WHY IT RATES: Crystal guests will now be required to test for COVID-19 prior to their departure date and again upon arrival at the pier, must purchase travel insurance, observe social-distancing regulations onboard and may only participate in Crystal-sponsored shoreside activities in ports of call. — Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer
Today, Crystal introduced an expanded set of health and safety measures for its Crystal Clean+ protocols to include requirements for COVID-19 testing for guests and crew, mandatory travel insurance, in-port guidelines and more. The new Crystal Clean + 3.0 protocols build on Crystal Clean-F 2.0, the initial set of enhanced health and safety procedures which the company released in July.
The Crystal Clean+ protocols go beyond Crystal’s already stringent practices to further safeguard guests’ and crews’ well-being, and offer travelers peace of mind when they return to cruising the world again. Crystal Clean+ 3.0 guidelines feature noteworthy updates in the company’s pre-boarding and embarkation procedures, social distancing requirements, shore excursion policy, crew member standards and practices, and more. The new Crystal Clean + 3.0 protocols are tailored to meet the unique needs of the luxury traveler and incorporate the current recommendations provided by Cruise Line International Association‘s (CLIA) to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
As per Crystal Clean + 3.0, guests will now be required to complete a COVID-19 test prior to departure for their cruise and provide a printed copy of their negative result at check-in—failure to comply with this requirement will result in denial of boarding. In addition, guests will take a second COVID-19 test upon arrival at the pier and must test negative prior to boarding. Guests will be required to purchase travel insurance, which can be purchased via Crystal or a third party.
While onboard, Crystal guests are asked to observe social distancing of at least six feet (two meters) of those outside of one’s travel party including dance partners, and as a result Crystal’s Ambassador Host dance program, as well as Crystal’s Junior Activities programming and in-suite babysitting services, will be suspended until further notice.
In order to safeguard the guest experience and ensure consistent safety precautions throughout their journey, guests will only be permitted to disembark the ship in port if participating in Crystal’s shoreside activities or excursions, and shuttle buses into town will not be provided when in port; guests who do not comply with this requirement will not be permitted to re-board the ship.
As a part of Crystal Clean + 3.0 program updates, Crystal has also enhanced the health and safety measures for its crew to further safeguard their health and well-being. All crew will be tested for COVID-19 prior to leaving their home location to join the ship and must receive a negative result; they also will take a COVID-19 test at embarkation, quarantine for seven days upon arrival, and take a test at the end of that seven-day period and receive a negative result, before beginning their duties. In addition, crew will be tested periodically during their rotations.
The comprehensive list of Crystal Clean+ guidelines, including the new 3.0 additions, can be found on Crystal’s new Health & Safety Hub on the Crystal website. Crystal Clean + 3.0 measures were released across all brand experiences—Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Cruises and Crystal Expedition Cruises. The Crystal Clean+ protocols are predominantly consistent across the entire Crystal fleet, with some specific nuances to accommodate the differences of the individual ships and Crystal Experiences.
Crystal is committed to being in full compliance with CLIA guidelines as well as the CDC (for Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Endeavor), EU Healthy Gateways (for Crystal Esprit), and any local or national regulations set by European cities and states (for Crystal River Cruises); and, as such, will update these protocols according to their recommendations. Crystal has voluntarily extended its suspension of global voyages until December 31, 2020.
All Crystal ships across the fleet, including Ocean, River, Yacht and Expedition, offer nearly double the space per person than ships of a similar size, which is among the highest space ratios in the industry; and their social spaciousness will be further augmented through the Crystal Clean+ program’s evolving public health and safety measures. Further, Crystal Endeavor and Crystal’s River ships are all-suite and all-balcony with most staterooms on its two Ocean ships featuring private verandas for fresh airflow.
The safety of guests and crew members is Crystal’s number one priority and the fleet will resume service only when the company’s expert team and global health and government authorities indicate that it is safe to do so.
For more information, visit crystalcruises.com.
SOURCE: Crystal Cruises press release.
