THE cruise industry has launched a major global effort to come up with new health protocols that will reassure cruise passengers that it is safe to board ships again.
The industry, which has carried almost 30 million guests annually with very few mishaps, has been battered by COVID-19 crisis, and now needs to come back with even stronger, transparent and rigorous hygiene standards and perhaps better medical facilities aboard its vessels.
Several lines have already published new health regimes aboard their ships, including medical clearance for those over 70, more bacterial cleaning and social distancing in areas of food consumption.
And Princess Cruises, which has had three ships in the spotlight after coronavirus outbreaks, including the Ruby Princess and Diamond Princess, has released a “Cruise with Confidence” package which is just the start of changes aboard its ships.
“We’re working with public health officials, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation, to devise and implement best practices to protect the health of our guests and crew. That means everything from enhanced screening before embarkation to additional sanitisation measures on board our ships,” says the line
Princess says it will “deny boarding to guests and crew if they have been in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or a person being monitored for COVID-19; are suffering from a fever or flu-like symptoms prior to embarkation; have an underlying, severe, chronic medical condition.”
The new measures include:
Stepping Up Screenings
“At embarkation, we’ll require all guests and crew to participate in mandatory health screenings, which may include a thermal scan to check temperatures, and in some cases secondary screenings. Depending on the results, we will deny certain individuals boarding if we feel they could pose a risk to others.”
Enhancing Sanitation Procedures in Embarkation Terminals
“Enhancing Sanitation Procedures in Embarkation Terminals Beginning in select terminals on March 7, 2020, highly touched surfaces throughout each embarkation terminal will be sanitized continuously, and terminals will be thoroughly sanitised and, where possible, fogged before and after each embarkation and debarkation.”
Cleaning Everywhere!
“In addition to the rigorous daily cleaning regimen we already have, we are establishing additional sanitation measures on all our ships, which include sanitising frequently touched surfaces in all public areas – from tables and chairs to casino chips and fitness machines – even more often than we did before.”
Free-flowing Hand Sanitiser
“We already have hand-washing sinks or hand sanitiser dispensers in front of entrances to all dining venues and the buffet. Crew will monitor entrances to all venues to encourage all guests wash their hands before entering. We are also adding additional hand sanitizer dispensers in high-traffic areas around the ship.”
Keeping Our Crew Healthy
“Each day, we are raising awareness daily of how to maintain a healthy environment on board by reinforcing frequent hand-washing, avoiding hand contact, reporting guests who present signs of illness and more. We will also more actively enforce crew hand-washing and provide more hand sanitisers in crew areas.”
Revising Medical Protocols & Staying Prepared
“Every Princess ship sails with a highly capable medical team that will receive special training for COVID-19. Any guest or crew member who exhibits symptoms of respiratory illness will strongly be encouraged to visit the Medical Centre for a complimentary consultation and, if appropriate, screening for COVID-19.”
24/7 Monitoring and Preparedness
“Our team monitors world health developments from our state-of-the-art Fleet Operations Centre in Santa Clarita, California, and offices around the world 24-7. We are also in close contact with major health agencies, medical experts and partners in the travel industry so we can act quickly to revise plans and protocols as the situation evolves.”
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says its cruise line members have begun creating a new health framework to uphold the safety of guests and prepare for future operations.
CLIA Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz said: “While cruise operations are suspended, we are using this time to define the new landscape we will work within and make sure we’re ready when the time comes to sail again.
“Many teams of people around the world are working in tandem with experts to ensure we learn as much as possible from these unprecedented events and exceed community expectations in our response.”
He said while it was too early to discuss specific procedures.
“The challenges before us are great and there is no quick fix, which is why we have embarked on a process that will be extremely thorough and will address the concerns that communities and authorities expect to see us confront,” Mr Katz said.
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We have a cruise booked with Princess for September. I have type 2 diabetes, under medical control, and whilst it is usually listed as a major medical condition Princess have still not issued a statement as to which medical conditions will be restricted by them. This is causing concern to my wife & myself as whilst we hope cruising will be operating by September we still do not know if we can board. An early clarification by Princess will be welcomed. As we are both in the later seventies it is nice to know that all people over 70 will not now be discriminated against.
I am 77 and do have a lung condition that is monitored by my doctor and a Specialist 6 monthly. My condition is very mild and have never had a relapse of any kind. I am very fit walk, play bowls 3 times a week, do my own gardening, shopping , driving etc . How are they going to sort out who cruises and who doesn’t cruise on embarking. I have a booking for next year in May on Sapphire but need to know what i need to do now to ensure I am able to cruise when the time comes.
My husband and myself have had some wonderful cruises with Princess Cruises we have done others but alway come back to Princess cruises. This will not deter us from any further cruises with your company and we are both looking forward to our next cruise to New Zealand at the end of the year. Another cruise has been booked for next year as well. Your staff have always been very particular where food is around and cleanliness has always been there main priority. No we cannot fault your Cruises and we will continue to travel with you whilst we are still able.
