ALL Asian Cruises Canceled Through 3rd Quarter 20

[SunnyTahitianDaze]

This is the message they just emailed...we are booked on a Caribbean cruise on 3/8.  Repeated final paragraph is their own typo.

 

As someone not having planned travel to these areas, two things stood out at me:

 

1. The "enhanced" health protcols

 

and

 

2. The additional cleaning and disinfection protocols.

 

Curious as to what these may entail.

February 26, 2020 

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners, 

The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority. We are aware of a new travel advisory recently issued by the U.S. State Department. We have been closely monitoring the situation and out of an abundance of caution and as a result of the uncertainty surrounding port entry and berthing availability in various destinations in Asia, we previously made the prudent decision to cancel all voyages in Asia across our three brands. A total of 40 voyages have been canceled, modified or redeployed including 24 voyages on Norwegian Cruise Line, 10 on Oceania Cruises and 6 on Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Following these changes, we do not have any vessels deployed in Asia through the end of the third quarter 2020. 

In addition, we have proactively implemented several preventative measures to reduce potential exposure and transmission of COVID-19 and to protect the health, safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew. These measures include: 

• Enhanced pre-boarding and onboard health protocols that go above and beyond standard operating 

procedures. 

• We are denying boarding to any guest and crew who has traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality. The standard incubation period recognized by the WHO and US CDC for this virus is 14 days. 

o Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel. 

• For all guests, we will continue standard pre-boarding health reporting and evaluation. Any guests who appear symptomatic are subject to pre-boarding medical evaluations including but not limited to temperature checks as deemed necessary. 

• Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while on board will be subject to additional 

screening at our onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation. 

• We have implemented additional cleaning and disinfection protocols on board all voyages. These protocols 

will be enforced in addition to our already rigorous sanitization standards in place. 

At this time, there are no significant travel restrictions we are aware of outside of Asia. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and consult with The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC and take appropriate additional action as needed. We appreciate our guests’ patience during this time and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. 

At this time, there are no significant travel restrictions we are aware of outside of Asia. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and consult with The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and take appropriate additional action as needed. We appreciate our guests’ patience during this time and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. 

Sincerely, 

Katty Byrd Vice President, Guest Services 

Edited February 26, 2020 by SunnyTahitianDaze
Added thoughts

[gigito2]

And so it begins...