New protocols for river boat operator

[taxare]

I know some of you strongly dislike when someone posts news about non Regent or non ocean cruises on this board. If you are not interested please don't read instead of torching the original poster. 😀

This is the operator of a number of river cruises including the Tauck river cruises. Since we can only speculate what the new procedures for Regent might be at this point,

I thought it was interesting to see something that has actually been posted by a reputable company.

I acknowledge there are significant differences between river and ocean cruising but I believe where logical these new protocols may be implemented for us as well.

 

In the past period, Scylla has been working hard to prepare its postponed season by installing procedures to make safe and carefree journeys happen again. While our ships were on pause, we started to create new dynamics, addressing our resilience. By restarting our activities, Scylla wants to take the first step in a new reality. This way we start our journey towards the new normal.

Detailed protocols are provided onboard, creating clear guidelines for crew and guests. In this statement, we want to summarize the main procedures and provide insights into the nature of the measures being taken.

Guest embarkation

• Scylla requests its tour operators to investigate the whereabouts and physical health of guests before boarding the ship by means of a questionnaire.

• Scylla AG requires a pre-boarding statement from the tour operator confirming the validated health checks for all passengers participating in the journey, ensuring all passengers being fit to travel.

• Only registered guests and crew are allowed to enter the ship, after performing safety/health checks such as measurement of body temperature and hand disinfecting.

• In case elevated temperature is measured, the passenger will not be allowed on board until the potential risk of a passenger has been defined by the local health authorities.

• Embarkation is arranged with respect for social distance and adapted procedures minimize the interaction between guests and crew.

• Every step of the check-in procedure is being revised to have a contactless experience.

• The main safety rules will be communicated to guests (verbal and in writing) before

  entering the ship the first time.

• The use of plastic screens and other protective gear is used for embarkation steps that

  require interaction.

• Before embarkation, the entire ship, including cabins is being cleaned/disinfected and

  ventilated.

  Guest interaction on board

• The use of mouth masks is mandatory onboard when walking around.

• Respect for 1,5-meter social distance or compliance with local guidelines with regards to

  social distancing is guaranteed and clearly communicated onboard.

• General safety measures such as coughing hygiene are requested and clearly

  communicated on board.

 

 

• When needed, meals and activities are being arranged in time slots to lower the used capacity of communal areas.

• When spaces do not allow social distancing, one-way movements are being installed and clear routing is defined onboard to exclude crossings without a safe interpersonal distance.

• All meals are being served and no buffet services are offered. 

• Onboard services and facilities-

• A doctor accompanies journeys to preform health checks with crew and guests, for onboard consultations and to assess the potential risks on a frequent basis.

• Quick tests for COVID-19 are available onboard. These can be used by the accompanying doctor in case of suspected risk.

• The temperature of every guest is being measured on a daily basis.

• Clear signage is provided onboard to make guests and crew comply with the defined

  routing plans.

• Services such as massage, hairdresser for which social distancing is impossible are not

  available.

• Services with a medium risk of spreading bacteria such as luggage handling are being

  minimized and performed with adapted procedures to limit risks.

• Facilities with limited space or elevated infection risks such as elevators and public toilets

  are out of order.

• Our cleaning staff will be taking additional measures in disinfecting surfaces to minimize

  the spread of bacteria by cleaning handles, staircases, toilets, armrests, guardrails ... with cleaning solutions adapted to COVID-19 on an even more frequent basis than is usually done.

• Room service is being stimulated as one of the measures to limit the number of people in the restaurant.

• Non-essential items that would be touched by multiple people are not made available(newspapers/umbrellas/ ...)

• No orders can be placed at the bar, all services are based on table services at all times.

• All food and beverages will be served as individual portions with a minimal need for

  contact between the person serving and the food/drink item.

• Each cabin is being disinfected twice a day, without the presence of the guest. Cabins are

  cleaned by the same member of the housekeeping staff every time and all members of the

  housekeeping staff are obliged to wear a face mask and gloves during their activities.

• Al cabins will be provided with a bottle of hand sanitizer.

• Payments can be made by credit card only, except for tips which will be deposited in a tip

  box.

  Crew for hotel and nautical operations

• Every crew member will be officially tested on COVID-19 before boarding.

• The crew arrives onboard days before guests to guarantee a quarantine period, after being

  questioned about their past whereabouts and current and past health situation.

• Procedures are being put in place to ensure social distance between crew members in

  sleeping, recreational and mutual areas for the crew.

          All crew is being clearly instructed and trained to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

• The onboard crew is obliged to wear protective gear during working hours and when interacting with guests.

