Cruise Lines are to step up in protecting passengers and crew after a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence concerning COVID-19.

Cruise Lines Meet With Vice President

Today an important meeting took place in Florida between the cruise lines and the United States government which included Vice President Mike Pence and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.

Moving forward in protecting guests and crew from the spreading coronavirus an agreement has been discussed to step up protection methods across the cruise industry including procedures on land.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) sent Cruise Hive the following statement:

We thank the Vice President for a productive meeting marked by our shared focus on public health. We have committed to do even more to protect our guests, our crew and the communities where we sail. This includes more stringent boarding procedures, adding additional onboard medical resources and temperature screenings at embarkation. We will also develop industry funded protocols to care for guests on land in the event of an incident to eliminate future incidents of onboard quarantine. We are pleased to know the government agencies are prepared to work with us in developing these aggressive new measures. We expect to report back this week with further details of this enhanced approach to protecting public health.

As the virus continues to impact the cruise industry there will be more stringent boarding procedures including further medical resources and temperature checks at the terminals. There will be funded protocols on land to take of any passengers in the results of quarantine situations.

Also Read: Debarkation on Newest Carnival Cruise Ship Halted for COVID-19 Test

All parties will be working on stepping up measures and a further announcement is expected soon with more details.

The CLIA also stated yesterday “Any action to restrict cruising is unwarranted and at odds with the World Health Organization which “continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.” Singling out the travel and tourism industry, and cruise lines specifically, will have significant detrimental impacts—some possibly irreversible—on the national and local economies. The cruise industry is a vital artery for the U.S. economy, supporting over 421,000 American jobs and contributing nearly $53 billion to the U.S.”

Cruise Lines are doing all they can to protect everyone and at the same time provide confidence for travelers by allowing more relaxed cancellation policies and lowering cruise faires. Cruise lines are in constant contact with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for guidance.