No cruise ships in Corfu before September
cruises
27 Ιουλίου 2020
/ 12:06
CORFU. No news yet, says Corfu Port Authority, which has already written off August and isn΄t expecting anything before mid-September - Green light from Civil Protection this week regarding EU guidelines for cruise passenger and crew safety.
The restart of cruises is one of the biggest - if not the biggest - risks in the tourist industry in post-coronavirus 'normality'.
The European Union has issued directives for passengers and crews to reduce as much as possible the spread of the virus if there is a case on board. According to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, these are expected to receive the green light within the week from the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.
This, however, does not translate into the universal opening of the cruise sector in Greece.
Theodoros Kontes: "The directives and protocols do not mean the resumption of the cruise sector"
The Association of Cruise Ship Owners and Maritime Agencies president Theodoros Kontes stressed in a statement to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that the implementation of the cruise passenger protocols that have already been announced and are to be approved does not mean that this will translate into the resumption of the cruise sector in August as it takes a long time for the crews but also for the companies to prepare.
Asked if there are currently any cruise ships scheduled for Greece, Mr. Kontes said that some small companies have announced that they can start small cruises for three or four days without reaching the Greek ports due to increased measures for the protection of passengers. Regarding the large cruise ship companies, Kontes said that no company has announced the launch of itineraries in Greece before September.
Corfu Port Authority: "Nothing is scheduled for Corfu yet"
Corfu Port Authority told Enimerosi that there is no news for the moment from the cruise ship companies and there are no scheduled arrivals at Corfu Port.
All the cruises that had been scheduled for August have been cancelled an the Port Authority expect that there will be developments from September, although there is no specific information at the moment.
Healthy Gateways programme and directives
According to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, The University of Thessalia is responsible for drawing up the guidelines that cruise ship passengers and crews throughout Europe will have to follow as part of the Healthy Gateways programme for the coronavirus pandemic.
Each EU member state has the right to adapt these guidelines in small ways.
According to information, the EU directives with specific rules for passengers and crews at Greek ports, which is expected to be approved by the Maritime Ministry, include the following:
- Limiting the maximum numbers of passengers to 60% of that laid down in the ship's safety certificate.
- Mandatory checks on passengers and crew members before boarding with thermometers and the submission of a special health declaration.
- Cruise ships must designate special isolation cabins in case there is a case of coronavirus and the cruise companies must have agreements with health centres on the islands.
- Special training of crew members to deal with coronavirus cases, implementation of personal hygiene measures and protection and locations with antiseptics throughout the ship.
There will no longer be buffet meals for passengers and only sit-down meals with adherence to proper social distancing.
The European Union has issued directives for passengers and crews to reduce as much as possible the spread of the virus if there is a case on board. According to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, these are expected to receive the green light within the week from the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.
This, however, does not translate into the universal opening of the cruise sector in Greece.
Theodoros Kontes: "The directives and protocols do not mean the resumption of the cruise sector"
The Association of Cruise Ship Owners and Maritime Agencies president Theodoros Kontes stressed in a statement to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that the implementation of the cruise passenger protocols that have already been announced and are to be approved does not mean that this will translate into the resumption of the cruise sector in August as it takes a long time for the crews but also for the companies to prepare.
Asked if there are currently any cruise ships scheduled for Greece, Mr. Kontes said that some small companies have announced that they can start small cruises for three or four days without reaching the Greek ports due to increased measures for the protection of passengers. Regarding the large cruise ship companies, Kontes said that no company has announced the launch of itineraries in Greece before September.
Corfu Port Authority: "Nothing is scheduled for Corfu yet"
Corfu Port Authority told Enimerosi that there is no news for the moment from the cruise ship companies and there are no scheduled arrivals at Corfu Port.
All the cruises that had been scheduled for August have been cancelled an the Port Authority expect that there will be developments from September, although there is no specific information at the moment.
Healthy Gateways programme and directives
According to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, The University of Thessalia is responsible for drawing up the guidelines that cruise ship passengers and crews throughout Europe will have to follow as part of the Healthy Gateways programme for the coronavirus pandemic.
Each EU member state has the right to adapt these guidelines in small ways.
According to information, the EU directives with specific rules for passengers and crews at Greek ports, which is expected to be approved by the Maritime Ministry, include the following:
- Limiting the maximum numbers of passengers to 60% of that laid down in the ship's safety certificate.
- Mandatory checks on passengers and crew members before boarding with thermometers and the submission of a special health declaration.
- Cruise ships must designate special isolation cabins in case there is a case of coronavirus and the cruise companies must have agreements with health centres on the islands.
- Special training of crew members to deal with coronavirus cases, implementation of personal hygiene measures and protection and locations with antiseptics throughout the ship.
There will no longer be buffet meals for passengers and only sit-down meals with adherence to proper social distancing.
