After many months of pause in operations, there was light at the end of the tunnel for the resumption of cruising from the UK again when the first ship set sail since March.
On 19th October 2020, SeaDream 1, on her 21 night transatlantic cruise to the Caribbean, called into Portsmouth to allow 19 guests to embark before continuing the remainder of her journey.
Portsmouth International Port have invested in new measures and protocols, being the first UK port to install a thermal imaging camera and also receiving official independent verification for its Covid-19 health measurers by international auditors, DNV-GL.
The team at Portsmouth had reconfigured the terminal to allow for social distancing and supported the government’s Cruise Framework Agreement.
Ian Diaper, Portsmouth International Port’s head of operations said:
It’s testament to everyone’s hard work that SeaDream Yacht Club was confident to use Portsmouth as the first UK port to manage a turnaround call since sailings were suspended.
It was great to see a cruise ship in the port once more and pleased to see operations go to plan.
We’re experienced at managing passengers in a Covid secure way, with ferry sailings taking place regularly since July following strict protocols. This had given us insight for what’s required and we’re ready to help the industry recover when cruise returns to its full capacity.
SeaDream Yacht, at just 344 ft in length, carries 112 guests, with 95 crew onboard who have been certified by John Hopkins University for the WHO’s Covid IPC and Contact Tracing courses. Rigorous cleaning and sanitisation protocols have been introduced across the yacht and all guests joining must have taken a Covid test, with a negative result, within 72 hours in advance of boarding the yacht.
If you’re ready to start cruising again, then why not call us on 02380 658 386 to help you plan. Alternatively, you can explore the website and send us an enquiry if you see something that catches your eye!
