New requirement if you or somebody you are traveling with is 70 or over

[GINNY L]

Just received this email from Norwegian

 

 

Dear Valued Guest,

To help ensure the safety and well-being of all guests and crew worldwide, effective immediately, all guests who are 70 years of age and older must provide a Certificate of Medical Fitness to Travel form prior to embarkation.

This easy-to-complete form must be signed by a licensed medical professional and be dated no more than seven days prior to the date of embarkation or seven days prior to the start of a guest's travels if the guest is traveling for more than seven days before a voyage.

If you are 70 years of age and older, please bring the completed form with you as you will be required to present the form prior to embarkation. Those who do not present the form will be denied boarding and will be issued a future cruise certificate for the value of their cruise.

This update to our health and safety policies is being implemented immediately across our ships that embark or disembark in a U.S. port. While we apologize for any inconvenience, we are taking significant comprehensive preventative measures to maintain the safety and well-being of our guests and crew. We greatly appreciate your attention to this very important matter.

Thank you, as always, for choosing Norwegian Cruise Line. We look forward to welcoming you on board.

[nikkosan]

We're on the Star, embarking in San Antonio, Chile on 3/14, and we haven't received this email (as it seems to be directed only towards those embarking at US ports). I wish they would make this policy global. I am traveling with a 82-year old person who does NOT want to listen (hearing is just fine, before you say anything! LOL), and I'm incredibly concerned for their well-being.

Edited March 11, 2020 by nikkosan

[tracyfitzs]

Wow! I didn’t receive this letter for my 3/15 epic cruise- maybe because none of us is over 70?

Edited March 11, 2020 by tracyfitzs

[nikkosan]

OK, I just read again the statement (I apologize, I've been stressing out about whether to cancel or not for days now).

The statement says "embarking/disembarking" in a U.S. port. We're ending the cruise at Port Canaveral, and I am now guessing that unless he can get a Fitness to Travel Form prior to embarkation in San Antonio, he won't be allowed to board?

[IrieBajan54]

This is serious stuff. Dr. Fauci said today:  “It is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu.”

[GINNY L]

5 minutes ago, nikkosan said:

OK, I just read again the statement (I apologize, I've been stressing out about whether to cancel or not for days now).

The statement says "embarking/disembarking" in a U.S. port. We're ending the cruise at Port Canaveral, and I am now guessing that unless he can get a Fitness to Travel Form prior to embarkation in San Antonio, he won't be allowed to board?

Yes he needs to be seen by a physician to get a letter stating he is good health and can travel.

[GlamorousGirl]

This smacks of discrimination. Would not be surprised if civil rights lawsuits followed. Seems it would have been better for them to make everyone boarding (all ages) sign a waiver agreeing to accept any risk that may be incurred on health as a result of cruising.

[GINNY L]

1 minute ago, GlamorousGirl said:

This smacks of discrimination. Would not be surprised if civil rights lawsuits followed. Seems it would have been better for them to make everyone boarding (all ages) sign a waiver agreeing to accept any risk that may be incurred on health as a result of cruising.

They are mostly likely going off of the age of the percentage of people who are dying from it which is 70 and above.  

[ColeThornton]

2 minutes ago, GlamorousGirl said:

This smacks of discrimination. Would not be surprised if civil rights lawsuits followed. Seems it would have been better for them to make everyone boarding (all ages) sign a waiver agreeing to accept any risk that may be incurred on health as a result of cruising.

 

Political correctness is pretty much out the window right now.  This virus can be contained and eventually it will become nothing more than a minor nuisance but at this point folks need to think of the greater good for everyone.   Getting checked if you are over 70 is not just for the individual but the people that could get infected, after all that is the danger age.

[Isabella Benjamin]

You have to do the math here.  If 8% of the people from 70 - 79 and almost 15% of people 80 and above die from the virus, they have to look at what capacity the ship has to handle this if they have an outbreak.

 

It's just good planning.  

[NLH Arizona]

19 minutes ago, GlamorousGirl said:

This smacks of discrimination. Would not be surprised if civil rights lawsuits followed. Seems it would have been better for them to make everyone boarding (all ages) sign a waiver agreeing to accept any risk that may be incurred on health as a result of cruising.

I think it is the virus who is discriminating.