• If it is determined by the onboard doctor that there is a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 disease on board, an outbreak management plan will be activated. The suspected case will be immediately instructed to wear a medical mask, follow cough etiquette, and practice hand hygiene; the suspected case will be isolated in a predefined isolation cabin with the door closed. Infection control measures will be applied in accordance with WHO guidance (2, 6). The disembarkation and transfer of the suspected case to an onshore healthcare facility for further assessment and laboratory testing will be arranged as soon as possible in cooperation with the health authorities at the port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wcsdkqh]

Sounds like a very luxurious and enjoyable experience.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Gee, sounds like fun, eh?

[mrlevin]

Not for me; I hope this is just a short term solution; I have a very expensive river cruise next year and I will regret that expense if these are the rules next spring.

 

Marc

[Pcardad]

I wouldn't set foot on board under those terms and neither would my clients.

[Steve Q]

Forget it.

[rcandkc]

I’d rather stay home. 

[Ladys Mom]

If Regent took these draconian steps I wouldn't go on a cruise either.  As far as use of elevators, it would certainly reduce my weight gain, and gym use, if I had to walk up and down stairs all day long.  

[greykitty]

As someone who potentially might choose a cruise vacation, or any other vacation, I've been watching how other reputable companies that normally attract crowds are announcing their openings.  For example, Disney - which is opening up Disney Springs in the US and did an opening of Disney Shanghai.

 

I do have the feeling that some customers will not want to deal with Disney's restrictions either - and I did think the statement by Disney that ""By visiting Disney Springs you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19." is both realistic and blunt.  For me, I appreciate Disney's efforts to be safe while still being open.

 

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/disney-world-news-disney-springs-reopens/index.html

 

https://news.yahoo.com/shanghai-disneyland-reopens-covid-19-011500232.html

 

Then again, got an email from my hair salon, which hopes to start taking appointments in June - that will also be quite different for me and for the stylists, and maybe not as relaxing.  But it's reality.

[pappy1022]

Finally, a cruise company put a stake In The ground to define what cruising might  look like in the near term. I suspect that many cruise lines will implement something similar or at least a majority of these elements. Who knows but that’s why I took the refund and will wait to see how this shakes out. I did finally get my deposit refund so I currently dont have any $’s in Regents hands. 

[GrJ Berkshire]

Think this is a vision of the 'new normal' which Regent will have to adopt if it is to remain in business. Especially things like no buffets, having a health check prior to boarding and no lifts/elevators, closing spa's , casinos and having staggered set times for meals. The elevators one especially will sort out the passengers who can cruise ( although this will fit in with SOLAS as if you could not use the stairs ,how do you move in an evacuation of the ship ).

River boats have very little space and also as you are always in national waters so must apply the rules of the country, unlike international waters on the high seas

[Foggyzx9r]

Well for both myself and the other half tbh, we could live with that. I don’t expect a working vaccine for another year and then as I am not in a high risk group I do not expect to be first in line.

Whether this pans out to be indicative of what the cruise lines anticipate putting in place to satisfy CDC I think it isn’t to far off. 
So if this does happen then gauging the initial reactions so far there’s going to be no issue with social distancing as very few people would except this.

 

What would be interesting is how they will manage excursions, that would be a killer for us if we were unable to visit the places we want to.

[Pcardad]

If Regent starts this crap up they will give you the option of a refund as this is a material change from what you bought.

[RJ2002]

Didn't FDR state in one (or more) of his recent interviews that once NCLH ships resume sailing, they would follow whatever guidelines were currently recommended for land-based activities (i.e., social distancing, masks, etc.) ?

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for posting that.  While I am glad to see a company putting strong policies in place, it is a bit over the top for even me.  I understand that there will be no buffets on Regent and that social distancing will be in place.  They can take my temperature as much as they want to - even give a rapid response Covid-19 test (hoping they will be accurate by the time that we cruise).  The mask thing is a pain but we are willing to do that as well and disinfecting a suite twice a day is a good thing.  

 

We haven’t taken a cruise on a river boat in years.  Does anyone know the size of this boat?  Also wonder if the challenges are greater on smaller boats vs. cruise ships.  I am assuming that they could cruise now if they do not go to the U.S., however, ports are still closed.  

 

RJ2002 - yes, FDR did say that.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Travelcat2

[pappy1022]

Tauck is respected river cruise operator, one of the higher end operations. I suspect they worked with the CDC to develop these precautions and that could set a standard for cruising of all types. If so, let’s hope these are temporary and short lived. 

[Pam]

If the crew has to arrive "days before the guests", then there are going to be gaps between cruises.

[taxare]

TC, these river boats are operated and maintained by Scylla but contracted out by Tauck. They range from 85-130 passengers. I do believe that due to the close quarters river boats offer different challenges. I posted this because it was the first actual set of protocols that I had seen posted for any type of cruise. Again, purely speculation, I believe that the CDC is going to start with a heavy hand due to the Princess COVID situation. I have read that some hotels are limiting elevator use to one guest or family unit at a time. While that may be ok now, it's going to be much harder as they get higher occupancy. Could Regent do something like this as well? Regarding elevators, my wife insists that once we drop off our carry-ons I am not allowed to use the elevator if I want to enjoy the wonderful desserts on board!!!! 😉 It will be interesting to see what Regent finally does, they clearly won't be able to please everyone, but they have to do enough to make most of their passengers comfortable  to start cruising again. 

