Due to the recent measures taken by the German government, Grevenmacher mayor Léon Gloden decided that the ship would no longer head for either of the German towns. Most tourists interested in the Marie-Astrid are coming from Belgium or the Netherlands. Since Luxembourg has been declared an at-risk zone by several countries, many visitors have cancelled their trip to the Grand Duchy.
Gloden comments: “We received more than 6,500 cancellations over recent weeks. We usually cooperate with travel agencies from Belgium and the Netherlands to organise bus trips to Luxembourg, but many of them have now decided not to come, even though this seems unjustified to me.”
When it comes to safety precautions on the boat, the team has been working relentlessly since the beginning of the outbreak: “We adapted the same standards as the Horesca sector by reducing our maximum number of visitors by half. Safety distances can thus be guaranteed as we have also set up a clear system how to move in and around the ship.”
The Marie-Astrid was scheduled to be back in the Moselle by Easter, but was pushed back with the beginning of the lockdown. To reduce costs, mayor Gloden decided that the ship would only be active on weekends. Hours can still be increased if the demand were to rise again. Until then, half of the staff will remain partially unemployed.
Gloden announced that the Marie-Astrid would be on the river until December and made an appeal for visitors to make use of the extended period: “A day on board is a great way to spend the holiday at home. The view on the vineyards is great and we provide enough drinks and gastronomic delicacies for everyone.”
