Bernard Meyer has never seen a bigger crisis in his half a century in the shipbuilding industry.

The 71-year-old owner of Meyer Werft — Germany’s largest shipbuilder — anticipates a dearth of orders over the next three years.

And he expects it could take up to a decade for the cruise industry to get back to its pre-crisis height.

Meyer's comments posted in a video on the yard's website echo fears in the wider European shipbuilding community that coronavirus could lead to a collapse in orders.