[Travelcat2]

20 minutes ago, Pam said:

If the crew has to arrive "days before the guests", then there are going to be gaps between cruises.

 

For Regent and other "ships", I would assume that there could be a waiting time between getting to the port and boarding the ship.  Once onboard, they would be ongoing testing, etc.  It is far better, IMO, to have the crew joining the ship have some type of testing and quarantine at the port than delaying cruises.  

 

taxere - I admire your wife in terms of elevators.  We are determined to walk stairs even if I have to purchase a cane to help my right knee accomplish the stairs.  Agree that challenges on smaller boats would be have different challenges for the reason that you stated.

[Dolebludger]

Our only river cruise experience has been a couple of times on Scenic river boats. The closing of elevators would be no problem on them, because they don’t have any. They have only two interior levels open to guests, plus stair access to the upper outdoor level. The closing of public restrooms also wouldn’t be a problem, as guests are never far from their rooms. But these things would be problems for many on much larger, ocean going ships.

[GOARMY]

For context (and evolution) as to taxare's initial posting re: Scylla/Tauck current guidelines--

 

My May 9th posting on the "Future of Luxury Cruising" Thread (p. 12) outlined  initial protocols announced one-day earlier by Uniworld in response to the COVID-19 situation.  I just-checked the Uniworld website for any updated protocols, and did not see any.  Uniworld on which we have "sailed" on European rivers and Tauck offer a similar, top-flight 5+ star onboard experience. 

 

The Scylla/Tauck protocols have evolved into a far-morre strigent model.  Like--gaps between sailings to allow crew to disinfect the boat before arrival of new passengers; onboard Doctor; onboard "quarantine" site should a passenger evidence an infection; daily temperature tests; twice-daily disinfecting procedures in all suites; and so on and on.   

 

Our Summer, 2020 repeat plans aboard Uniworld boats for another series of trips on French rivers met the same fate as our mid-March San Diego-Miami Splendor voyage.  A double whammey of disappointment(s) within the same week. 

 

Expect Uniworld to adopt/adapt the Scyola/Tauck protocols.  Therefore, no more river cruises until a vaccine allows consideration for a more-or-less return to what will pass for the "new normal".   

 

GOARMY!

 

 

[SWFLAOK]

8 hours ago, taxare said:

I know some of you strongly dislike when someone posts news about non Regent or non ocean cruises on this board. If you are not interested please don't read instead of torching the original poster. 😀

This is the operator of a number of river cruises including the Tauck river cruises. Since we can only speculate what the new procedures for Regent might be at this point,

I thought it was interesting to see something that has actually been posted by a reputable company.

I acknowledge there are significant differences between river and ocean cruising but I believe where logical these new protocols may be implemented for us as well.

 

In the past period, Scylla has been working hard to prepare its postponed season by installing procedures to make safe and carefree journeys happen again. While our ships were on pause, we started to create new dynamics, addressing our resilience. By restarting our activities, Scylla wants to take the first step in a new reality. This way we start our journey towards the new normal.

Detailed protocols are provided onboard, creating clear guidelines for crew and guests. In this statement, we want to summarize the main procedures and provide insights into the nature of the measures being taken.

Guest embarkation

• Scylla requests its tour operators to investigate the whereabouts and physical health of guests before boarding the ship by means of a questionnaire.

• Scylla AG requires a pre-boarding statement from the tour operator confirming the validated health checks for all passengers participating in the journey, ensuring all passengers being fit to travel.

• Only registered guests and crew are allowed to enter the ship, after performing safety/health checks such as measurement of body temperature and hand disinfecting.

• In case elevated temperature is measured, the passenger will not be allowed on board until the potential risk of a passenger has been defined by the local health authorities.

• Embarkation is arranged with respect for social distance and adapted procedures minimize the interaction between guests and crew.

• Every step of the check-in procedure is being revised to have a contactless experience.

• The main safety rules will be communicated to guests (verbal and in writing) before

  entering the ship the first time.

• The use of plastic screens and other protective gear is used for embarkation steps that

  require interaction.

• Before embarkation, the entire ship, including cabins is being cleaned/disinfected and

  ventilated.

  Guest interaction on board

• The use of mouth masks is mandatory onboard when walking around.

• Respect for 1,5-meter social distance or compliance with local guidelines with regards to

  social distancing is guaranteed and clearly communicated onboard.

• General safety measures such as coughing hygiene are requested and clearly

  communicated on board.

