The European Union’s Healthy Gateways working group released interim advice for the resumption of cruise ship operations. The guidance is not binding and is subject to change as the pandemic progresses, but it is based on European Commission guidelines for the travel industry.
The group’s recommendations are comprehensive, covering everything from voyage planning and infection prevention through public health response measures.
The guidelines recommend pre-boarding screening measures, but they note that “screening measures may not identify mild symptoms, asymptomatic, incubating travellers or those concealing symptoms,” indicating that screening is one tool among many required for a successful reopening.