The British cruise line Saga Cruises, division of the Saga Group, specialized to meet the needs of passengers aged 50 and up, is the first cruise line to introduce the requirement for all guests to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before sailing.
In a statement, Saga Cruises said that all guests must be vaccinated with two doses of the COVID 19 vaccine at least 14 days before boarding.
“We have welcomed the news that the COVID 19 vaccination programme has started to be rolled out across the country, with many of our guests amongst the first groups of people being offered the vaccine. In order to allow our guests sufficient time to be fully vaccinated, we have decided to delay the restart of our cruise programme which was due to commence on April 3 with Spirit of Discovery,” ” said Saga Cruises Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Blanks.
“Instead our programme will begin with Spirit of Adventure’s inaugural voyage on May 4 and our Secrets of Corsica and Sardinia cruise aboard Spirit of Discovery will now sail on the June 2. Our new vaccination policy will be in addition to the detailed arrangements we have already put in place for when cruises and other holidays restart.”
The new policy will be in addition to the detailed arrangements Saga Cruises have already made in preparation for return to service, with the highest possible standards of health and safety protocols from Lloyd’s Register.
The following guests will not be permitted to board Saga ships:
- •Guests who are not vaccinated
- •Guests who have received only the first vaccination dose
- •Guests who received their second dose less than 14 days before departure
- •Guests who refuse to be vaccinated
- •Guests who have been medically exempt from vaccination
Reaction to the news of Saga Cruises introducing the new Covid-19 policy was overwhelmingly negative. Many people had an abundance of negative words saying that this is discriminating against people on medical grounds.
“With regret, I hope this leads to a substantial loss of business for them (whilst feeling sorry for any staff who may lose their job as a result - hope they find alternative employment). What on earth are Saga thinking of ... assuming they can dictate what medical procedures people must go through before booking a holiday with them” reads one comment on the Saga Facebook post.