My partner and I cruise about 3 times a year, mainly Princess. We were on Majestic Princess Jan/Feb this year and were amazed at the amount of people who do not clean their hands when going into eat especially Horizon etc. this MUST be done or people not allowed in. We will cruise next year when it is safe to do so.
Apply to all cruise lines & use robotics for High Heavy use areas IE Deck 7 alone
Revamp Food Services & buffett.
Expand IN cabin TV programming A-Z.
OK In cabin Video Games for guests to use with kids under 18
Cover high user areas in copper or plastic??
Issue plastic utensils??
Poll, survey cruise guests per cruise line for ideas
i hope the rule will come into play that cruise staff will INSIST passengers wash and sanitise before entering the dining room or buffet. I was on a RCI ship out of Shanghai and they INSISTED on the Chinese passengers washing their hands – they HAD to go through a snake like wash area to enter. And we were thankful for it, as outside of these areas the Chinese passengers were not clean at all. Princess have the same thing but as mentioned, encourage but dont REQUIRE this to be done by all passengers. WHy not – it wont kill us to wash our hands more often!!!!
Why should those over 70 who have serious medical problems but do not affect any other person and have that medical problem uber control by there GP and a specialist medical doctor, who has travelled on many cruises with these medical conditions and has never experienced any health problem on a cruise should be banned from future cruises? On many cruises that I have enjoyed, there were many over 70 on the cruise and I believe many would have some medical condition that bans them from future cruises. Princess Cruises will lose many of there most loyal customers if they proceed with this course of action
I agree with insisting that hand sanitisers should be mandatory, I recall following an Asian lady into the buffet area on a cruise and she REFUSED to use the sanitisers because they continued ALCOHOL! Surprise, surprise she was allowed to continue.
J
Have cruised with Princess many times and have found them to be conscious of the spread of viruses but guests have to be honest I know of many who board with a cough and cold but don’t declare the illness this puts everyone at risk, the aircon isn’t the problem it’s the fact that we all touch rails ,doorways, stairways, lifts etc the staff clean all the time but we are responsible for using soap and water also sanitizer need to go back to staff insisting on everyone doing it or not allow them to enter. We will definitely sail again and the sad truth is some one bought Covd-19 on board!
I read with interest comments from the princess line and past cruisers. There will be a health test restriction on people over 70 years of age. I have traveled with this line for a number of years and never had a health issue even though i have lung problems self managed by my doctor and my self. Now because of my age I will have to get a clearance from a doctor. May be the cruise line should look at the number of people over 70 years who regularly do cruise.
I believe that all crew should have temp checks daily. Passengers should be temp checked on embarking. On my previous cruises hand sanitizing has always been available when entering food areas, staff should be on hand and refuse entry to any who do not comply.
Most important area is to ensure that staff do not come on board or continue working if showing any sign of been unwell.
I already have future cruises booked and plan to continue to cruise with Princess.
I believe that all crew should have temp checks daily. Passengers should be temp checked on embarking. On my previous cruises hand sanitizing has always been available when entering food areas, staff should be on hand and refuse entry to any who do not comply.
Most important area is to ensure that staff do not come on board or continue working if showing any sign of been unwell.
I already have future cruises booked and plan to continue to cruise with Princess.
I have always enjoyed cruising but have long regarded the close confinement of passengers in ship’s lifts/elevators, especially at meal times with many people proceeding to or from dinning areas at the same time, as particularly high risk for the spread of respiratory disease. As yet I have seen no acknowledgement of this by any of the cruise lines.
We are long time cruisers and my husband has commented so many times that when we return from a shore excursion etc, as we enter the gang plank we are all asked to wash our hands, what about our shoes? we bring so much dirt back on them, walk through the ship into our cabins spreading whatever on the carpets.
You may need to take tablets etc, and if you should drop one as we have many times, you immediately pick it up, but it might be too late, you could pick up germs with it, and now we are told that the Covid19 can be carried on your shoes !!! well it stands to reason we should be able to check our shoes for germs as well as our hands.
What measures are occurring to improve the air conditioning filtration?
Iam pleased to see they are going to have staff monitoring passengers entering food areas. As we were leaving the hand washing area we said to people walking by that we were finished and they could use the basins
Their answer was “we will use the sanitizer ”
But did they? NO they walked straight past the sanitizer and picked up a plate.
Another thing that needs looking at is people with health problems and are told to stay in their cabins but leave the medical area and continue wandering around the ship. It should be a condition of cruising that if you do not obey the instructions of the Doctors you will be put off the ship at the next port.
A phone call to the cabin, or someone knocking on the cabin door would soon have people obeying Doctors instructions and limiting the spread of illnesses.
You mention encourage guests to wash their hands prior to entering dining venues….any passenger not adhering to this rule (and many ignore same) be denied entry in the strongest possible manner.
I have confidence all will be done to keep us all safe, I do hope in buffet areas more can be done to serve guests rather than self serve or pre plated serves and enforce hand washing or sanitising.
We look forward to your successful return to sailing our oceans with all of us on board.
Excited for that announcement