 

AGE

DEATH RATE confirmed cases

DEATH RATE all cases

80+ years old	21.9%	14.8%
70-79 years old		8.0%
60-69 years old		3.6%
50-59 years old		1.3%
40-49 years old		0.4%
30-39 years old		0.2%
20-29 years old		0.2%
10-19 years old		0.2%

[nextcruiseis]

38 minutes ago, GINNY L said:

Just received this email from Norwegian

 

 

Dear Valued Guest,

To help ensure the safety and well-being of all guests and crew worldwide, effective immediately, all guests who are 70 years of age and older must provide a Certificate of Medical Fitness to Travel form prior to embarkation.

This easy-to-complete form must be signed by a licensed medical professional and be dated no more than seven days prior to the date of embarkation or seven days prior to the start of a guest's travels if the guest is traveling for more than seven days before a voyage.
 

 

Ginny L:   Are you able to post the form that must be completed?   Did they include it as an attachment with the email or does NCL have to be contacted separately?

 

Thank you.

[Travelling2Some]

The last thing any cruise line needs right now is publicity about people dying on their ships.  Therefore they are trying to reduce the odds of that happening.  I'm sure most of us here are aware that elderly people sometimes happen to die while aboard a cruise ship.  However, I doubt the non-cruising public is aware of that. 

[julig22]

1 minute ago, nextcruiseis said:

 

Ginny L:   Are you able to post the form that must be completed?   Did they include it as an attachment with the email or does NCL have to be contacted separately?

 

Thank you.

Yes please.  Those of us going to French Polynesia have to have a certificate filled out at the airport but they originally wanted a medical certification.  I'm not 70 yet but since I have an appointment with my Dr. anyway, I just might have her fill it out just in case.

[seaman11]

good for them , it is the elderly that contract this easier and spread it. 

[nextcruiseis]

That advisory is not on their website travel alerts section. Since they are implementing it immediately,  one would think they would post it there when they sent out the the first emails.

[Susandt]

36 minutes ago, GINNY L said:

Yes he needs to be seen by a physician to get a letter stating he is good health and can travel.

It doesn’t say physician 

[Sand and Seas]

Sounds like there will be another round of cruise cancellations from this🤧

[seaman11]

3 minutes ago, Susandt said:

It doesn’t say physician 

Well who would you get a health certification from? The local butcher?

Edited March 11, 2020 by seaman11

[teach/2/cruise]

4 minutes ago, Susandt said:

It doesn’t say physician 

But It states..... "This easy-to-complete form must be signed by a licensed medical professional and ... "

[Susandt]

Just now, teach/2/cruise said:

But It states..... "This easy-to-complete form must be signed by a licensed medical professional and ... "

yes but there are tons of different professions that fall under that

[seaman11]

Just now, Susandt said:

yes but there are tons of different professions that fall under that

[rabidstoat]

1 minute ago, Susandt said:

yes but there are tons of different professions that fall under that

 

"But the form is signed by my dog's veterinarian, and she's a medical professional!"

 

[GINNY L]

15 minutes ago, nextcruiseis said:

 

Ginny L:   Are you able to post the form that must be completed?   Did they include it as an attachment with the email or does NCL have to be contacted separately?

 

Thank you.

 

11 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Yes please.  Those of us going to French Polynesia have to have a certificate filled out at the airport but they originally wanted a medical certification.  I'm not 70 yet but since I have an appointment with my Dr. anyway, I just might have her fill it out just in case.

There was not an attachment.  However, I am in the medical field and when patient have come in to request something in that regards we just hand type one up.  The physician seeing the patient signs it and we stamp our logo on it besides printing it off with all of the company's information.  Make sure that whoever is traveling that the patient's complete name and birth date is on the form that the medical office types off.  However, you can always call Norwegian to see if they have a particular form or what is all the required information that is needed besides

 

Patient's name,

Patients DOB

Stating patient is good to travel and the dates he/she would be traveling

Make sure the letter has the date the patient was seen in the office

Make sure it is is signed by a physician

Make sure it has a letter head or stamped with name, address, contact  information.

 

I hope this helps

 

[seaman11]

1 minute ago, GINNY L said:

 

There was not an attachment.  However, I am in the medical field and when patient have come in to request something in that regards we just hand type one up.  The physician seeing the patient signs it and we stamp our logo on it besides printing it off with all of the company's information.  Make sure that whoever is traveling that the patient's complete name and birth date is on the form that the medical office types off.  However, you can always call Norwegian to see if they have a particular form or what is all the required information that is needed besides

 

Patient's name,

Patients DOB

Stating patient is good to travel and the dates he/she would be traveling

Make sure the letter has the date the patient was seen in the office

Make sure it is is signed by a physician

Make sure it has a letter head or stamped with name, address, contact  information.

 

I hope this helps

 

this is correct, my son had to have one to play sports.