A report by Cruise Critic says that cruise lines in Europe are continuing to refuse re-boarding to passengers who violate the company’s COVID-19 health and safety regulations by leaving ship organised shore excursions in port.
Last week, a guest on AIDAblu, which is owned by Carnival Corporation left his ship organised shore excursion in Catania, Italy, with AIDA saying in a statement, “As a result, the guest was unable to continue sailing on AIDAblu, and AIDA supported the guest in organizing his trip home.”
AIDAblu is reported to be the first AIDA ship to resume during what is hoped will be the approaching end of COVID-19, with the cruise a seven-day itinerary from Civitavecchia (Rome), leaving October 17.
MSC Cruises refused re-boarding to a family of four, who left an organized tour in Naples in August and TUI Cruises, also recently refused re-boarding to two passengers after they left an excursion in Greece to obtain a beer.
Only allowing guests to go on ship organised shore excursions which maintains the ship’s “bubble,” and protecting locals in the port and destination from exposure to cruise guests, is becoming very much the norm for all cruise line COVID-19 protocols, along with the refusal to allow re-boarding for any guests that leave the tour, with the protocol made very clear to guests before booking, on board and before and during the tour.
This protocol is considered highly likely to be applied by most cruise lines and ports globally for some time, with most of the major cruise lines that have resumed sailing in Europe only allowing participation in ship organised excursions, including MSC Cruises, AIDA, Costa Cruises and TUI, although Ponant and Hapag-Lloyd do not currently require guests to only take ship organised excursions.
A report by John Alwyn-Jone
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