Princess Cruises has officially modified its itineraries – Sapphire Princess will be calling in Tokyo rather than Shanghai; Sun Princess is going to South Korea instead of Hong Kong and Shanghai, and Moorea in place of Pago Pago; while Diamond Princess’s roundtrip voyages to Yokohama until 7 March will not go ahead.
The line has also banned anybody it deems to be at risk from boarding, including people who have travelled to or from China, Macao, or Hong Kong within two weeks of sailing or anyone who has been in contact with a suspected coronavirus case.
There are also medical evaluations pre-boarding and “environmental disinfection” onboard.
A spokesperson from Princess said: “Although the risk to our guests and crew is low, our medical experts are coordinating closely with international health authorities and have activated enhanced screening, prevention and control procedures for our ships to keep guests and crew safe.”
This comes as a Princess Cruises ship was quarantined off the coast of Japan because passengers have tested positive for coronavirus on board.
Norwegian Cruise Line has implemented similar preventatives policies, such as a ban on any guest or crew member with a Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macao passport or with a body temperature of 38C and higher.
All of Norwegian Spirit’s Asia itineraries from 15 April to 7 Dec have been cancelled, with customers booked on those sailings to receive a full refund, 10% future credit and $300 per person towards redundant flights.
A voyage departing from Cape Town on 22 March, due to finish in Singapore, will now be rerouted to Piraeus, Greece.
Guests can either sail the modified itinerary and get a 50% refund or cancel before 14 February for all their money back.
A spokesperson from Norwegian said: "While it is always our intention to maintain original itineraries, at times, unforeseen circumstances require us to make modifications.
"We appreciate our guests’ patience during this time."
