Posted on 02/05/2021 10:10:08 AM PST by Capt. Tom
Cruise News Carnival Cruise Line News New COVID Health Policies Spotted from Carnival Cruise Line On Thursday, while the industry was reacting to the surprising year-long cruise ban issues by Canada, some cruisers spotted new health policy changes from Carnival Cruise Line. This is a clear sign of what’s to come and how the cruise experience will change during the global pandemic.
Carnival Cruise Line Health Protocols Carnival Cruise Line has been busy implementing new health protocols and working on a safe return to operations. We know the cruise line has been very busy during the suspension and dealing with the details on the CDC’s framework on the Conditional Sailing Order.
On Thursday, it was spotted that Carnival updated its website with new policy procedures. As part of this change, new health procedures are detailed, which now gives us an idea of what’s ahead for when cruises resume.
The health policy has been developed with guidance from authorities in the United States and around the world including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
Carnival has made it clear that guests will need to follow the policies and procedures and that it could change with no notice. Knowing how fluid the situation is, this could be likely.
So let’s take a quick look at the procedures which can be read fully on the official web site, especially if you’re planning a Carnival cruise this year!
Before and During Embarkation So it comes as no surprise that guests need to get their documents in order before even arriving at the terminal. This could include testing history and any COVID-19 exposure.
Health screening will be a major part of keeping cruisers safe. A health questionnaire needs to be completed 72 hours before departure. This is to identify any symptoms of COVID-19 and any contact with individuals confirmed to have COVID-19 before the cruise.
This will be fully checked, and Carnival could even require guests to provide more details to submit to tissue sampling and/or a medical examination. Temperature checks could be required if needed before embarkation.
Guests will need to check-in online and choose their arrival time at the terminal. Arriving at the terminal is going to be specific to the chosen time to facilitate social distancing.
All guests 2 years old and older must take a SARS-CoV-2 test between 5 days to 24 hours before the date of embarkation and must receive a negative result.
Guests must provide the original document confirming a legible negative test result, identifying the approved and licensed testing entity, sample collection date, type of test, and the tested individual’s identity.
Carnival could do further testing at the terminal or even onboard. Any positive guest will not be able to cruise. If the correct documents are also not present, the cruise line can refuse boarding with no refund.
Once On Board Once on the ship, the protocols remain strict, and guests will have to undergo daily temperature checks and submit to any requested medical screening during the voyage.
Carnival details that hand sanitizers, wipes and hand washing locations will be all around the ship and in terminals. This was already common on cruise ships before the pandemic but no doubt with more locations and control.
Carnival says this should especially be done before or after eating or drinking and after participating in recreational activities.
Face Mask onboard are essential and guests will need to wear one when around the ship except in the stateroom, sitting down dining or when using the cardio equipment at the gym. Guests also have to use masks when outside on the open decks.
The cruise line may use a reservation system to maintain social distancing. In Public venues, there will be a limit on capacity such us at the pools, casinos, restaurants, bars, and most public areas. IN the main theater there will be spaced seating arrangement and it will be the same at dining venues. There will be no self-service at the buffet.
Also Read: How to Social Distance Effectively on a Cruise?
Contact tracing is important if there is any outbreak so guests may be required to provide information about certain activities they are involved in during the cruise. Carnival says that wearables could be used along with video surveillance technology and photos taken during the voyage to track people.
Port of Calls
When it comes to going ashore things start to get complicated and the way we used to enjoy a port of call could be changed. Guests can only book tours which have been vetted by the cruise line.
Shoreside vitis may just be limited to just the initial port area with self-exploration not possible and cruisers won’t be able to enjoy their own arrange shore excursions.
Carnival could cancel a scheduled call depending on the level of cases in the local area the ships sail to. Port times could change or even further limits on tours to make sure guests don’t get infected in the port.
Final Thoughts It was expected and it will be a similar, if not identical situations for all the major cruise lines that operated out of the U.S. CDC protocols need to be followed but as the vaccines continue to roll out we’re hoping the measures could be reduced in-time.
It is important to know that if you’re planning a Carnival cruise any time soon you’ll have to follow the policies in place. The cruise experience is not going to be what it was before the pandemic.
If you read the artice this is asking cruising people to pay thousands of dollars to go on a hospital style cruise ship and skip many of the things cruisers liked to do in the past.
Of course some cruisers will go no matter what, but I believe if this approach spreads throughout the Cruise Lines, they will be on the road to bankruptcy and reorganizations, as they won't be able to fill their ships.
Canada just shut down Cruise ships for a year and that is a major blow to cruising. More onerous limitations, and regulations on Cruise ships added in can only lead to disaster. -Tom
Are they going to test for STD’S also no nobody gets infected?? This crap is insane.
Just doesn’t sound like fun anymore. Beyond that, actually...like this: ” submit to any requested medical screening during the voyage”. “ANY” requested medical screening? Nooooooo thank you.
Only balcony rooms will be reserved.
Who wants to be quarantined in any other type of room?
It’s dead, Jim.
It’s time to heal...
Will they still be distributing cases of Norovirus to their passengers?
Saw these restrictions earlier and closed my CCL stock position this morning. Fortunately, had a 20% return on investment. Will watch and wait to see what happens.
How about this one: If the correct documents are also not present, the cruise line can refuse boarding with no refund.
Not all WuFlu tests are created equal.
A consumer could shop for a lab setting the Ct really low to ensure receiving a negative result.
A prospective customer could screw with a spit test or nasal swab test to ensure a negative result.
Licensing requirements won’t stop that.
Marching orders from the CDC will sink their own ships
How about just telling customers you waive your right to sue when you buy a ticket. Cruise at your own risk.
“as the vaccines continue to roll out we’re hoping the measures could be reduced in-time.”
Vaccines are the game changer with covid-19 if they work as advertised and tested. Cruises are a special case and quite regulated. People stuck and trapped together. People got sick on cruises before covid-19 as I can attest as I was on one of them.
What a total joke.
Good to know China flu is NOT virulent on cardio equipment, tho 🙄
No thanks to any of this ambiguous, out of control nonsense slate of absurd rules.
If the airlines are foolish enough to go along with anything similar, arrivederci to them.
Lol...that would require too much freedom.
“ Guests also have to use masks when outside on the open decks”
Gonna be some silly looking tan lines. Seriously, why would anyone go on a cruise like that? What about the ship that was quarantined at the start of this? Shouldn’t everyone on board have come down with the China virus? Wait...it didn’t spread at all? In such a confined space with no one wearing masks or social distancing. I’m sure glad “experts” are on this.
“All guests 2 years old & older must take a SARS-CoV-2 test between 5 days to 24 hours before the date of embarkation & must receive a negative result.”
***
What happens if you don’t get Covid test results back in five days? My results didn’t get back to me for ten days.
“...to submit to tissue sampling and/or a medical examination.”
= = = = =
“Please hold still while we slice off a small bit of your tissue.”
“See? Painless, wasn’t it? Here’s some gauze and a bandage. Oops, careful....you’re dripping blood.”
That is the case when you board a foreign flagged cruise ship. Maritime law is how cases are decided and not USA consumer based laws.
That is one of the many reasons the big Cruise lines are foreign flagged.
The cruise lines would have BILLIONS in their pockets and the litigious US Citizens and their army of ambulance chasing lawyers would be looking to get some of that money.
Maritime law prevents that, except in unusual cases.-Tom
If Congress had passed WuFlu liability protection for all US biz thus wouldn’t be an issue.
Not for cruise lines or any other biz.
I still wonder about how much of this is sticking it to FL and DeSantis.
Like the airlines--SOL. Travel insurance has never been more useful than these days.
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