 

 

• When needed, meals and activities are being arranged in time slots to lower the used capacity of communal areas.

• When spaces do not allow social distancing, one-way movements are being installed and clear routing is defined onboard to exclude crossings without a safe interpersonal distance.

• All meals are being served and no buffet services are offered. 

• Onboard services and facilities-

• A doctor accompanies journeys to preform health checks with crew and guests, for onboard consultations and to assess the potential risks on a frequent basis.

• Quick tests for COVID-19 are available onboard. These can be used by the accompanying doctor in case of suspected risk.

• The temperature of every guest is being measured on a daily basis.

• Clear signage is provided onboard to make guests and crew comply with the defined

  routing plans.

• Services such as massage, hairdresser for which social distancing is impossible are not

  available.

• Services with a medium risk of spreading bacteria such as luggage handling are being

  minimized and performed with adapted procedures to limit risks.

• Facilities with limited space or elevated infection risks such as elevators and public toilets

  are out of order.

• Our cleaning staff will be taking additional measures in disinfecting surfaces to minimize

  the spread of bacteria by cleaning handles, staircases, toilets, armrests, guardrails ... with cleaning solutions adapted to COVID-19 on an even more frequent basis than is usually done.

• Room service is being stimulated as one of the measures to limit the number of people in the restaurant.

• Non-essential items that would be touched by multiple people are not made available(newspapers/umbrellas/ ...)

• No orders can be placed at the bar, all services are based on table services at all times.

• All food and beverages will be served as individual portions with a minimal need for

  contact between the person serving and the food/drink item.

• Each cabin is being disinfected twice a day, without the presence of the guest. Cabins are

  cleaned by the same member of the housekeeping staff every time and all members of the

  housekeeping staff are obliged to wear a face mask and gloves during their activities.

• Al cabins will be provided with a bottle of hand sanitizer.

• Payments can be made by credit card only, except for tips which will be deposited in a tip

  box.

  Crew for hotel and nautical operations

• Every crew member will be officially tested on COVID-19 before boarding.

• The crew arrives onboard days before guests to guarantee a quarantine period, after being

  questioned about their past whereabouts and current and past health situation.

• Procedures are being put in place to ensure social distance between crew members in

  sleeping, recreational and mutual areas for the crew.

          All crew is being clearly instructed and trained to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

• The onboard crew is obliged to wear protective gear during working hours and when interacting with guests.

• If it is determined by the onboard doctor that there is a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 disease on board, an outbreak management plan will be activated. The suspected case will be immediately instructed to wear a medical mask, follow cough etiquette, and practice hand hygiene; the suspected case will be isolated in a predefined isolation cabin with the door closed. Infection control measures will be applied in accordance with WHO guidance (2, 6). The disembarkation and transfer of the suspected case to an onshore healthcare facility for further assessment and laboratory testing will be arranged as soon as possible in cooperation with the health authorities at the port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes. The Regent forum should be about Regent cruises so your post is inappropriate, and should be deleted. And Regent doesn't have river cruises, so that's the second reason that your post is inappropriate.

However, I find it annoying that Cruise Critic doesn't really have a river cruise board that compares to the ocean cruise boards.  Does anyone know why? Maybe you should ask them for a new forum for your post rather than randomly choosing Regent's forum to post it since

We should be on our first river cruise today in the middle of a Viking Cruise. They contacted us a few months ago and offered us a one year delay on our cruise with our upgraded airfare, our pre and post stays, and the same cabin we had originally booked, with the same dates with no additional charge. They have already had our money for a long time now since there was a discount for paying in full. We still have their insurance if we cancel for any reason. We are still hoping to cruise next May, and we think it's likely that a vaccine will be available by then, and we'll get it as soon as it's available.

[cruiseluv]

You couldnt pay me money to subject myself to that. I did keep reading but frankly, they lost me at "This way we start our journey towards the new normal" (I think that was in the 2nd paragraph). Good luck to Scylla, whomever they are!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

8 minutes ago, SWFLAOK said:

Yes. The Regent forum should be about Regent cruises so your post is inappropriate, and should be deleted. And Regent doesn't have river cruises, so that's the second reason that your post is inappropriate.

However, I find it annoying that Cruise Critic doesn't really have a river cruise board that compares to the ocean cruise boards.  Does anyone know why?

 

I think it's appropriate to post that info here, although it could have been rolled into the Future of Cruising thread, since all these issues could be discussed within the context of what ocean cruising will look like.

 

And CC does have a river cruise board--just not boards for individual cruise lines, since the volume is just not there.

[SkystheLimit]

I think your post is interesting and gives a glimpse as to the short term future of ANY type cruise including Regent. As for elevators, you might see attendants again that would limit the capacity and clean in between.  This is all beginning to feel like the inmates are running the ---------!