Cruise Affairs News

Articles of interest from around the travel industry and from the office of Cruise Affairs, LLC

Check here often for an update on what is going on in the travel industry and how it affects you.

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Royal Caribbean has announced that you will now be able to make reservations at their speciality restaurants prior to your sailing. Just log on to www.rccl.com. Reservations will be available up to 10 days prior to sailing...after that you will have to make them onboard..expect very few to be left.

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The Dept. of Homeland Security has reached the FINAL decisions on travel documents for the future. As may come as no surprise, the report is 151 pages long, but I will give you some highlights.

Rules in place now will stay in place until the final implementation date of June 1, 2009:

*You must have a passport to fly out of and in to the U.S. from a foreign destination.

*Cruises that begin and end in a U.S. port require either a passport, passport card or proof of citizenship (birth certificate) and a gov’t issued photo ID.

*Cruises that begin and end in a foreign port require a passport.

*Land border crossings into the U.S. require either a passport, passport card or proof of citizenship (birth certificate) and a gov’t issued photo ID.

Effective on June 1, 2009:

The above regulations pertaining to air and land entries will basically remain the same (some other types of documents are being developed for land crossings, but pertain mostly to residents of border States).

***Cruise passenger’s requirements will change.

If the cruise begins and ends on the same ship and at the same U.S. port, citizens will need either a passport or passport card or proof of citizenship (birth certificate) and a gov’t issued photo ID.

If the cruise has either different U.S. ports of embarkation / debarkation, or starts or ends in a foreign port, regardless of it being on the same ship, you must have a passport or passport card.

As I said the report is very long and can be read at:

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/whti_landseafinalrule.pdf

There are a number of special categories and rules pertaining to children, school groups, foreign nationals, and Native Americans, but the above is what applies to the average traveler.

Even though it will now be possible to continue cruising in many instances without a passport, we continue to caution against this practice. There is language in the report that addresses “waivers” of entry into the U.S. by citizens, without a passport. This may occur in response to emergency circumstances, determined on a case by case basis, and most likely requiring a lengthy process. If you, a family member or traveling companion have to leave a ship in a foreign port due to illness, injury or the need to fly home in response to an emergency, it will be difficult at best without a passport. Protect yourself and obtain one before any foreign travel.

Some sites to check are:

www.getyouhome.gov

www.travel.state.gov

www.dhs.gov

The following article was provided to us by the Cruise Lines International Association prior to it's representatives testimony before Congress.....

Facts About Cruise Ship Safety and Security

The highest priority of the cruise industry is the safety and security of its passengers and crew. With more than 12 million vacationers cruising each year, the cruise lines take every appropriate measure to ensure that their guests have a safe and enjoyable vacation.

While people are far safer on board a cruise ship than in virtually any community in the United States, on rare occasions, incidents may happen. On March 27, CLIA will testify before Congress on the outstanding safety and security record of the cruise industry.

Cruising remains one of the safest vacations available, with an outstanding record of safety and security. In fact, when compared with the FBI's land-based crime statistics in the United States, cruise passengers are much safer on board a cruise ship than ashore.

While instances of crime on board cruise ships are rare, it is important that whenever traveling to be observant of one's possessions and surroundings at all times. Cruise passengers are reminded of this, as they are in any hotel, by safety information, daily bulletins, port visit briefings and the provision of a room safe or safety deposit box. In the event of an incident, the cruise industry takes all allegations and incidents very seriously, reports them to the proper authorities and fully cooperates in any investigation. In many instances, cruise lines do not publicly disclose detailed information to comply with directions from law enforcement and out of respect for privacy.

Cruise ships are comparable to secure buildings with 24-hour security. Every person on board a cruise ship, from the captain to the cleaning staff and all guests, are placed on official manifests. When sailing to or from U.S. ports, these manifests are provided to U.S. federal law enforcement officials prior to the ship's departure.
Guests should be very comfortable with the security measures they see during their cruise vacation. These include the screening of 100 percent of all luggage, carry-on's and provisions coming onto our ships. Screening is done with X-ray machines, metal detectors and human and detector dog searches.
Passengers and crew may embark or disembark only after passing through security. Once a ship is underway, access is strictly limited to documented employees and fare-paying passengers.
Each passenger is issued an identification card which contains their digital photo and personal identification information on a magnetic strip that he or she must present when entering or leaving the ship. This technology allows the ship to know which guests and crew members are on board and which are not.
Each cruise ship has a dedicated security officer and staff whose sole function is the security of its passengers and crew. Typically, security staff personnel have former law enforcement or military background and are trained according to international security regulations.
Foreign crew members on CLIA ships are required to obtain a visa issued by the U.S. State Department for entry into the United States. This visa requires the completion of a background check. In addition, cruise ship employees are pre-screened by recruiting agencies.
Cruise lines operate within a legal framework under which international, federal and state authorities investigate crimes on board cruise ships. Unlike most instances of shore side crime, the FBI has the authority to investigate and prosecute alleged crimes in international waters involving Americans.
The U.S. Coast Guard has jurisdiction for inspection and enforcement of international safety and security standards for all ships calling at U.S. ports. In a 1995 study, the U.S. Coast Guard determined that cruising was one of the safest modes of transportation available.

Cruising is among the most popular vacation options in large part because of its excellent safety record and the high level of quality service cruise ships provide. The industry will continue to do its part to maintain a safe, secure and healthy shipboard environment.

NOROVIRUS

It seems like the past couple of years we have heard more about noroviruses on cruise ships. Some people, incorrectly, have begun to associate this illness exclusively with cruising, probably because of the media coverage whenever a case is reported onboard.

While this is a serious matter, as anyone who has had the virus will attest, it should be kept in perspective. The virus is easily transmitted so it only takes one person to start an outbreak. Cruise ships are enclosed environments where contact with fellow passengers and crew is unavoidable. However, some information from the Centers for Disease Control might help you understand more about norovirus and in fact surprise you:

What are noroviruses?

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the “stomach flu,” or gastroenteritis (GAS-tro-en-ter-I-tis), in people. The term norovirus was recently approved as the official name for this group of viruses.

What are the symptoms of illness caused by noroviruses?

The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. The illness is usually brief, with symptoms lasting only about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults. Most people with norovirus illness have both of these symptoms.

In the past year some 16 cases of norovirus has been reported on cruise ships. Each time a couple of hundred people (passengers and crew members) have been affected.

Now here is the surprising part and what you rarely see or hear mentioned in news stories……CDC estimates that 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis per year are reported and are due to norovirus infection, and it is now thought that at least 50% of all foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis can be attributed to noroviruses. Considering the number of cruises that depart each week around the world, a relatively small number of cases actually occur onboard.

We recommend that when you travel, anywhere by any means, that you carry a small container of hand sanitizer with you and use it often. You can’t control the sanitation habits of others but you can take this simple action to help lessen your chances of becoming ill.

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