Health and Travel Updates for Port Canaveral Cruisers

With the expectation of commercial sailing resuming at the end of this year, the cruise lines have been utilizing the past few months to develop new health and safety procedures to combat COVID-19. Go Port has also been working closely with their hotel and transportation partners to mirror the cruise lines and ensure proper standards are implemented throughout their packages. Here’s what Port Canaveral’s cruise industry leaders are doing to keep their passengers and crew members safe:

Go Port Health and Travel Updates

As the leading provider of hotel, transportation, and parking packages for Port Canaveral cruisers, Go Port will be integrating preventative measures throughout their services as sailing resumes. Our team has been closely monitoring the industry to ensure the implementation of proper health and safety standards within our packages that reflect those of the cruise lines we service.

We have been working with our partners to make sure our travelers will feel comfortable in the hotels we offer for our Fly Snooze Cruise and Snooze Park Cruise packages as well as on our transportation. Most of our hotel partners have already established new practices, including social distancing, enhanced cleaning protocols, and even contactless check-in. Face masks are also required around hotel common areas. As for our hotel partners that offer breakfast, contactless food delivery and “grab and go” options have now been implemented.

On our cruise shuttles, travelers will be required to wear face masks. All Go Port team members at the airports, cruise terminals, and our cruise parking facility will be routinely health screened and will wear protective equipment. Buses will be cleaned in regular intervals in accordance with guidelines provided by the CDC. Additionally, social distancing will be enforced while boarding our vehicles. Other procedures we are considering include contactless check-in, limited passenger capacity, hand sanitation stations, and more.

As sail dates approach, we will provide more detailed updates for our travelers, so stay tuned! We’ve missed our cruisers and look forward to Port Canaveral resuming operations soon.

Use the shortcuts below to read how each Cruise Line is preventing COVID-19 at sea.

Carnival | Royal Caribbean | Norwegian | Disney | MSC

 

Carnival Cruise Line Health and Sailing Updates

Carnival is currently considering many health screenings and illness surveillance methods. Some of these include health questionnaires, touch-free temperature-checks, and health checks for guests and crew. Those at risk will undergo additional evaluation by medical staff.

They have also made plans of environmental sanitation that involve routinely disinfecting staterooms and public areas with protocols developed with the CDC. On top of that, ships and terminals will undergo a more thorough sanitization between cruises. 

When it comes to guest experiences, Carnival wants to incorporate responsible physical distancing by making adjustments to the flow, timing, and size of groups. Additional handwashing facilities and stations will be placed throughout the ship in high traffic areas to encourage proper hand hygiene. Their ventilation systems will enhance fresh air distribution in staterooms and public areas on their ships. Friendly health reminders will also be provided regularly to help guests to stay healthy onboard and ashore.

Carnival is also amping up their health care resources, with a team of highly-trained medical staff. They will provide Medical Centers equipped with inpatient and outpatient facilities with critical care capabilities. These Centers will be modified to control infection with HEPA filters in place to maintain 100% fresh air supply. Testing capabilities will be found onboard and/or ashore with designated laboratories for potential cases of COVID-19. Medication geared toward improving COVID-19 clinical outcomes will be onboard in conjunction with dedicated quarantine rooms if needed. Medical staff will continually undergo training in the latest care practices for COVID-19 and crew members will be trained in health protocols. Additionally, onboard staff will be trained to monitor compliance with health measures taken.

Above all, Carnival Cruise Lines is committed to working with local authorities, destinations, and other key stakeholders to ensure alignment with their improved health and safety measures. They are open to adjusting itineraries as they monitor disease activity in their ports of call.

For the latest updates regarding Carnival’s return to service, visit https://www.carnival.com/health-and-sailing-updates.aspx

Royal Caribbean Health and Travel Updates

In order to develop a future process for boarding screening, Royal Caribbean is currently collaborating with government health authorities, Cruise Lines International Association, and their own team of medical experts. Though their plans for additional safety enhancements are not yet finalized, guests and travel advisors will be notified and they will be published on their website.

They plan to take a science-based approach to the resumption of cruising with the guidance of their Healthy Sail Panel. This group consists of globally recognized experts in multiple fields whose combined knowledge will lead Royal Caribbean’s public health initiatives. They plan to share their collective efforts with the entire cruise industry so that everyone can benefit from their findings.

Royal Caribbean has been optimizing their app to minimize touch points, eliminate paper, and avoid crowds. The app will expedite boarding by enabling guests to check-in, scan their passport, and generate a mobile boarding pass. It even creates a digital key to unlock their cabins and control stateroom functions. They’ve also developed a makeover to their muster drill, Muster 2.0, which provides guests information on their mobile devices and cabin TVs so they can complete their drill individually before departing.

It is also noted that Royal Caribbean will pay special attention to guests over 70 and with chronic conditions to keep their well-being in mind with every decision they make.

For the latest updates regarding Royal Caribbean’s return to service, visit https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

Norwegian Cruise Line Health and Safety Protocols

Norwegian Cruise Line has partnered with Royal Caribbean to create the joint Healthy Sail Panel, with a scientific-approach to safely returning to service. This panel consists of 11 renowned experts in science, medical practice and research, public health, infectious disease, biosecurity and maritime operations. Together they will decide on the best ways to protect guests, crew members, and the communities they visit.

