News -
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – media statement – March 13th AM
Fred. Olsen Cruise lines can confirm that our ship Braemar is still heading to The Bahamas, where we have been given permission to come alongside in order to take on supplies and medication.
However, we have been told by authorities in The Bahamas that we may not be allowed to disembark passengers and crew there as planned.
This in an ongoing situation and a dedicated team at our HQ in Ipswich are working around the clock to find a solution. They are speaking to The Bahamas, the UK government, UK Chamber of Shipping and Public Health England.
Our top priority remains getting the guests on board Braemar home as soon as possible whilst ensuring the safety of all those on board.
On Wednesday (11th March 2020), while docked in Willemstad, Curaçao, five people on board tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus (four crew and one guest).
This meant that the ship was unable to dock in Barbados on Thursday (12th March 2020) at the end of its ‘Islands of the Caribbean & the Azores’ (M2006) cruise. We took the decision to change course and head to The Bahamas which is our Flag State with the intention of getting everybody home from there.
The Captain and crew are doing everything they can to communicate the situation with the guests– and to ensure their time on board is as comfortable as possible.
On the advice of Public Health England, there is currently no requirement for guests to stay in their cabins but we are making it possible for those who wish to do so. We are adhering to strict guidelines to maintain hygiene. We are asking guests to keep a reasonable distance from each other and crew members, as much as possible.
There are many ports around the world who are making a decision as to whether to stay open for cruise ships. Some cruise companies have suspended their operations. We are monitoring these announcements carefully and will revise any affected itineraries accordingly. All guests booked onto any cruises which are required to change as a result will be made aware as soon as we have alternative plans confirmed.
We are advising anyone with concerns to send us a direct message or to call our Guest Services team on 0800 0355 145.
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For any media enquiries, please contact rachael.jackson@fredolsen.co.uk / + 44 (0)7917 323238 or ellis.barker@fredolsen.co.uk / +44 (0)7557 672265