Coronavirus: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises add mandatory temperature screenings for passengers

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PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - In an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on board their ships to passengers and employees, some cruise lines will be conducting mandatory temperature screenings for all passengers before they are allowed to set sail.

Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises announced that the screenings will be part of the check-in process, beginning March 6. Crew members will also be subject to the screenings.

Temperatures will be taken with a digital, no-touch thermometer.

On both cruise lines, if your temperature is above 100.4°F or 38° C, you and those in your party will undergo a secondary health screening.

According to Royal Caribbean, if you require a secondary screening, these are the steps that will be taken:

Your temperature will be checked again.
You'll undergo a pulse oximetry reading. This means, a small device will be placed on your finger to measure your oxygen level.
If you happen to have a chronic lung illness, like asthma, please bring a letter from your medical practitioner that indicates your normal baseline oxygen saturation levels. This will help ensure you are not denied boarding if you are healthy otherwise.
A medical professional will check you for flu-like symptoms, respiratory illness, etc., and would make a final assessment to understand if you're fit to sail.

If it is decided that you cannot board, you'll receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit for your cruise fare paid, and any precruise Royal Caribbean International purchases and taxes and fees will be refunded to your original form of payment.

Celebrity Cruises states you will receive a 100% full refund.

"We have elected to take these precautionary steps due to the recent increase in coronavirus cases around the world, to help avoid the spread of the virus and to ensure the continued safety of our guests and crew," Celebrity Cruises said in a statement.

In addition to the temperature screenings, Royal Caribbean is also taking additional measures when it comes to cleaning to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing
Special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day
Adding extra medical staff on each sailing
Providing complimentary consultations with medical experts for all guests & crew
The Captain will make two daily announcements during your cruise reminding everyone of how to stay healthy onboard