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  In the Wuhan area of Hubei province, China, a new coronavirus appeared in mid-December 2019 and came to worldwide attention in mid-January 2020 and by the end of February despite efforts to contain the outbreak via quarantine in China, the Diamond Princess ship docked in Yokohama, Japan in early February and its passengers and crew were quarantined for 14 days, with 169 passengers and crew removed to Japanese hospitals for treatment. It is suspected that a crew member was exposed to the virus on the previous cruise. By February 27, all remaining passengers had left the ship and returned to their home countries where Canadians were put in an additional 14 days of quarantine after being flown to an armed forces base in Ontario.  Over 60 countries have reported at least one case of COVID-19 with serious outbreaks in Iran, northern Italy and South Korea.

Events creating confusion for travelers due to the COVID-19 illness worldwide spread:

March 5-  Email from Celebrity Cruises

Dear Guest,

We look forward to welcoming you aboard for your upcoming Celebrity Cruises vacation.  Before you embark on this exciting journey, we would like to advise you of some additional health screening procedures that will occur at the pier during your check-in and boarding process.

As we monitor global developments related to the coronavirus, our priority remains the health and safety of our guests and crew, as well as providing you an amazing vacation experience.  To comply with guidance from CDC, WHO, public health authorities around the world, and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), we are enhancing our rigorous global boarding and screening measures to protect our guests and crew.   

Effective Friday, March 6, mandatory temperature screenings will be conducted for all guests, crewmembers, and visitors prior to boarding any vessel.  Your temperature will be taken via a noninvasive digital scan.  If your temperature registers above 100.4°F (38° C), you and your traveling companions will be referred to a secondary health screening.  

Secondary health screenings will be performed by medical professionals who will check for flu-like symptoms and pulse oximetry readings.  Any guests who are denied boarding due to concerns during their health screening will receive 100% refund.

If you don’t feel well while onboard, it’s imperative that you visit our onboard medical facility immediately for a complimentary checkup. Our onboard doctors and nurses are always available and ready to assist.

March 6-  There are almost 100,000 cases of  COVID-19 reported in more than 70 countries,most cases are in mainland China, including 9,000 cases in South Korea, South Korea Iran, northern Italy and Japan.

     Why are cruise ships being turned away?  From Australian Broadcasting article

Health authorities in some Pacific Island nations have made the assessment that the risk posed by large groups of foreigners disembarking on their shores is far too high, given the spread of coronavirus to more than 70 countries worldwide.

While this would be frustrating for those on board, it is not a decision Pacific leaders are making lightly — cruise ship passengers are vital to the region's tourism industries.

Cook Islands this week decided to prevent the MSC Magnifica from making a stop at the island of Aitutaki, an itinerary change that cost the territory around $200,000 according to tourism officials.

The ship was still able to stop at the largest island, Rarotonga, where four passengers were admitted to hospital for medical issues not related to coronavirus.

Eleven cruises that were scheduled to stop in the Cook Islands' outer islands over the next two months have now had their visits cancelled, while Tonga and Samoa are also blocking cruise ship arrivals for the time being.

A bit closer to Australia, the islands of Lifou, Mare and the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia have all barred cruise ships from visiting, while the Royal Caribbean-operated Voyager of the Seas cruise ship was last week turned away from Vanuatu.

There were several cases of the flu on board, and Vanuatu made the decision "out of an abundance of caution", a spokesperson for the Vanuatu Tourism Office told the ABC.

"Cruise ships are not banned from calling at Vanuatu ports — Golden Princess is currently in Vila Harbour and another one is scheduled for later this week," the spokesperson said.

Voyager of the Seas, which also had to abandon planned stops in New Caledonia, was ultimately forced to head away from the tropics and toward the colder climes of New Zealand.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said the itineraries for the ship's upcoming March cruises — one of which leaves Sydney tomorrow — were "currently under review".

While the World Health Organisation (WHO)` has not recommended that countries put travel restrictions in place, Sean Casey from the WHO's Pacific Joint Incident Management Team said island nations faced "a difficult situation".

"Many Pacific countries don't have critical care capability, hospitals are relatively small, there's a limited number of health workers," he told the ABC.

”The consequences of an imported case may be higher, so countries are making these determinations considering the risks and potential consequences."

Mr. Casey said an additional complication was the high rate of non-communicable disease in the Pacific, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases.

"We know that coronavirus is disproportionately affecting older persons and persons with comorbidities," he said.

"So we're worried — we don't know exactly how it's going to play out, but there are definite vulnerabilities."

Getting personal protective equipment like gloves, masks, goggles, gowns and face shields out to health facilities across the region has been a focus.

This is no simple task, given we're talking about countries composed of hundreds of tiny islands — Fiji for instance has 332 islands, 106 of which are inhabited.

Australia has supported these efforts by sending equipment and medical supplies to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Timor-Leste, helping several nations plan their strategies in the event of an outbreak, and running diagnostic tests for suspected coronavirus cases.

However, recent measles outbreaks across the region mean some countries are already experienced at dealing with these sorts of crises.

Posted to on Celebrity Website:

Royal Caribbean Group adopts “Cruise With Confidence” policy, allowing cancellations up to 48 hours before sailing

Friday, March 6, 2020

MIAMI, March. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With COVID-19 adding uncertainty to travel plans around the world, Royal Caribbean Group said it will give guests greater control over their vacation decisions, allowing guests to cancel cruises as late as two days before departure.

The “Cruise With Confidence” policy allows guests on Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea to cancel up to 48 hours before a sailing. Guests will receive a full credit for their fare, usable on any future sailing of the guest’s choice in 2020 or 2021. The policy applies to both new and existing cruise bookings.

“Our previous policy set earlier deadlines for guests to cancel their cruises, and that added unnecessary stress,” said Richard Fain, the company’s chairman and CEO. “Trying to guess a month or more in advance where areas of concern about coronavirus might be is challenging for medical experts, much less a family preparing for vacation.

“When circumstances are as fast-changing as they have been recently, it’s good to know you have the option to take a rain check,” Fain said. “We think putting more control in our guests’ hands helps them make informed decisions about whether to keep their existing vacation plans or trade out for a more convenient time or itinerary.”  

In addition to easing concerns for booked guests, Fain said the policy would also give consumers more confidence in making new bookings, knowing that they could later adjust their plans without penalty.

The policy applies to all cruises with a sailing date on or before July 31, 2020, and will be offered by the company’s global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea. Full details of the “Cruise with Confidence” policy can be found at the respective brand websites.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that controls and operates four global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea Cruises. We are also a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises and a 49% shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur Cruceros. Together these brands operate a combined total of 61 ships with an additional 17 on order as of December 31, 2019. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamara.com, www.silversea.com, www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, or www.rclinvestor.com.