Carnival Cruise Line COVID-19 Policy to Require Masks, Organized Excursions Only

In a sign a U.S. restart to cruising may be inching closer, Carnival Cruise Line has revealed a number of COVID-19 regulations, with guests now required to wear face masks on company ships.

COVID-19 Policy Highlights:

Face Masks

All guests over the age of two will be required to wear a mask when indoors except when inside their own stateroom while eating and drinking seated at a table and when using the cardio equipment at the gym and physical distancing is maintained, the company said.

Guests are required to wear a mask outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Carnival noted that masks should have two or more layers and be worn over the nose and mouth. Gaiters and bandanas are not allowed, and face shields are permitted when used with a mask These requirements apply during all aspects of the cruise, including embarkation, shore excursions and disembarkation. A limited supply of masks will be available in staterooms after boarding.

Negative Test Required

Every guest 2 years of age or older, joining a ship, regardless of method of travel to the ship, is required to take a SARS-CoV-2 test between 5 days to 24 hours prior to the date of embarkation and must receive a negative result.

Carnival said it may perform additional testing at the terminal or on board the vessel

Shore Ex

Guests will not be permitted off the ship on their own.

Carnival said that during the initial return to sailing, guests will only be allowed to participate in excursions or activities executed and escorted by vetted tour operators who maintain Carnival’s level of COVID-19 controls. Shoreside visits may be also limited to port areas that have no public access. Self-exploration or non-Carnival sponsored excursions will not be permitted. 

Carnival did note it may offer indoor excursions only if physical distancing, use of masks, and other recommended protective measures can be implemented.

We will have pre-arranged transportation from the ship to the venue and back again. Guests will be able to pre-purchase shore excursions through Carnival.com, the Carnival HUB app or onboard, subject to availability and capacity restrictions. All guests will have to comply with physical distancing, mask-wearing and all other COVID-19 related requirements.

Throughout the duration of the shore excursion, guests will be asked to remain with their cruise companions. There may be additional restrictions during shore excursions depending on local conditions.

Any non-compliance by the guest or members of guest’s travelling party with Carnival COVID-19 Policies and Procedures shall be grounds for a refusal to re-board after going ashore, or other steps deemed necessary in Carnival’s sole discretion to protect the health and safety of others. If a guest is denied boarding or disembarked due to failure to comply, they will not be entitled to a refund, credit, or compensation of any kind. Guests will be responsible for all costs and fines, including without limitation travel expenses.

Contact Tracing

Carnival said that all guests may be required to provide identifying information and information about certain activities engaged in during the cruise so Carnival can perform contact tracing in the event any person onboard is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. Various location tracking technologies may be used to assist in the collection of contact tracing information such as wearables, video surveillance, transaction data, and photographs taken during the cruise.

One killed and nine injured in P&O Cruises shore excursion accident

Image result for cruise passengers hurt in dominica

One passenger was killed and nine injured in a bus crash while on a P&O Cruises shore excursion yesterday in the Caribbean.

The bus was carrying 12 passengers, including 10 from the ship Azura, when the accident occurred on the island of Dominica.

The names of the passengers involved in the incident have not been released.

Representatives from the cruise company are on-site at the hospital to support the injured. Next of kin have been informed, according to the line.

The company said in a Facebook posting: “We’d like to advise you of some very sad news. A bus operated by a shore excursion provider was involved in a collision in Dominica on Wednesday lunchtime.

“The bus was carrying 12 passengers, including 10 guests from Azura. The cause of the accident is not yet known.

“One passenger has sadly died of their injuries. Another nine passengers were injured and treated at a local hospital, with the majority now discharged.

“We have activated our care team to help those affected by the accident.”

P&O Cruises senior vice-president Paul Ludlow said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone touched by this tragic event.

“Our employees and crew are working to do everything we can to extend support and assistance to those affected and their loved ones.”

Norwegian’s new amenities package draws agent interest

By Tom Stieghorst

Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s executive vice president of global sales, said some 3,000 agents joined a webinar about its new all-in-one amenities package, about a third more than the typical audience for a Norwegian webinar.

Called the All-Inclusive, the new product is a package of packages, bundling Norwegian’s Ultimate Dining and Ultimate Beverage packages with Internet minutes, plus a bevy of other items not included in the cruise fare.

“We got a ton of positive feedback,” Stuart said.

The All-Inclusive package is offered on cruises of three to 14 days in 2015. For a seven-day cruise, it is priced at $899 per person, with higher or lower prices for shorter or longer cruise lengths.

Norwegian will pay commission on the package at the same rate as the cruise fare, with the exception of the gratuities that are included in the package.

“There’s absolutely no way to make a big promotion and offer a package that for a seven-night cruise is $899 and ask the travel agents to support it without paying commission,” said Stuart.

Norwegian ran numerous examples to test the idea that selling the package could double an agent’s commission and feels that is a valid claim, he added.

Vicky Garcia, COO of Cruise Planners in Coral Springs, Fla., called the package an “extraordinary” value and said it would help agents get customers focused on 2015.

“Also, this all-inclusive offer is combinable with other sales or promotions that are currently in the market,” Garcia said.

Norwegian said the package represents more than $2,400 of value per stateroom. Although the exact value will vary according to an individual’s choices, Travel Weekly found a seven-night guest paying a la carte could spend about $1,350 for what’s in the package (see breakdown, above left).

Inclusive packages are also valued because they create certainty about costs.

“A lot of people like to be done with it before the cruise starts,” Stuart said. “They like to have that element done, and they get on their vacation, and they’re not thinking about … should I do this or should I not do that because there’s a cost attached to it.”

Beyond the dining, beverage and Internet packages, the All-Inclusive package includes a $200-per-person credit toward shore excursions, prepaid gratuities, 20 photos of any size, three bingo cards, a bottle of wine, chocolate-covered strawberries and six large bottles of water.
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For cruises from three to five days, the shore excursion credit is $100 per person; and for sailings from nine to 14 days, the package includes 12 bottles of water.

“We felt very comfortable presenting this as an all-inclusive package,” Stuart said, adding that it will help Norwegian compete with all-inclusive resorts as well as with other cruise lines.

On select cruises, buying the All-Inclusive package also qualifies a guest for a 10% discount on the cruise fare.

At least initially, All-Inclusive will be available only from Aug. 4 through 29 on all 2015 cruises except those on the Pride of America. Stuart said there will be discussion later of how long to continue the package.

“It’s the first time the industry has ever done this, so we want to get a sense of whether it resonates with travel agents,” he said.

Stuart said Norwegian has seen a growing interest in inclusivity among its guests, and did research about what elements to include in the package. It found the most valued benefit was prepaid service charges, followed by the Ultimate Dining package and then the Ultimate Beverage package.

One unexpected result of the research was that first-time cruisers expressed as much or more interest as past cruisers in buying the package.

“That took us by surprise, I must say,” Stuart said. “But it encouraged us, because it really showed there was a broad audience for this promotion.”