BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Officials with Royal Caribbean Cruises have implemented new protocols amid the Coronavirus scare.
“We are closely monitoring global developments regarding the coronavirus, and we are fully focused on protecting the health and safety of our guests and crew,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement.
The cruise line said any guest who has traveled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 15 days will not be allowed to board.
Anyone who has come within six feet of a person from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 15 days will not be allowed to board a cruise ship.
A guest with China, Hong Kong, and Macau passports will not be allowed to go on a cruise ship at the moment.
Anyone who is denied access to the cruise ship will get a full refund.
A guest who is not certain they have or have not come in contact with someone who has traveled through China, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 15 days will be required to take a health screening, according to Royal Caribbean.
A health screening will also be required for any guest who reports feeling unwell or demonstrates flu-like symptoms, according to the cruise line.
A guest with fever or low blood oximetry in the health screenings will be denied boarding, according to the cruise line.
Sailings scheduled to go through China have been canceled, Royal Caribbean said they have given a refund to the guests.
“We have rigorous medical protocols in place to help passengers and crew members who feel unwell while sailing. Our protocols include professional medical treatment; quarantine of unwell individuals from the generalship population; and intensified ship cleaning, air filtration, and sanitization procedures,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement.
Officials with Norwegian Cruises are following similar procedures. You can view Norwegian Cruise Line protocols at this link.
Enhanced screening has also been implemented with Carnival Cruises.
“Protecting the health and safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation with respect to Coronavirus. Our medical experts are coordinating with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and have implemented enhanced screening, prevention and control measures for our ships, guests and crew. All booked guests who have traveled to/from or through China, Hong Kong and Macau in the 14 days prior to their departure will not be allowed to sail. Please note that Hong Kong and Macau are not currently subject to a Level 3 CDC travel health alert. However, an increasing number of countries and local health officials are restricting or denying entry to persons that have traveled from, or through these two locations in the last 14 days (including transiting through an airport), particularly if they have symptoms of respiratory illness. Therefore, we are adopting this same standard and are contacting booked guests ahead of their departure to alert them and have also implemented procedures at all our homeports,” Carnival Cruises said in a statement.