The cruise industry is making changes to its schedules and voyages trying to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak and protect its passengers and crew onboard. Thus, Royal Caribbean presents five key steps for a healthy cruising experience.
1. Keep ships ship-safe
Each of the vessels is a floating city. Thus, the company keeps a tight schedule of maintenance, cleaning and repair. They closely collaborate with WHO and the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention to be in line with updated health information, while the crew onboard the vessels is thoroughly trained in the company’s rigorous health and safety protocols.
2. Triple efforts when viruses make the rounds
In case of concerns that there is an illness, the company boosts the healthy environment by sanitizing high-traffic areas onboard the vessels. If needed, they extend the sanitation barrier to turnaround ports and use electrostatic sprayers in all public areas and self-service food venues.
3. Screening is the first line of defense
The first step towards a healthy holiday is preventing the spread of an illness.
The company screens its guests and incoming crew members for symptoms. Thus, all crewmembers are asked to have up-to-date vaccinations and flu shots as well. Crew members that become sick have no interaction with the guests.
4. Experienced medical professionals onboard
The company has doctors, nurses on each of their vessels. Shipboard medical clinics are fully stocked with supplies and medications for a wide array of illnesses.
5. Guests play a role too
The company advises guests to wash their hands. They make frequent announcements about this simple but major step of health safety.
Handwashing stations and hand sanitizer are available throughout the ship. Guests should remain alert for signs that thye’re not feeling well.
In addition, Royal Caribbean issued a statement informing of the changes onboard, as the company decided to implement specific measures to protect guests and crew.
These steps are intentionally conservative, and we apologize that they will inconvenience some of our guests
… the cruise company added.
Specifically, Royal Caribbean’s measures include:
- Regardless of nationality, they will deny boarding to any individual who has travelled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days. These guests will receive full refunds.
- There will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed on:
a. Guests who have been in contact with individuals who have travelled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days;
b. All holders of China or Hong Kong passports – regardless of when they were last in China or Hong Kong;
c. Guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms;
d. Any guest presenting with fever or low blood oximetry in the specialized health screening will be denied boarding. - These standards also apply to all employees, crew members and contractors of RCL.
- We have cancelled all China and Hong Kong sailings through the end of February. Guests on cancelled cruises will also receive full refunds.
Also, Princess Cruises has confirmed that ten passengers onboard Princess Diamond have been positively tested for Coronavirus, cancelling its next trips and highlighting that what’s most important is the safety, security and well-being of all guests and crew.
