What did it take to get cruising restarted in the United States? The following three ingredients were at the core that made cruise resumption possible.
New Protocols
The Healthy Sail Panel, a group of the best minds and leaders in public health, biosecurity, epidemiology, hospitality and maritime operations presented their recommendations to the CDC on behalf of the entire cruise industry. Their 65-plus-page report includes 74 detailed best practices to protect the public health and safety of guests, crew and the communities where cruise ships call. Recommendations include testing, the use of face coverings, and enhanced sanitation procedures on ships and in terminals.
The CDC has published a framework for return to cruising and the cruise lines worked together with them to finalize the actual requirements to be implemented.
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| Reassuring Safe to Cruise (Click to Read More) |
Technology
Existing and new technological innovations augment health and safety. Guests will complete health questionnaires and other documents in advance of arrival at the pier making it possible to expedite the embarkation process while maintaining social distancing. The latest medical testing methods will screen for illness prior to embarkation and during the cruise. The intent is for passengers to embark healthy and disembark healthy as well. For the majority of cruises, there is a requirement that passengers, that are eligible, be fully vaccinated.
On board the ship, technology will make it possible for planning which dining venues and entertainment options guests which to choose (based on current availability). Need to find someone on the ship? An app or other device will give you their location. These are just a few of the ways technology will play a part.
Travel Advisors
Throughout the cruising shutdown, we have kept in contact with our cruise line partners and helped our guests navigate the waters of cancellations, refunds, future cruise credits, and rebooking options. The situation has been very fluid, sometimes with things changing daily. The cruise lines listened to our feedback and made adjustments as needed.
As we return to cruising, we will continue to be your core source of the latest information, provided to us by our travel partners. We will be spending an entire week in conference with all the top cruise and land providers, learning about how they intend to keep passengers, crew, and the public safe and healthy. Watch for posts live from Celebrity Apex staring November 13th.
This is not the time for you to try to navigate these waters on your own. Helping our guests make the best decisions for their situation is why we are in this profession. Cruising is already the best vacation value, but it will be even greater when you combine that with our experience and guidance, along with exclusive offers that we have been given, in recognition of our importance to the resumption of travel.
Looking to the Future ...
There's much more to the story, so be sure to follow us for our continuing posts on this and other important industry topics.
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Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.
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