the intelligence on Economist Radio. |
| 0:07.1 | I'm your host, Patrick Lane, in for Jason Palmer this week. |
| 0:12.1 | Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. |
| 0:18.4 | Sweden's response to the coronavirus has so far been unusually relaxed. |
| 0:22.6 | Life is going on pretty much as normal. |
| 0:24.6 | Swedes aren't confined to their homes, bars, cafes and schools remain open. |
| 0:29.6 | Have the authorities got it right or horribly wrong? |
| 0:33.6 | What expletives are most offensive to your ears? |
| 0:38.3 | Do they involve sexual acts? |
| 0:40.3 | Religion? |
| 0:41.3 | Bodily functions. |
| 0:42.3 | If you're Dutch, the chances are they'll involve disease. |
| 0:46.3 | We report on the Dutch way with words. |
| 0:49.3 | First up, though. |
| 1:00.6 | When the cruise ship Zarn Dam left Buenos Aires in early March, its passengers were promised 31 nights of elegant and comfortable luxury. |
| 1:10.3 | Since then, a holiday has been anything but |
| 1:12.7 | elegant, comfortable or luxurious. After several passengers developed coronavirus symptoms, |
| 1:19.2 | the boat was turned away from docking in Chile. Four passengers have since died, |
| 1:24.3 | and hundreds have developed flu-like symptoms, prompting desperate pleas from those on |
| 1:29.5 | board. |
| 1:30.8 | Storm clouds are forming. The sea is getting ever darker as we search for a port to take us. |
| 1:37.9 | The world is watching on, and the world will remember whatever happens. |
... |
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