In Transit Blog: Cruise Lines to Avoid West African Coast

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 10 Oktober 2014 | 17.35

Because of Ebola concerns, several cruise lines with voyages that stop along the West African coast have chosen to steer clear of the region, even, in some cases, avoiding bordering countries where no outbreak has been reported.

Holland America canceled stops at ports in Ghana, Gambia and Senegal (so far, there has been just one case reported in Senegal and none in Ghana and Gambia) during a 35-day "African Explorer" voyage on the Rotterdam planned for November and December.

Those ports have been replaced with overnight calls in Cape Town, South Africa and Mindelo in the Cape Verde Islands and a stop in Tangier, Morocco. Seabourn Cruise Lines, Fred. Olsen and Regent Seven Seas have made similar changes to itineraries.

The Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Senegal have imposed a ban on tourists traveling there within 30 days of visiting a West African country. As the islands are an integral part of Fred. Olsen's voyages, the company thought it prudent to omit the West African mainland from its itineraries for the time being, Wendy Jeffreys, a spokeswoman for the cruise line, said.

Very few cruise lines actually visit the region where Ebola cases are originating, Cruise Lines International Association, of which Regent is a member, said in a statement. Nevertheless, all CLIA members have been made aware of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's travel heath notices involving West African countries, the company said.

"For many years, cruise lines have observed and questioned embarking passengers about their health before boarding a ship, including recent or current illnesses and symptoms," the statement continued. "A passenger exhibiting signs of any illness prior to boarding a ship is checked by health and medical staff who determine if the passenger will be allowed to board or declined and referred to landside medical care."

With regard to cargo ships entering United States. ports, the Coast Guard's Advance Notice of Vessel Arrival procedures require all inbound vessels to report any sick passengers aboard, as well as the last five port calls made by the ship, among other protocols, Chief Warrant Officer Chad Saylor, a Coast Guard spokesman, said.

The agency is working closely with the C.D.C., Customs and Border Protection and partners in each port, and there is certainly a "heightened awareness" throughout the organization, he said, with regard to the issues involved and making sure everyone is speaking up and reporting incidences.

In August, the Coast Guard issued a nationwide bulletin on behalf of the C.D.C., reminding all vessels of their requirement to report any passengers who had become sick or died aboard the vessel in the 15 days prior to entering a U.S. port.

Earlier this week, the Long Island Sound Coast Guard sector, which includes parts of New York State and Connecticut, issued its own statement saying that it would proactively contact ships that listed a country affected by Ebola among its last five port calls in order to determine if anyone aboard was exhibiting symptoms of the virus.


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