Passengers of the British cruise ship Braemar that were turned away by the Dominican Republic after passengers suffered flu-like symptoms were allowed to disembark on the Dutch island of St. Maarten. Braemar for years had been embarking and disembarking passengers at the La Romana Port.
Dominican public health officials had barred the Braemar from the La Romana cruise port after its captain reported four Filipinos, two British citizens and two US citizens under medical observation after displaying symptoms such as fever, coughing, or breathing difficulty.
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said the Dominican public health officials were overly cautions. It said it had reported prior to arrival that a small number of influenza-like cases on board. The cruise line reports that the patients had recovered.
On Saturday, 29 February, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines reported the ship was allowed to make an unscheduled turnaround call in Phillipsburg, St. Maarten on Sunday, 1 March 2020 to disembark its guests and embark guests that had arrived by aircraft from La Romana, Dominican Republic.
The cruise line said that hotel guests would be transferred via three chartered aircraft from La Romana to St. Maarten to embark on the Braemar on Monday.
Likewise, the cruise ship line said that they will be disembarking guests from the Braemar in St. Maarten on Monday, returning them via two chartered aircraft to London Gatwick and Manchester airports. The company announced that the ongoing cruise itinerary for Braemar is being finalized. Customers are being advised.
The company reported:
“We are keeping guests both on board Braemar and those who are staying in hotels in the Dominican Republic regularly informed. The team from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines UK Head Office are meeting with hotel guests regularly face-to-face and answering any queries. No guests or crew are, or have been, displaying symptoms that are considered to be consistent with those of Coronavirus.
“The safety and well-being of all our guests and crew is our number one priority and we are monitoring closely the developing COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus situation and taking the latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and World Health Organisation, as well as Public Health England and CLIA.
“As a precautionary measure, for some time Fred. Olsen has been operating a raised level of sanitisation across its fleet, in addition to health questionnaires and non-invasive screening measures for guests embarking and re-joining the ship from overland tours, and for ship visitors.”
Read more:
Ship Technology
Telesistema 11
Fred Olsen Cruises
Washington Post
2 March 2020