ORLANDO, Fla. _ Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which sails out of the Port of Palm Beach on two-night cruises to the Bahamas, has announced its intentions to begin operations on one of its two ships beginning Nov. 4.
The line has been among the first to attempt to begin sailing again several times since the cruise industry shut down in March because of the spread of coronavirus, but has had to push back plans as the pandemic's effects kept increasing over the summer.
All cruise lines are currently under a U.S. no-sail order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but that ends this month. Members of the trade group Cruise Lines International Association have opted to halt sailing through October as well.
Now Bahamas Paradise, which is not a member of CLIA, has pushed previously announced plans to return in October to November as well.
"We have been planning our anticipated return to sea for October; however, as we continue to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and communicate with the Bahamian government on their plans to allow leisure guests to return, we have determined that a further extension is in the best interest of our guests and crew," said company CEO Oneil Khosa.
The line now plans to sail Nov. 4 on regular itineraries to Grand Bahama Island and Nassau on board its Grand Celebration ship, and then bring its second ship, Grand Classica, online starting March 3, 2021.
"Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have remained one of the few cruise lines that reported no cases of the virus onboard our ships," Khosa said. "We have also followed all guidelines, including adhering to strict requirements for onboard crew members, and installed the highest safety protocols in the industry across our fleet. While it is disappointing that we are unable to sail as planned, we believe this decision will ensure the health and safety of our guests and crew."
The line has been working with the CDC as well as the World Health Organization on its plan for safe sailing amid the pandemic. No cruise line can sail from U.S. ports without the approval from the CDC of such a plan.
Travel to the Bahamas has limitations so that any passenger would have to have a negative RT PCR COVID-19 test within 10 days of arrival along with submitting a complete Travel Health Visa application. More details on travel restrictions can be found at bahamasparadisecruise.com
Some cruise lines in Europe have begun to sail with reduced capacity, mask requirements, enhanced sanitation precautions, temperature checks and even COVID-19 tests before boarding.
U.S.-based sailings would roll out similar precautions before resuming operations, but exact plans for any major line have yet to be announced.
