G
Granduer Sailer
Guest
At the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Royal Caribbean International is delaying the departure of Freedom of the Seas for two days to conduct enhanced cleaning onboard the ship. The ship was schedule to depart the Port of Miami December 10, for a seven-night Caribbean cruise. The ship will now depart on December 12, for a modified five-night itinerary.
During Freedom of the Seas' November 26 - December 3 sailing, 338 of the ship's 3,823 guests and 43 of its 1,400 crew members experienced a gastrointestinal illness, known as a norovirus. During this past week's sailing, December 3 - 10, 97 of the ship's 3,907 guests and 11 of its 1,400 crew members experienced the same type of illness.
Despite this significant improvement, during the last sailing, this morning, Royal Caribbean was informed by the CDC that the agency was recommending it delay the departure of Freedom of the Seas until Tuesday afternoon to perform additional sanitizing of the entire ship.
Because Royal Caribbean wants to maintain its high health standards onboard its ships, while providing its guests with the best cruise experience possible, the company is following the CDC's recommendation. This extra time will allow the company to conduct enhanced cleaning procedures onboard the ship, all of which are being done in close coordination with the CDC. Additional heightened cleaning procedures will be carried out throughout the ship during its modified sailing.
According to the CDC, noroviruses affect 23 million Americans annually throughout the country. The only illness that is more prevalent is the common cold. On cruise ships, the illness is typically brought onboard by a guest previously exposed to it. Those affected by the short-lived illness respond well to over-the-counter medication administered onboard the ship.
We sincerely apologize for the disruption these events will cause our guests. Our staff will make every effort to assist our guests and we thank them for their understanding and cooperation.
Freedom of the Seas will begin boarding at approximately noon Tuesday, and will depart Miami at approximately 5 p.m. that day. The ship's revised itinerary will be.
DAY PORT ARRIVAL DEPARTURE
Tuesday Miami 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday At sea
Thursday Montego Bay, Jamaica 7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
Friday Labadee, Haiti 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Saturday At sea
Sunday Miami 7:00 a.m.
The following arrangements are being made to assist our guests:
Guests who do not live in South Florida and need accommodations Sunday and Monday nights will have those provided by Royal Caribbean. (Some of these rooms will not be ready for guests until later Sunday afternoon.) This includes transportation from the Port of Miami to a hotel Sunday and back to the ship Tuesday.
Royal Caribbean will have staff manning a hospitality desk at each hotel being used, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday - to assist guests with any questions. This staff will provide guests with details regarding their return to the ship Tuesday. A special help desk has also been established to assist guests. The toll-free number to the help desk is 1-888-281-9344.
Royal Caribbean will provide every guest with a total of $250 for meals, taxis and transportation, incidentals and other expenses guests may incur until Tuesday's boarding. Those funds will be provided as a credit to guests' onboard accounts during the five-night sailing of Freedom of the Seas. Any unused portion of that onboard credit will be refunded to guests.
Guests who sail with the ship on its modified itinerary will receive a 50 percent refund of their cruise fare and a 50 percent discount on a future Royal Caribbean sailing. The discount will be calculated based on the cruise fare paid for the December 10 sailing. The discount will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue and will be issued in the next four to six weeks.
Guests who choose to cancel their cruise will receive a full refund of all monies paid to Royal Caribbean and a 25 percent discount on a future Royal Caribbean sailing. The discount will be calculated based on the cruise fare paid for the December 10 sailing. The discount will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue and will be issued in the next four to six weeks.
Guests who need to alter flight arrangements and are charged an airline rebooking fee, up to $200 per person, will be reimbursed by Royal Caribbean. These guests should send a copy of their receipt, along with a brief note explaining that they were booked on the December 10, 2006, sailing of Freedom of the Seas, to the following address for reimbursement:
Ms. Jayme Porkolab
Royal Caribbean International -- Customer Service
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132-2096
Royal Caribbean values the health and well being of all its guests. We want to ensure that their cruise is a fun, relaxing and healthy experience. This is why we are taking these additional measures in coordination with the CDC.
