Coronavirus prompts Disney Cruise Line to modify cancellation rules
Passengers and crew members will now have their temperature checked prior to boarding
Disney Cruise Line is allowing customers to cancel trips with just 24 hours notice as swelling coronavirus concerns batter the travel industry in the wake of quarantines on passenger liners, the company confirms to FOX Business.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | THE WALT DISNEY CO. | 109.40 | +6.73 | +6.55% |
Effective immediately, guests who back out of a cruise with 24 hours of notice or more will be able to apply the full amount of their purchase toward another cruise within 12 months of the original sail date. Additionally, the cruise line implemented temperature checks for all guests prior to boarding and additional guidance for guests sailing to the Bahamas and Jamaica.
Guests will be able to take advantage of this cancellation policy for cruises up until May 31, 2020.
The move follows other cruise lines that implemented similar policies in an effort to keep the rapidly spreading virus at bay.
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"Information continues to evolve quickly, and we are closely following guidance from health officials and authorities in the ports of call we visit," Disney Cruise Line wrote in an email to guests who booked sails through May 31, which was posted on an independent travel blog. "As always, your health and safety, as well as that of our crew, is our primary focus."
Disney Cruise Line's flagship vessel, the Disney Magic, arrives in New York. (Photo by Heidi Gutman/Disney Parks via Getty Images)
Among the policy changes taking effect Friday, passengers and crew members will now have their temperature checked by a nurse with a no-touch thermometer prior to boarding. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Farenheight or higher will be asked to go through additional screening and may be turned away.
Disney Crusie Line also cautioned Friday that guests and crew members who have been to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy or Iran in the 20 days prior to arrival will be unable to visit certain destinations such as the Bahamas, although they will be able to sail.
In addition to the locations listed above, those who have been to Singapore within the last 14 days will be restricted from visiting Jamaica. Those passengers will be unable to sail.
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The notice came on the same day the U.S. Department of State urged Americans to reconsider travel by cruise ship in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
Disney Cruise Line noted it has a comprehensive plan that outlines protocols for managing the illness and that it closely follows the guidance of public health officials, which includes training for all crew members, extensive cleaning and sanitation of high-traffic areas and additional disinfection when necessary.
Its ships are also staffed with doctors and nurses and stocked with supplies and medications to treat a variety of illnesses.
Any guest or crew member who has traveled from, to or through China, including Hong Kong and Macau, South Korea, Italy, Iran or Japan, within 14 days of departure will not be able to board its ships.