Cruise with Confidence in 2021: Enhanced Health & Safety - Onboard & Check In

Onboard

Clients can expect social distancing, face coverings in public places and/or where social distancing isn’t possible (specifics depend on the individual lines), and even more hand sanitiser units than usual.

Many have also enhanced their ventilation systems; Emerald Waterways, Crystal, Celestyal, Saga and MSC are among the raft of lines putting the emphasis on 100% fresh, non-recirculated air. Norwegian Cruise Line and Windstar Cruises will meanwhile have medical-grade Hepa air filters across their fleets.

Those cleaning protocols will of course be everywhere, especially around high-touch areas and public spaces. Uniworld River Cruises is upping the game further by spraying its ships with an “odourless, non-toxic and sustainable” ACT CleanCoat solution that makes surfaces self-disinfecting. Scenic Eclipse will also be coated with an odourless surface solution that decomposes microbes and purifies the air when exposed to light, according to the line.

Touch-free systems 

Many are putting an emphasis on touch-free systems, including contactless payments. Scenic and Emerald Cruises will have contact-free guest services and automated doors to limit touchpoints.

Princess Cruises’ wearable technology, OceanMedallion, debuted in 2018 and operating as a digital key, contactless payment system and general personal assistant – will now offer additional services such as showing you the busiest spots on the ship so you know where to avoid.

Sanitation

To maintain high levels of hygiene, embarkation terminals will be regularly cleaned, and fogged where possible, after each embarkation and disembarkation. Some cruise lines, such as Virgin Voyages, will also fog all luggage and other items before they are loaded onto the ship.

Check-In

To ensure that social distancing can be maintained, cruise lines will encourage online check-in and introduce staggered embarkation and arranged boarding times to avoid large groups of guests assembling at the same time. For those embarking on a Princess Cruises voyage, guests will be able to make use of the OceanMedallion for contact-free and streamlined check-in. Once checked in, Royal Caribbean Group ensures guests receive safety information with minimal contact via Muster 2.0, an innovative eMuster app. Muster 2.0 is available onboard Royal Caribbean, Azamara Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Hapag Lloyd.

Speak to a my Future Cruise Credit expert to find out more about what your cruise line is changing to adapt to the new requirements and find the dream cruise you have been waiting for, making the most of your Future Cruise Credit.