The “Viking Star” cruise ship, which is scheduled to go on a 136-day journey all around the globe next year, will have its very own COVID-19 testing lab.
They worked on it for many months, and it’s moving them closer and closer to sailing once again, without compromising the crew and guests’ safety, Matt Grimes said in a statement. Matt Grimes is Viking’s Vice President of Maritime Operations.
The laboratory can perform a non-invasive coronavirus saliva test each day for every passenger and crew member aboard the 930-passenger ship. This allows flexibility for various contagion levels all over the world.
The “Viking Star” will depart on December 2021 for a 136-day cruise all over the world. It will stop in 56 ports in 27 different nations.
To ensure the safety of everyone on board as the ship sails all around the world, a full-scale PCR laboratory will operate with it at sea. It will conduct regular coronavirus tests for the crew and passengers.
Viking will have all the features of a PCR laboratory. The ship will demonstrate its new operating procedures, and a new design once it lands in Oslo later this month.
Just this month, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) lifted the No-Sail Order for cruises in United States waters. The rules for sailing have been set out and will require ships to meet cleanliness and testing standards.
Grimes said in a statement that the recently announced guidelines are well aligned with public health research. They are welcoming the push towards more testing since that’s the only way to operate safely. He said that for them, continuous PCR testing, together with extensive hygiene protocols onboard, will result in making Viking ships a clean, safe place to get away to and discover the world.”
While the CDC will allow cruise ships back into American waters this year, several major cruise companies have already canceled their operations well into 2021.
The coronavirus pandemic badly impacts the international cruise industry
Until recently, cruises were among the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry. The last 5 years have witnessed a demand increase of 20.5%. As several nations all over the world have shut their borders as part of the coronavirus response, vessels are forced to dock.
The present coronavirus environment has created huge concern amongst the public surrounding the safety and health protocols onboard cruise ships. Now, cruise ships are required to implement robust monitoring and screening protocols. Get to know more about this on the Quikmaps website.
