This article originally appeared in the Second Quarter 2021
Benedict's Maritime Bulletin. Reprinted with permission. Any
opinions in this article are not those of Winston & Strawn or
its clients. The opinions in this article are the author's
opinions only.
Like so much in life, the true impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
on the maritime industry will likely only become clear in
retrospect. At the outset of the pandemic, industry stakeholders
gathered on and off Capitol Hill, and with key Federal agencies, to
discuss what kinds of assistance would be needed and when. As the
cherry blossoms around D.C.'s famed Tidal Basin swung into full
bloom, it became clear that the pandemic was going to impact
different industry segments in very different and unique ways. The
cruise and passenger industry quickly came under a paralyzing
"no sail" order, but because the majority of those
vessels and operators are flagged outside the U.S., it became
apparent that any kind of Federal