New protocols onboard that will be implemented fleetwide include the installation of medical-grade H13 HEPA filters, as well as a variety of increased sanitation measures that are compliant with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program. This includes fogging staterooms and public areas with a natural disinfectant, continuous cleaning around the ship, and making buffets full service. Hand sanitizer will also be placed in common areas to encourage better personal hygiene. Besides a reduced guest capacity, Norwegian Cruise Line will also stagger embarkation and incorporate online check-in to maintain social distancing.

Before embarking, guests and crew will undergo enhanced health screening. Individuals at risk will undergo additional screening. Throughout the voyage, everyone onboard will be monitored to identify potential health issues. Touchless temperature checks will also be utilized before embarkation, returning from a port of call, prior to meals in dining venues and activities in public areas, as well as before disembarkation.

Norwegian Cruise Line is also stepping up their medical resources. Their medical centers onboard will be fully equipped with the latest testing kits and supplies on top of a larger medical team. They plan to offer advanced on-site testing for COVID-19, an increased inventory of medication to treat COVID-19 symptoms, more medical oxygen treatment, and vaccinations. Crew members will be trained and educated in matters of health and safety, with the addition of an onboard Public Health Officer to oversee all sanitation and outbreak prevention initiatives.

When it comes to shore safety, Norwegian Cruise Line is partnering with their local destinations and tour operators to extend sanitation protocols to shoreside experiences. This may result in itinerary changes, as they pledge to only visit ports that are open and safe.

For the latest updates regarding Norwegian Cruise Line’s return to service, visit
https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/book-with-confidence

Disney Cruise Line Health and Safety Updates

In order to deliberate enhanced health and safety measures, Disney Cruise Line has not yet published their procedures to combat COVID-19. However, they have instructed that all guests, cast, and crew will be required to follow all instructions while sailing.

For the latest updates regarding Disney Cruise Line’s return to service, visit
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/advisory/

MSC Cruises Health and Safety Protocols

MSC Cruises reassures guests that they are thoroughly addressing protocols in every part of guests’ vacations to ensure a safe, comfortable, and healthy cruise experience. In collaboration with experts in medicine, public health, and science, MSC is developing and validating the health and safety methods they plan to incorporate onboard. Besides establishing this blue-ribbon COVID Expert Group, they’ve also been working with Aspen Medical — a leading global healthcare provider. Each new procedure developed is aimed to exceed guidelines provided by health authorities as MSC monitors the pandemic to adapt as needed.

Updates to MSC’s booking process will be made that include new terms and conditions, additional information, and the requirement of guest contact details for emergencies. Web check-in will allow guests to receive cruise tickets and travel documentation, as well as answer mandatory health questionnaires. MSC will also encourage guests to book onboard packages prior to sailing.

At embarkation, all guests will undergo health screening that involves contactless temperature checks and the health questionnaire provided with their cruise tickets. Arrival times will be assigned to allow proper sanitation and to minimize contact between guests. Any guests with signs of illness, COVID-19 symptoms, or exposure to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 within 14 days of embarkation will be denied boarding.

Elevated standards of sanitation will be maintained throughout the ship and on the outdoor decks, including electrostatic bacteria-killing sprayers and hospital-grade disinfectants with a focus on high-traffic areas. Staterooms will be cleaned daily with extra attention to frequently touched surfaces with additional deep cleaning at the end of each sailing. MSC will also ensure that air will not be recirculated anywhere in the ship.

Medical services onboard will also be enhanced. Besides daily contactless temperature checks for all guests, free treatment at the Medical Center will be provided for any guests with flu-like symptoms. MSC also claims they will increase the number of medical staff on their ships with the support of a dedicated COVID-19 trained medical team ashore to handle a response plan with local authorities. Medical Centers on their ships will be fully equipped with COVID-19 testing equipment and ventilators. As for suspected cases onboard, dedicated isolation procedures are in place.

MSC guarantees a continuously-trained and healthy crew, with extensive health screening, wellness checks, and routine COVID-19 checks daily and prior to embarking. All crew members will be required to wear protective equipment like face masks and gloves.

Guest experiences will also be adapted for optimum safety. Activities onboard will be organized with social distancing in mind, and guests will be asked to wear face masks in crowded areas and when navigating the ship. All meals and drinks will be served to guests at their table and self-service will be temporarily unavailable at buffets. To limit contact, menus can be accessed from guests personal mobile devices by scanning a QR code. When it comes to entertainment, new activities will be catered to smaller group sizes and although the theater capacity will be reduced, MSC’s entertainment schedule will be extended so all guests can enjoy the shows onboard. Social distancing will be maintained in outdoor areas as well, with reduced occupancy in pools, whirlpools, and the aquapark. Also, MSC recommends that guests choose one of their MSC Cruises Shore excursions, to ensure the same health and safety standards as on the ship.

For the latest updates regarding MSC Cruises’ return to service, visit
https://www.msccruisesusa.com/health-and-safety-measures