How Your Cruise Line is Impacted By Coronavirus

As the coronavirus continues to spread, cruise lines are doing everything in their power to prevent their ships from suffering the same fate as the Diamond Princess. That ship, quarantined earlier this week, now has at least 20 people on board who have tested positive for the virus, which has so far infected over 28,000 in 25 different countries.

The highly-communicable nature of the illness means that even if you aren’t sailing to or from an impacted area, your sailing will still likely be impacted in some way.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of the steps each cruise line is taking to reduce the risk of passengers bringing coronavirus aboard.

Azamara Cruises

Cancelled Sailings: Azamara Cruises has canceled all China and Hong Kong sailings through mid-February.

Itinerary Changes: N/A

Passenger Restrictions: Regardless of nationality, boarding will be denied to any individual who has traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days. These guests will receive full refunds.

Passenger Screening: There will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed on guests who have been in contact with individuals who have traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days, as well as all holders of China or Hong Kong passports – regardless of when they were last in China or Hong Kong.

Also subject to mandatory specialized health screenings will be guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms. Any guest presenting with fever or low blood oximetry during the specialized health screening will be denied boarding

Carnival Cruise Line

Cancelled Sailings: N/A

Itinerary Changes: N/A

Passenger Restrictions: Effective Friday, Jan. 31, all booked guests who have traveled to/from or through mainland China in the 14 days prior to their departure will not be allowed to sail, consistent with guidelines issued by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Passenger Screening: N/A

Celebrity Cruises

Canceled Sailings: All China/Hong Kong cruises through mid-February

Itinerary Changes: N/A

Passenger Restrictions: Regardless of nationality, boarding will be denied to any individual who has traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days. These guests will receive full refunds.

Passenger Screening:  There will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed for guests who have been in contact with individuals who have traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days, as well as all holders of China or Hong Kong passports – regardless of when they were last in China or Hong Kong.

Also subject to mandatory specialized health screenings will be guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms. Any guest presenting with fever or low blood oximetry in the specialized health screening will be denied boarding.

Costa Cruises

Canceled Sailings: Costa Venezia and, Costa Atlantica, and Costa neoRomantica

Itinerary Changes: N/a

Passengers Restrictions: If you have traveled to, from or through continental China during the 14 days preceding your embarkation, or if you are having any sickness symptoms or fever higher than 37,8° C (100.4° F),  we will not be able to let on board.

Passenger Screening:

Holland America Line

Canceled Sailings: Westerdam‘s February 15, 2020, has been canceled.

Itinerary Changes: Westerdam will disembark February 15 in Yokohama/Tokyo instead of Hong Kong. The next cruise that was scheduled to embark in Yokohama on Feb. 15 has been canceled.

Passenger Restrictions: Guests who have traveled from or through mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, or had contact with a suspected or confirmed case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or a person who is under monitoring for coronavirus in the last 14 days prior to sailing will not be permitted to board the ship.

Passenger Screening: Pre-Boarding medical evaluations, including temperature checks, for persons whom, for any reason, appear or identify as symptomatic (respiratory or fever symptoms. For all guests, our standard pre-boarding health reporting advising of their reporting obligations for any illness or symptoms of an illness.

MSC Cruises

Canceled Sailings: 4- and 5-night MSC Splendida sailings from Shanghai through February 13

Itinerary Changes: MSC Splendia’s 27 night Grand Voyage will depart from Singapore instead of Shanghai on Februrary 15. Naha, Japan and Hong Kong have been dropped from the itinerary, to be replaced with Langkawi, Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Passenger Restrictions: Guests from all nationalities are required to fill out a pre-embarkation questionnaire to ensure no one boards a ship who has traveled from mainland China or visited mainland China in the past 30 days. Anyone who has traveled from mainland China or visited mainland China in the past 30 days will be denied access to the ship.

Guests who may have fever symptoms will be isolated in their stateroom and the same measure applies for their close contacts, including guests staying in the same stateroom and family members, as well as any crew member who may have served these guests.

Passenger Screening: Mandatory non-touch thermal scans will be conducted for all guests and crew prior to embarkation for every cruise operated by the company anywhere in the world, and persons with signs or symptoms of illness such as fever or feverishness, chills, cough or difficulty breathing will be denied embarkation.

Guests who may have fever symptoms will be isolated in their stateroom and the same measure applies for their close contacts, including guests staying in the same stateroom and family members, as well as any crew member who may have served these guests.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Canceled Sailings: N/A

Itinerary Changes: Norwegian Cruise Line is redeploying Norwegian Spirit from Asia until December 2020.

Passenger Restrictions: Guests who have visited mainland China within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any vessels. The standard incubation period recognized by the WHO and US CDC for this virus is 14 days. Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel. Hong Kong is not considered to be part of mainland China and guests who have visited this region will be permitted to sail.

Passenger Screening: Non-touch temperature screenings for all passengers embarking in Hong Kong and any guest who registers a body temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius or higher, will not be allowed to board. Guests on these voyages may also be subject to temperature screenings when returning from shore excursions at ports of call.

Guests who are unable to sail due to a high temperature will be advised to open a travel insurance claim with their insurance provider.

For all guests, we will continue standard pre-boarding health reporting and evaluation. Any guests who appear symptomatic are subject to pre-boarding medical evaluations including but not limited to temperature checks as deemed necessary. Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while onboard will be subject to additional screening for coronavirus at our onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation.

Oceania Cruises

Canceled Sailings: N/A

Itinerary Changes: N/A

Passenger Restrictions: If you have traveled to mainland China in the past 30 days, Oceania Cruises will cancel your pending voyage.

Passenger Screening: Non-touch temperature screenings will be implemented for all guests. Any guest who registers a body temperature of 100.4℉ or 38℃ or higher, will not be allowed to board. These guests will not receive a refund and will be advised to open a travel insurance claim with their insurance provider.

Princess Cruises

Canceled Sailings: Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess June 3 and June 11 from Shanghai

Itinerary Changes: Sapphire Princess will embark and/or disembark in Yokohama/Tokyo instead of Shanghai May 2 & June 3

Passenger Restrictions: Guests who have traveled from or through mainland China (including Hubei Province) in the past 14-days will not be permitted to board the ship. This does not apply to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Passenger Screening: Pre-boarding medical evaluations, including temperature checks, for persons whom, for any reason, appear or identify as symptomatic (respiratory or fever symptoms); for all guests, our standard pre-boarding health reporting advising of their reporting obligations for any illness or symptoms of an illness; medical screening for coronavirus on all guests who visit our onboard Medical Center with symptoms of any respiratory illness.

Royal Caribbean

Canceled Sailings: All China/Hong Kong sailings through mid-February.

Itinerary Changes: After Chinese guests showed symptoms of coronavirus, Anthem of the Seas was held for three days until test results from the ship return. The ship is scheduled to depart New Jersey on Monday afternoon for a modified voyage to Bermuda.

Passenger Restrictions: Regardless of nationality, boarding will be denied to any individual who has traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days. These guests will receive full refunds.

Passenger Screening: There will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed on guests who have been in contact with individuals who have traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days, as well as all holders of China or Hong Kong passports – regardless of when they were last in China or Hong Kong; also subject to mandatory specialized health screenings will be guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms; any guest presenting with fever or low blood oximetry in the specialized health screening will be denied boarding.

Updated: February 8, 2020