INTERNATIONAL. In an effort to reinvigorate passenger confidence, several cruise industry leaders have formed advisory panels to offer industry-specific health and safety recommendations in preparation for the safe resumption of cruise operations.
The Healthy Sail Panel
Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings have teamed up to form the ‘Healthy Sail Panel,’ comprised of renowned figures in public health, infectious diseases, biosecurity, hospitality and maritime operations.
Former Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Utah Governor Mike Leavitt and former Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dr. Scott Gottlieb serve as co-chairs of the Healthy Sail Panel. This group will offer its initial recommendations to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by the end of August.
The recommendations will be open to the entire cruise industry and can be freely adopted by any stakeholder who would benefit from the panel’s scientific and medical insights, said the partners.
The rest of the panel comprises:
- Chicago Community Trust CEO Dr. Helene Gayle
- Merck Executive Vice President and Chief Patient Officer Dr. Julie L. Gerberding
- University of Nebraska Medical Centre Department of Pathology and Microbiology Chair Dr. Steven Hinrichs
- University of Minnesota Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Director Dr. Michael Osterholm
- Former FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff
- Epidemiology and Virology Expert Dr. William Rutala
- Cornell University Dean of Hotel Administration Kate Walsh
- Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President Global Marine Operations and Fleet Optimisation Captain Patrik Dahlgren
- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Executive Vice President of Vessel Operations Robin Lindsay f
“This unprecedented disease requires us to develop unprecedented standards in health and safety,” said Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain. “Bringing aboard these respected experts to guide us forward demonstrates our commitment to protecting our guests, our crews and the communities we visit.”
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President Frank Del Rio said, “We compete for the vacationing consumer’s business every day, but we never compete on health and safety standards. While the cruise industry has always had rigorous health standards, the unique challenges posed by COVID-19 provide an opportunity to raise the bar even higher.”
MSC Cruises Blue Ribbon COVID Expert Group
MSC Cruises has set up a cross-functional task force comprised of in-house experts in medical services, public health, sanitation, hotel services, information technology and logistics to safely prepare for a return to service.
The company has also partnered with world-renowned medical consultancy agency Aspen Medical to form a ‘Blue Ribbon COVID Expert Group’ to further assist in the development and implementation of enhanced health and safety protocols onboard its fleet.
The MSC Cruises Blue Ribbon COVID Expert Group comprises:
- University of Thessaly School of Health Sciences Vice President Professor Christakis Hadjichristodoulou
- Geneva University Hospitals Head of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme and Infectious Diseases Specialist Professor Stephan J. Harbarth
- Respond Global Managing Director and former Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Team Initiative Dr. Ian Norton
MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago commented, “Today I am pleased to announce that the work of our task force is being further supported by the formation and engagement of a Blue Ribbon COVID Expert Group for consultation on protocols and planning, as well as bringing additional specialised advice to augment our own existing resources and knowledge.
“The objective of our Blue Ribbon COVID Expert Group in the fields of Medicine, Public Health, and/or related scientific disciplines is to create a group of highly qualified and internationally respected experts to inform and review our initiatives as they relate to COVID-19 to help ensure that the actions taken are appropriate, effective, and informed by the best available science and health practices.”
Vago added, “For this reason, this Expert Group will have competency to review policy initiatives, technical innovations, or operational measures related to COVID-19. It will remain in place long beyond our return to operations to ensure we benefit from their know-how and input even as the situation continues to evolve and more data become available.”
According to the company, the new health and safety protocols created by the Blue Ribbon COVID-19 Expert Group will cover every aspect of the traveller journey from booking to disembarkation. MSC Cruises is confident that the new protocols will meet and exceed the guidelines set by international health authorities including the World Health Organization, the EU Healthy Gateways Joint Action and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
MSC Cruises has also tapped a specialised maritime classification society to provide third-party verification that its protocols meet EU-level guidance.
