Hurricane season is about to end and cruise season is about to begin. But do you really want to take a cruise this season with the prevalence of H1N1 swine flu sweeping the globe?
The cruise industry would say that they have prepared for this pandemic and yes, book your cruise.
The executive vice president of the Cruise Lines International Association, CLIA, Michael Cyre, explained that the cruise industry is taking proactive steps “to keep H1N1 off cruise ships and to appropriately manage and treat influenza illness when it occurs.”
One of the ways that cruise lines are trusted to keep the H1N1 virus off the ship is through the use of mandatory pre-boarding health screening questionnaires. All passengers must complete and sign a written questionnaire prior to boarding. If a passenger responds affirmatively to having flu symptoms
including fever, cough, runny nose, or sore throat, a secondary evaluation will be done. A secondary screening will also be done if a passenger reports that she has had contact with a confirmed case of H1N1. In either case, a full-paying passenger may be denied access to the ship.
Some cruise companies have begun using thermal imaging cameras to monitor passengers for elevated body temperatures. Higher than normal temperature may result in secondary screening and denied boarding.
If you are planning a cruise this season, you should carefully check the company’s insurance and refund policy regarding this issue. The cruise portion of your fare may be fully or partially refunded if you are denied boarding, but your hotel and pre-boarding airfare will not.
But being denied boarding at the start of your cruise isn’t the only way your cruise vacation can be ruined. If a passenger develops flu-like symptoms while sailing, the ship may be denied berthing at their port of call.
On June 10 and 11, 2009, a Royal Caribbean ship, the Adventure of the Seas, was denied entry to two Caribbean islands. Both Saint Lucia and Antigua did not allow the Adventure of the Seas to dock after the ship
reported that three people on board had flu symptoms. But, after tests came back, it was found that these people did not have the H1N1 virus.
Last May, the Pacific Dawn, a P&O Australia vessel, was denied entry to all of its ports on a 10-day itinerary. This decision was based on the ship reporting flu symptoms experienced by three people on board. Subsequently, tests came back negative for the H1N1 virus.
Most cruise lines will provide some form of compensation if an itinerary is severely impacted, but to what extent no one knows. Compensation can come in the form of money, credit toward another cruise, or a combination of both.
Although the cruise industry is taking rigorous measures to control swine flu both before boarding and during sailing, keep an eye on this season’s news to see how it will affect cruise itineraries. With cruise ships reaching the size of small cities today, the chances of a passenger bypassing the screening process are greatly increased.
If you choose to take a cruise this season, be sure to thoroughly review both your cruise line’s insurance and refund policies.
