Not all ocean cruise lines have detailed exactly how they plan to resume safe and health-conscious operations in the months to follow, but many — from American Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line to Virgin Voyages and Windstar Cruises — have revealed preliminary protocols for operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While protocols are not identical, they do cover a lot of common ground that guests can expect once back onboard. Many of these items will only be temporary precautions against coronavirus until there are viable treatments or a vaccine, but some will stick around as best practices well into the future.
As not all measures listed are applicable to every line, travel advisors should examine the details of their clients’ brand of choice for exact specifications. Generally, all measures apply to crew as well as guests, though staff tend to be held to stricter guidelines.
Pre-Boarding
Even before embarkation, clients will be given a health questionnaire to self-certify their fitness to sail and/or be subject to a thorough screening before joining the ship. Plans include a combination of the following measures: providing proof of negative COVID-19 testing, utilizing thermal cameras for temperature checks, promoting online check-in, sanitizing luggage and staggering terminal arrivals and vessel boarding.
American Cruise Lines, for example, will implement the “denial of boarding to anyone with flu-like symptoms or who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 30 days,” according to its website.
Capacity Limits
Once on the ship, there will likely be fewer fellow passengers. In most cases, guest capacities will be temporarily reduced, thus decreasing the overall density of people.
One line that is not reducing vessel capacity, due to its already voluminous passenger space ratio, is Windstar Cruises.
“Our belief is that our ships — we have a lot of outdoor space — are naturally socially distanced,” said Betsy O’Rourke, chief marketing officer of parent company Xanterra Travel Collection.
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Social Distancing
Strategies for physical distancing, besides reducing the amounts of people on the ship and per public space, encompass spacing out dining tables and theater seats, as well as providing virtual ticketing for shows.
Specific to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, “everyone onboard must maintain a distance of 4.9 feet from others in the public areas of the ship, including the restaurants and fitness rooms,” according to its website.
Face Coverings
The topic of face coverings is a controversial one, and travelers have already voiced a general dislike for wearing them on a cruise. As a result, some lines have either said masks will not be mandated onboard or that they are waiting to make a final decision closer to relaunch.
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In contrast, Virgin Voyages’ website reads, “we follow the same guidance as is recommended on land — so if people are advised to wear masks there, we will do so at sea, as well.”
Other brands are more concerned about guests donning face coverings as they travel to the ship or once touring ashore, but not necessarily onboard.
Revised Dining
It probably goes without saying at this point that there will be no self-service buffets, at least to start.
“All food and beverages at all restaurants, lounges and bars will be served to guests by crew members wearing face masks, hats, aprons and disposable gloves,” according to Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s website.
For now, there will be a greater emphasis placed on full-service food delivery including convenient options for room service.
Sanitation and Filtration
Cruise ships have always upheld high standards of cleanliness, especially while combating norovirus, but coronavirus is prompting lines to up the ante. Medical-grade fogging and UV light will be employed to scrub ships beyond increased disinfection of high-touch surfaces.
Expect to hear more about air filtration, HEPA-style purification systems, chlorine-cleaned cooling coil drains and water purification.
Naturally, guests must also participate in thorough hygiene, so extra sanitizing stations and touch-less faucets are being added.
“All guests will be strongly encouraged to engage in frequent hand-washing, including when entering food and beverage venues, and hand sanitizer will be prominently placed and easily accessible throughout the ship,” according to Norwegian Cruise Line’s website.
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Quarantine Zones
While the goal of cruise protocols is to mitigate disease, cruise ships are nonetheless increasing the availability of medical staff such as dedicated public health officers, equipment (including ventilators), treatments and facilities, as well as setting aside isolation cabins for quarantine as needed.
In the case of a confirmed COVID-19 case, Ponant, for example, will provide “care and evacuation to a local facility [and] onboard risk analysis that may lead to decisions on the cruise progress.”
Shore Excursions
Plans also include onshore procedures for touring, especially staggering the disembarkation and re-embarkation of guests on excursions, screening their temperature upon return and reducing the capacity of disinfected busses and launches by half.
“We will feature new protocols for all motor coach sanitation and safety,” according to American Queen Steamboat Company’s website. “A reduced number of guests being transported on each motor coach (targeting 52% of capacity) will allow adequate space between individuals.”
Post-Cruise
Finally, in recognition of the importance of COVID-19 contact tracing, some companies vow to keep guests informed weeks after sailings of any potential contact with infected passersby.
Virgin’s website states that it is "aiming to set up a post-voyage notification process through which Sailors and Crew can inform us if becoming unwell within 14 days of leaving the ship (the COVID-19 incubation period).”
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