It’s been a hot topic of debate among cruisers of a certain age, especially since they are one of the largest groups that take to the sea.
Over the last month, a number of lines have released new health and safety protocols, which require passengers over 70 to produce letters from their doctors confirming they are fit to travel.
And this did not sit well with a number of Cruise Passenger readers.
Companies like Dream Cruises and Princess Cruises revealed their new health and safety protocols over the last few weeks – a response to the coronavirus crisis.
But Cruise Lines International Association has updated their status and lifted the restrictions. In response, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises has now said they will not require forms for passengers over 70 after the company rescinded .
Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed, spoke to travel agents during a webinar, and gave assurances that passengers over 70, or those who have pre-existing chronic medical condition will not have to produce such documentation..
“We found out that CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) did actually change this requirement on April 3rd. So a health form is no longer required for those travellers ages 70 plus, nor are there restrictions for those guests with underlying health conditions,” she said.
“In our current environment, everything can change at a moment’s notice, so this is very fluid. But as of today, there are no requirements for doctor’s notes.”
“We are working on our return to service protocols, and they may look very different in the next couple weeks or months. Until that’s finalised, we can’t say for sure this is never going to happen, but we will keep you informed.”
Celebrity Cruises, who also had a “Fit To Travel” form for guests for 70 years of age and older with critical conditions, said they too have lifted the restriction.
“Earlier this year, Celebrity Cruises announced travel restrictions for guests with chronic illness as well as a mandatory “Fit To Travel” form for guests 70 years of age and older with critical health conditions. Celebrity is now pleased to advise that, while subject to change, CLIA has confirmed these restrictions were lifted in early April after all cruise lines were required to suspend service,” said the statement.
But passengers are still worried, as not all brands and companies followed suit to CLIA’s change of policy. One reader, who has booked with Princess Cruises, is worried about her upcoming voyage.
“How are they (Princess Cruises) going to sort out who cruises and who doesn’t cruise on embarking. I have a booking for next year in May on Sapphire Princess but I need to know what I need to do now to ensure I am able to cruise when the time comes,” the reader commented in a Cruise Passenger post.
Princess Cruises has been asked for a comment.
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As a frequent cruiser I would like to know if the lines are going to install HEPA or better filters in the air conditioning. It’s no good blaming everything on personal hygiene when bacteria and virus are spread through the air conditioning.
David, hope you don’t get mobility challenged and have to go to the end of the queue!
I agree with what John Winter said but also agree with what David said too.
I have been held up by people getting on and off buses, limiting the experience for others. They take their time getting on the bus whilst everyone else waits and then do it again when it’s time to get off. Special seating at the theatre and you are waiting for heaps of people to go to special seating. I got told off by one seventy plus lady because she thought her age should give her entitlement. If I have time off work to go on a cruise looking looking after a senior who is retired with all the time in the world is not on my agenda. Fair go for the workers on vacation.
I
Mandy Kelly was spot on with her comments that “It is the poor hygiene practices of guests that are to blame for any spread, not to mention often deliberately lying on health questionnaires”. We have travelled on a number of cruises with different cruise lines and on every cruise there were numerous passengers who flagrantly disregarded or thwarted the hygiene recommendations, particularly in the dining venues. And don’t get me started on those who use the public toilets and DO NOT wash their hands after use. No different to on-shore grubs.
I’m booked on Sapphire Princess around Oz in August,and expected to pay next week. Will the ship be back? Will the cruise proceed? Will the cruise operator seek to hold our cash for another year or so.
Will I have to forfeit deposits and air fares already paid?
A dilemna
What annoys me is the fact that cruise ships have offshore excursions that prohibit senior citizens over the age of 70 years from participating. When I tried to attend an offshore cooking class with my wife, she was allowed permission to attend the class since she was under 70 years old. But, I was denied permission to attend the class since I was over 70 years of age. How asinine is that? The cruise ships should not tolerate working under these bogus requirements. Cruising should be an enjoyable experience for all, and not make it an obstacle course for some to be dreaded! Richard Simmons used to “Cruise To Lose,” but that involved weight and not one’s dignity! The cruise lines must pay attention!
As a passenger on the Diamond Princess l can’t speak highly enough of the way they conducted the handling of the virus.Both my husband and l were tested positive and taken to hospital in Japan. We were very well cared for and Princess covered all expenses incurred from the time we left home until we returned.I do not think they were obligated to be so generous as they could not foresee the disaster that unfolded.We are both over 70 and have had many cruises and have our next two booked. With so much negativity about the ships in the media l feel there is so many more people that didn’t get the opportunity to express how well we were treated.
I strongly believe that there should be a single retiree discount.
Why do people continue to blame cruise lines for any virus(covid 19 or otherwise) on their ships? It is the poor hygiene practices of guests that are to blame for any spread, not to mention often deliberately lying on health questionnaires. Having completed 53 cruises & as a passenger on ‘that’ Ruby Princess cruise, believe me, other guests poor health practices never cease to disgust me. Please don’t blame the cruise lines, they are the ones with their reputations at stake.
I can’t believe that some major cruise companies have rescinded the health clearance policy for over 70’s just because some over 70’s objected to it. Don’t these over 70’s realise that it’s for their own protection and safety. Also I’m deeply disappointed in the cruise companies showing a lack of duty of care by backing down from this policy.
John Winter, well said, I have been banging on about this well before the cv issue. Because cruising is a quite specific form of travel, I believe all cruise lines should include full insurance cover for all passengers, at least to a good comprehensive standard. They are the ones who are in control of the ship environment and they are the ones with the best knowledge of the on shore activities and conditions. If I hire a car, I must pay an insurance component why not if I buy a cruise? American passengers get the benefit of an insurance option that is both cost effective and useful. Other nationalities do not.
Princess might have cancelled even after June 30th but there will be no cruise in May this year. As for medical conditions, I would be happier to see something more substantial to ensure that mobility challenged passengers do not have unfettered access to using tenders and some tours. The present standards often cause long delays for more able bodied passengers. My biggest peeve is that when a tour stops, the mobility challenged want to be first off and then first back on again. A ten minute comfort stop is substantially reduced if minutes are lost before able bodied passengers can alight the coach. Standing in pouring rain while helpers, three of them, try to push a mobility challenged passenger up the coach stairs, was just ridiculous, almost fifteen minutes and putting all involved in danger while soaking the rest of us. Watching staff trying to deal with wheelchair bound people on the gangways is like torture, they deserve protection.
Perhaps cruise lines should be required to provide a cerification to their passengers that their ships are free of any viruses.
We’ve done a few cruises with different liners and ships covering different parts of the world. Any future bookings will be decided by the availability of decent travel insurance.
Cruise lines can change their procedures / practices etc as much as they like, but if we can’t get covered for covid-19 or any future pandemic, then we won’t take that risk on ourselves.
Most insurers already charge extra for cruise cover. ie they recognize the added cost / risk of claims whilst on board a cruise. If an insurer won’t cover certain things (eg Covid19), then they have effectively said its either too costly to cover (even as an optional extra) and/or they cannot assess / calculate a premium.
Currently, the ability of a cruise to deliver on their promises is probably too difficult to assess. In the case of CV19, get it wrong by just a little bit and its a major catastrophe. Not the sort of thing insurers want to hear or cover.
So here’s the challenge for the cruise industry. If you think your ships will be safe, then offer us a supplementary insurance cover for the gaps left by the main travel insurers. Compulsory / included in the fare / charge as an optional extra – whatever – is up to you.
If I can’t get coverage, then I’m not risking my life and tens of thousands of dollars.