Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced an adoption of mandatory core elements of enhanced cruise protocols for cruises to resume in North America. CLIA currently represents 95% of ocean cruise capacity around the world.
What will be required for you to once again take a cruise to the Caribbean from Miami or other ports? Here is a look at the core elements that cover the entire cruise experience from bookings to disembarkation.
Testing: 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to embarkation.
Mask-Wearing: Mandatory wearing of masks by all passengers and crew onboard and during excursions whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained
Distancing: Physical distancing will be required in terminals, onboard cruise ships, on private islands and during shore excursions.
Ventilation: Air management and ventilation strategies will increase fresh air onboard and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk.
Medical Capability: Risk based response plans tailored for each cruise ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation.
Shore Excursions: Only permit shore excursions according to the cruise operators’ prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial of re-boarding for any passengers that do not comply.
Implementation of these elements on board every oceangoing ship subject to the CDC’s No Sail Order is mandatory and requires written verification of adoption by each company’s CEO.
These elements do not preclude additional measures that may be adopted by individual lines. Measures will be continuously evaluated and adjusted against the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the availability of new prevention and mitigation measures.
Informed by leading scientists, medical experts, and health authorities, the core elements are the product of extensive work by CLIA oceangoing cruise lines and their renowned teams of science and medical experts, including the recommendations from the Healthy Sail panel established by Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. released today, as well as MSC’s Blue Ribbon group and Carnival Corporation’s collection of outside independent experts.
Other considerations included the effective protocols developed for the successful sailings in Europe by MSC Cruises, Costa, TUI Cruises, Ponant, Seadream, and others.
The CLIA Global Board unanimously voted to adopt all of the listed core elements for an initial restart of limited operations in the Americas and, most important, operations related to U.S. ports. These core elements will be continuously evaluated and adjusted against the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the availability of new prevention, therapeutics, and mitigation measures.
