For the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus, a cruise ship is being put into service again. The Explorer Dream, which is located in Taiwan, will make short cruises from the port of Keelung to Taiwanese islands. It is also the first ship to receive certification for enhanced infection prevention procedures.
The company behind the cruises concerned, Genting Cruise Lines, has announced that the voyages will be resumed after extensive preparations in consultation with the authorities on July 26. For now, it concerns three-day trips exclusively for Taiwanese customers.
All over the world, empty cruise ships are moored at sea or in ports, among others off the coast of Scheveningen. They no longer have customers since the virus appeared to spread very quickly on ships. Often, cruise ships were suddenly no longer allowed to enter ports and it was quite a job for the companies, port authorities, diplomats and ministers involved to finally let a cruise ship with infected crew members enter a port somewhere. Since then, the cruise industry has come to a standstill.
The crew of the Explorer Dream will be quarantined for two weeks before the voyage and passengers will be subjected to medical tests.
CIP-M certification
The Explorer Dream is also the first cruise ship to receive the CIP-M certification of classification society DNV GL. This certification introduces new safety standards, customised specifically for the maritime industry, that include enhanced infection prevention control procedures and systems for the safety and well-being of guests and crew members. The CIP-M is based on DNV GL’s stringent healthcare foundation and expertise in infection risk management, used in the accreditation and certification of more than 630 hospitals worldwide.
Source (in part): ANP
Picture by Victor Rull.
