Cruise Line Adds New Health and Cleaning Standards on their Cruise Ships

With cruise lines dealing with the pause of cruise operations due to the COVID-19, one cruise line is adding new health and cleaning standards for passengers and crew members.

Embarkation and Disembarkation

• Mandatory temperature screening and pre-boarding health declarations for all guests
• Infrared fever screening system at the ship gangway
• Higher frequency with increased levels of sanitization and disinfection at the ship gangway and passenger walkways
• Stringent checks for all embarking individuals including crew travel documents; guests aged 70 years & above to provide a doctor’s certificate of fitness for travel
• Online check-in for guests to receive designated arrival time at the cruise terminal to minimize crowd congestion
• Additional waiting areas for cruise boarding & disembarkation (with staggered times)

Guest accommodations

Higher frequency with increased levels of sanitization and disinfection in guest cabins with hospital grade disinfectants, including:

• Twice daily wipe-down of guest cabins and guests cabin corridors
• Fogging of vacant guest cabins and guests cabin corridors

Clean and disinfect guest bathrooms with heavy-duty alkaline bathroom cleaner and disinfectant.

Timely removal of food items from cabins to prevent spoilage and cultivation of microorganisms and bacteria.

Timely housekeeping cabin turnover; bedsheets and linens professionally cleaned and disinfected at high temperatures.

Injection of diluted cleaning solution into drains to avoid clogged pipes and to prevent bacterial growth.

In case of sickness, thorough cleaning and disinfection with hospital grade disinfectant and fogging the cabin after.

Common Public Areas

All public areas on board will undergo a two-tier sanitization process with thorough cleansing, fogging and wiping using hospital grade disinfectant. On-board Ship Venues and Cleaning Frequency:

• Elevators: Every 2 hours
• Public areas and facilities: 2 – 10 times daily
• Spa and amenities: Min 2 times daily
• Other Public Areas: To adjust disinfection frequency accordingly

Common public areas will be sanitized from once daily to 2 – 4 times daily and frequent touchpoints such as handrails, lift buttons, table-tops, door handles etc. will be sterilized every hour or less during peak hours (Embarkation & Disembarkation time, returning from shore excursions, meal periods).

There will be frequent usage of heavy-duty neutral PH floor-cleaning agent to disinfect all floor areas of the ship.

Sanitizer dispensers will be available at various public areas and crew members stationed at key on board venues to provide hand sanitation.

Food Hygiene Practices & Standards

F&B restaurants / bar areas, including galleys, will be cleaned and sanitized 3 times daily, during and after service.

Guests are encouraged to wash hands before entry and use sanitizer dispensers available at F&B outlet entrances/exits.

Guest seating will ensure ample spacing; disposable cutlery will be provided, upon request.

Self-service at F&B buffet restaurants will be suspended. All food & beverages will be served to guests by crew members wearing face masks & disposable gloves.

Culinary use of wild animals and related products are strictly prohibited. f. Stringent procurement guidelines will be enforced and product sourcing from highly affected regions will be strictly prohibited.

Entertainment and Recreational Activities

Theatres will be sanitized before and after each show; 3D glasses disinfected before and after guest usage (if applicable).

Cleaning and disinfection of all toys, games and Kids’ Club facilities twice daily and/or after every use.

All duty-free shops and entertainment venues will be disinfected twice daily before and after service.

All recreational equipment will be disinfected every 2 hours before guest usage.

Guests capacity will be limited to half the venue capacity to provide ample space between guests.

Sanitizer dispensers will be readily available at various venues including entertainment venue entrances/exits.

Tour coaches will be limited to half capacity & sanitized frequently; training for tour operators based on guidance from the WHO. h. Spa & Gym facilities will be sanitized prior to and after usage by guests.

Fresh Air Ventilation Systems

100% of external fresh air is filtered and supplied to passenger cabins and on board public areas.

Air filters and cooling coils will be thoroughly checked, cleaned and replaced to ensure healthy air quality.

Medical Center

Isolated wards will be available in the Medical Center.

Contaminated items and medical waste will be properly sealed and disposed according to health and safety guidelines.

Used face masks and protective equipment disposed at designated central collection points.

Medical equipment and waste bins cleaned, disinfected and washed twice daily with hospital grade disinfectant.

Crew Members Practices & Standards

• Twice daily temperature checks
• All Frontline crew are required to wear face mask
• Housekeeping and F&B crew required to wear disposable gloves
• Designated crew may also wear protective garments and eye protection if required
• All crew to use anti-bacterial hand soap for at least 20 sec to sanitize hands.
• Medical Centre Isolation Area staff related to suspected cases are required to:
• Wear adequate personal protection (face mask, eye protection, disposable gloves & disposal outer garment.
• Follow proper hand washing practices before and after work duty
• Update personal health information daily.

Genting Cruise Lines reiterates that the health and safety of all its guests and crew across its fleet is of utmost importance. With these new standards and practices in place, Genting Cruise Lines is optimistic that the cruise industry will rebound from this temporary setback and regain the confidence of all cruise passengers when operations resume.