It sounds like a “Mission impossible”: cruises in times of Corona. Recently, the shipping company had to Hurtigruten for a Corona outbreak, all ocean-going cruises, and the luxury-cruiser “Seadream 1” lay in the Harbor of Tromsö, in Tahiti, the “Paul Gauguin fought” with the Virus, and in the case of Aida and TUI Cruises, there were Covid-19-cases within the Crews, which had been for a restart flew in.
MSC dares now to the Opening of the Italian ports with the ships “Grandiosa” (max. 6000 passengers) and “Magnifica” (max. 2500 passengers) to the Western and Eastern Mediterranean sea. You should be utilised to a maximum of 70 percent. In the Pools swimmers are allowed per four square meters, the saunas on Board to stay in Restaurants is always supported. Unlike TUI Cruises and Aida Onorato also relies on country trips, but only in Small groups by the shipping company organized and supervised.
the Re-Start in case of cruises?
The ships of taxes on eight-day itineraries in the Western Mediterranean, Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Palermo and Valletta (Malta); in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Adriatic sea, Trieste and Bari and the Greek ports of Corfu, Katakolon (Olympia) and Piraeus (Athens). Because so far, opened in the Mediterranean sea, next to the Italians, only Greece and Malta in their ports for sea again. Cost: from 649 Euro per person in a balcony cabin. But Can it work this Re-Start?
FOCUS Online Signor Onorato, is it hubris or insanity, that rides, of all things, now want to start again with the cross in the Mediterranean sea?
Gianni Onorato: Neither. We have been thinking for months about how we voyages, so can safely make, so that the risk of infection with Covid-19 is minimized. And we have to professional Council brought in its own expert Panel of highly esteemed professionals around the world as the specialist for infectious diseases, Professor Stephan Harbarth from Geneva. The result is not only, in my opinion, the most comprehensive safety and health concept to the travel industry with three Tests alone, for the Crew. Photo: MSC Rights Gianni Onorato is since 2013, the CEO of Europe’s largest cruise company MSC.
Strict rules: smear, temperature control and questionnaire
FOCUS Online : In some ports, cruise ships are again due to Corona infections. What makes you so sure it is better than other carriers?
Onorato: We must be strict and you will have to excuse that an Italian says to you – perhaps stricter than the Germans, in order to prevent any infected Person to get on Board. There is for each guest prior to Boarding, a smear Test, a temperature control and a health questionnaire. Who is tested positive, or symptoms, will not be left on the ship. And if someone falls ill on Board, then we have sufficient cabins for the Isolation, so that the other guests remain protected.
FOCUS Online : your Crew is tested three Times, the guests only Once. The incubation period is usually three to four days. A single such Test, then, before any sense?
Onorato: Yes, because the crew is much longer on Board, and so much more contacts will have as guests. Our first Re-Start tours in the Eastern and in the Western Mediterranean only last a week and you can get on with us, Yes to all ports, so that even in the case of the MSC Grandiosa only a maximum of 1500 guests per port to go on Board. You show me a Hotel or other tourist establishment, where all guests will be pre-tested exactly as is the case with us.
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“The customer is always right” no longer applies to
FOCUS Online : The question is, what happens if the Test is negative, and guests spread within an incubation time, the Virus on Board?
Onorato: you can exclude nowhere and therefore we allow also currently only guests from the Schengen area, to go on Board with us. No country is classified more as a high-risk area.
FOCUS Online Will occur, your Crew really so hard to be in doubt between party, drunken guests, the new Hygiene rules with distance and masks to enforce?
Onorato: are you trained just. We change the Mindset: “The customer is always right” does not apply anymore – at least not in the case of health and safety issues. We tell everyone clearly: You have to for a safe journey with us on the ships now are certain limitations to accept. Our captains are empowered to send anyone who is in breach of the rules, to immediately on-Board. dpa/Christian Charisius/dpa/dpa-tmn of The large outdoor swimming pool on Board the cruise ship “MSC Grandiosa”
New Standards on Board: mouth-nose protection, fresh air, UV-C light
FOCUS Online We try to imagine how it looks with the distance, if 3500 guests walk in the evening through the strolling mile “Galeria” in the belly of the MSC Grandiosa lust…?
Onorato: …then we’ll wear the mouth-nose protection that we interpret by the way, everywhere! And it will assemble never so many guests at once in one place, we take care of our Entertainment offer.
FOCUS Online put Technically on fresh air instead of the circulation air in the air conditioning systems on Board, as well as to UV-C light for disinfection. To put the new Standards?
Onorato: UV-C light, we test cabins for the disinfection first, in the Insulation, but it could be a new Standard in rooms. The air-conditioning systems in many modern ships mix so far of fresh air from the outside with the circulation air in the ratio of 80 to 20. We drive the now nearly 100 per cent fresh air. It requires no technical modifications, but it costs a little more Fuel.
FOCUS Online : you will Be on Board the first Re-Start-Cruise?
Onorato: no, but on Board the second. Someone has to run the shops in Geneva.
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