Safer together
To ensure all voyages are safe for both guests and crew, we have introduced several new procedures.
Safety is always our number one priority. That’s why it’s important for us that you understand how we work to protect against infectious diseases on board our ships.
Some of these procedures and dates will be adjusted ongoing based on how the pandemic is developing and guidelines from authorities.
Last edited: 10/13/2020 1:34 PM
What we do
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Social distancingWe are adjusting our onboard operations fleet wide, to facilitate for the recommended social distancing.
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Face masksAll crew will wear face masks or face shields in public areas on board the ships.
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CleaningWe regularly disinfect the entire ship, including all cabins, using certified cleaning products.
What you do
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Self-declaration formAll guests must provide a self-declaration form which ensures the safety of you, your fellow passengers and our crew.
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Fever scanUpon embarkation, you will go through a contactless fever scan to record your temperature.
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TestingGuests and crew will be tested before embarkation on our expedition cruises.
Pre-boarding
You are required to hand in a self-declaration form. This ensures the safety of you, your fellow passengers and our crew on your sailing.
This declaration is required to allow you to travel with Hurtigruten, and we reserve the right to refuse embarkation for guests with missing or incomplete information.
A medical certificate from a doctor is not required.
The digital self-declaration form is sent to you by email 24 hours before departure. If you are not able to fill in the digital form, you will be given a self-declaration form at check in. This form will:
- Confirm that you are not showing signs of any COVID-19 symptoms at embarkation.
- Confirm that you have not been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
- Confirm compliance to the current travel restrictions imposed by the Norwegian authorities (for journeys starting and ending in Norway.
Embarkation and disembarkation
Negative COVID-19 tests will be required by all crew and guests before embarking on expedition cruises. Guest affected by these testing measures will receive information on the testing requirements before travelling.
Testing is only required for guests on expedition cruises, not the regular cruise along the Norwegian coast. All guests will have their temperature checked upon embarkation.
- A contactless fever scan to record your temperature will be performed before embarkation, and we reserve the right to conduct this procedure at any point during the trip.
- We test for fever before each meal at the restaurants entrance.
- Guests and crew will be tested before embarkation on our expedition cruises. Guests will receive information on the process before travelling.
- You are asked to wash or disinfect your hands when embarking or disembarking the ship.
- You are asked to open a cruise account where all purchases are registered on a touch-free card. We do this to limit the use of cash and frequent contact with payment terminals.
- We regulate the number of people who embark and disembark the ship at any given time.
Social distancing
To facilitate social distancing, we will limit the number of guests in restaurants, lecture halls, swimming pool, sauna and gym.
Masks and facial cover
We have taken several measures to enable social distancing on board our ships. For additional safety face masks will be required on board in certain situations.
All passengers from the age of 12 will be required to wear face masks during embarkation and disembarkation, in hallways, stairways, lecture halls, in the Science Center and in situations where the recommended social distancing is challenged.
- On our Norwegian Coastal Voyages, you may bring your own face mask or buy medical face masks on board.
- For Expedition Cruises, face masks will be provided at no extra cost.
- Both medical face masks and cloth face masks are allowed for guests.
- Crew on board are required to use medical face masks.
All crew will wear face masks or face shields in public areas, food handling areas, during housekeeping and maintenance in passenger cabins.
Cleaning
By using the latest technology, certified cleaning products and disinfectants, we welcome our guests to a 100% clean onboard environment. In addition to thorough daily cleaning, public areas and cabins will be fully disinfected on a regular basis. Sanitizing stations are placed in all public areas.
- We will do a full disinfection of the entire ship in each turn-around. During our expedition cruises, we do a full disinfection of the ship every day:
- Public areas are disinfected with electrostatic spraying using Micro Quat Extra that have been proven and certified to eliminate Covid-19 using the guidelines from The German Society for the Control of Virus Diseases (DVV).
- Cabins are disinfected with Drysan Oxy, a cleaning and disinfectant proven to eliminate viruses, including Covid-19, on all surfaces. Drysan Oxy is certified using the guidelines from DVV.
- Strict cleaning routines are secured through internal and external hygiene inspections. External partners are used to implement both planned and unannounced hygiene inspections on all ships.
- We do regular checks of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) filters, and the quality of the drinking water.
- All guests should uphold good hand hygiene by washing their hands with soap and water or alcohol based hand sanitizer.
Food and beverage
We will have more seating sessions and individual plating instead of self-service buffets. The kitchen will uphold its usual high standards of hygiene and quality. There are hand washing stations outside all restaurants.
- We ask you to arrive for your meals at the agreed time to minimise queuing.
- You should wash or disinfect your hands outside our restaurants, where hand disinfectant are placed, before being welcomed in.
- Everything guests are in contact with in the restaurants are disinfected between dining sessions.
- Our chefs will serve you and carefully place your choice of meal onto your plate as you request.
- All menus on board can be accessed digitally through your smartphone or similar devices.
Excursions and going ashore
We are working closely with our partners to ensure our shore excursions are in line with national and industry guidelines, as well as the procedures on our ships. This may mean that some shore excursions are temporarily unavailable or that they have been adjusted to comply with these requirements.
Some of these changes include:
- We have reduced group sizes where needed to enable social distancing on excursions.
- All buses used for excursions are operating at max. 50% capacity and are cleaned and disinfected between trips.
- Equipment provided for excursions is cleaned and disinfected between trips.
- Hand sanitizer is available when embarking and disembarking the ship.
Health service
Along the Norwegian coast, we have a nurse as part of the crew and are never far from land and access to the onshore health service; meanwhile our expedition ships always have a hospital, a doctor and at least one assistant nurse on board.
There is also a dedicated Health & Safety Officer on board, whose task is to coordinate and ensure the quality of infection control on board.
Guests will be offered several time options for meals and activities. In-cabin services and floor markings for appropriate distance are other measures that facilitate safe social distance for our guests and crew.