Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line to begin sailing again in June

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which sailed predominantly into Grand Bahama with both stopover and two-night cruise passengers, is the latest cruise line to announce its intention to begin sailing once again in June.

Chief Executive Officer of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Oneil Khosa noted in a statement on the cruise line’s website that travelers will be seeking “quick and safe” getaways when the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has subsided in the United States.

“We appreciate the support of our valued guests, partners, regulatory agencies, staff and crew during this challenging time,” said Khosa.

“We are utilizing this time to ensure that we are ready for our guests once we resume cruising. Travelers will be seeking a quick and safe getaway once leisure travel fully restores and we look forward to welcoming them onboard for a unique, short-cruise getaway to paradise.”

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line noted it plans to resume sailing its Grand Celebration ship on June 13 and its Grand Classica cruise ship on July 10.

The cruise line traditionally operated from Florida to Grand Bahama, until the effects of Hurricane Dorian on the island forced it to begin an itinerary into Nassau.

The cruise line, while advertising a start date, stated it is “continuing to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and is in communication with all affected guests, as well as its travel advisor partners”.

The cruise line stated it is offering guests who were forced to cancel their previous trip because of the pandemic a 125 percent cruise credit for a future sailing.

Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar told this paper recently that travelers who choose to cruise again in the near future will likely opt for trips with short itineraries.

Both Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and Carnival Cruise Line have announced this month that they will continue their suspensions until June, though they noted some of their itineraries will suffer longer suspensions.

RCI moved its initial May restart date to early June, while Carnival is eyeing the end of June to get back to business.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked the cruise lines for action plans to help prevent, mitigate and respond to the spread of COVID-19 through the “monitoring of passengers and crew medical screenings; training crew on COVID-19 prevention; managing and responding to an outbreak onboard; and submitting a plan to the United States Coast Guard and CDC for review”.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/29/bahamas-paradise-cruise-line-to-begin-sailing-again-in-june/