During Freedom of the Seas' November 26 - December 3 sailing, 338 of the ship's 3,823 guests and 43 of its 1,400 crew members experienced a gastrointestinal illness, known as a norovirus. During this past week's sailing, December 3 - 10, 97 of the ship's 3,907 guests and 11 of its 1,400 crew members experienced the same type of illness.
Despite this significant improvement, during the last sailing, this morning, Royal Caribbean was informed by the CDC that the agency was recommending it delay the departure of Freedom of the Seas until Tuesday afternoon to perform additional sanitizing of the entire ship.
Because Royal Caribbean wants to maintain its high health standards onboard its ships, while providing its guests with the best cruise experience possible, the company is following the CDC's recommendation. This extra time will allow the company to conduct enhanced cleaning procedures onboard the ship, all of which are being done in close coordination with the CDC. Additional heightened cleaning procedures will be carried out throughout the ship during its modified sailing.
According to the CDC, noroviruses affect 23 million Americans annually throughout the country. The only illness that is more prevalent is the common cold. On cruise ships, the illness is typically brought onboard by a guest previously exposed to it. Those affected by the short-lived illness respond well to over-the-counter medication administered onboard the ship.
We sincerely apologize for the disruption these events will cause our guests. Our staff will make every effort to assist our guests and we thank them for their understanding and cooperation.
Freedom of the Seas will begin boarding at approximately noon Tuesday, and will depart Miami at approximately 5 p.m. that day. The ship's revised itinerary will be.
DAY PORT ARRIVAL DEPARTURE
Tuesday Miami 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday At sea
Thursday Montego Bay, Jamaica 7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
Friday Labadee, Haiti 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Saturday At sea
Sunday Miami 7:00 a.m.
The following arrangements are being made to assist our guests:
Guests who do not live in South Florida and need accommodations Sunday and Monday nights will have those provided by Royal Caribbean. (Some of these rooms will not be ready for guests until later Sunday afternoon.) This includes transportation from the Port of Miami to a hotel Sunday and back to the ship Tuesday.
Royal Caribbean will have staff manning a hospitality desk at each hotel being used, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday - to assist guests with any questions. This staff will provide guests with details regarding their return to the ship Tuesday. A special help desk has also been established to assist guests. The toll-free number to the help desk is 1-888-281-9344.
Royal Caribbean will provide every guest with a total of $250 for meals, taxis and transportation, incidentals and other expenses guests may incur until Tuesday's boarding. Those funds will be provided as a credit to guests' onboard accounts during the five-night sailing of Freedom of the Seas. Any unused portion of that onboard credit will be refunded to guests.
Guests who sail with the ship on its modified itinerary will receive a 50 percent refund of their cruise fare and a 50 percent discount on a future Royal Caribbean sailing. The discount will be calculated based on the cruise fare paid for the December 10 sailing. The discount will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue and will be issued in the next four to six weeks.
Guests who choose to cancel their cruise will receive a full refund of all monies paid to Royal Caribbean and a 25 percent discount on a future Royal Caribbean sailing. The discount will be calculated based on the cruise fare paid for the December 10 sailing. The discount will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue and will be issued in the next four to six weeks.
Guests who need to alter flight arrangements and are charged an airline rebooking fee, up to $200 per person, will be reimbursed by Royal Caribbean. These guests should send a copy of their receipt, along with a brief note explaining that they were booked on the December 10, 2006, sailing of Freedom of the Seas, to the following address for reimbursement:
Ms. Jayme Porkolab
Royal Caribbean International -- Customer Service
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132-2096
Royal Caribbean values the health and well being of all its guests. We want to ensure that their cruise is a fun, relaxing and healthy experience. This is why we are taking these additional measures in coordination with the CDC.
