The novel coronavirus situation in Singapore is not getting any better.
Businesses and retailers have been hit, and our everyday lives have been disrupted by temperature screening and masks.
And it seems that major cruise liners are joining in on the implementation of measures that are pretty eyebrow-raising:
Cruise Ships Now Skipping Scheduled Stops at S’pore, Hong Kong, Japan & China Due to COVID-19
Major cruise liners have taken a big step and have changed their itineraries in Asia in order to steer clear of major ports like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore in light of the COVID-19.
In addition to that, they have also put in place restrictions on passengers and increased health checks and sanitization.
Major cruise liners such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have cancelled sailings to Singapore for the weeks to come.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has removed Hong Kong from some of its voyages in February and March.
Princess Cruise Line has changed its itinerary for its Sapphire Princess and Sun Princess ships. The former will arrive in Tokyo instead of Shanghai.
As of Saturday, Singapore has a total of 72 confirmed cases of the COVID-19.
The worry surrounding the safety of cruises might have been influenced by Princess Cruise Line’s ship, the Diamond Princess which was the largest single cluster of cases outside China.
The ship has since been quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama, while its 3,711 passengers and crew have been stuck at sea.
In order to ensure good publicity and avoid being impacted financially, more measures have been put in place.
More Restrictions On Passengers
Some cruise liners have taken to restricting passengers based on their nationality and recent travel history.
For instance, Regent Seven Seas Cruise announced that guests who possess a Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passport (even though they may stay outside of those countries) will be barred from going on board its ships until 8 April.
On the other hand, Cunard and Princess Cruises said that those who have travelled through China, Macau or Hong Kong within 14 days of the start of the cruise will not be allowed on the cruise.
Cruises have also increased cleaning and sanitization on board in line with local health authorities’ recommendations.
They have also increased the screening of both guests and crew members in terms of temperature taking.
Should a passenger display symptoms of the virus, they will be checked for the virus.
