Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Princess Cruise News: Advisory on Sea Princess Cruise Departing June 9, 2011

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM PRINCESS CRUISES REGARDING ITINERARY CHANGES AND CRUISE CHECK IN

On the current sailing of Sea Princess there has been an increase in the number of cases of gastrointestinal illness amongst passengers caused by Norovirus, a common illness. It will be necessary for the ship to undergo a prolonged and additional disinfection in San Francisco on Thursday, June 9, 2011. As a consequence, embarkation will be delayed.

Cruise check-in is now scheduled to begin at 5:30pm. To ensure a smooth start to your voyage, we operate a staggered check-in schedule as noted below determined by your deck and cabin number. We kindly request that you plan to arrive at your scheduled check-in time.

5:30pm Aloha, Plaza and Riviera Decks/Cabins A201-A745, P225-P349, R303-R351
6:30pm Caribe and Emerald Decks/Cabins C201-C749, E301-E353
7:00pm Baja and Dolphin Decks / Cabins B201-B755, D201-D753

Passengers arriving prior to 5:30pm will be asked to return when check-in begins as there is very limited seating space in the terminal. All passengers must be onboard by 7:30pm.

In addition, our delayed departure will require itinerary changes to your upcoming cruise. Our call to Juneau on June 12 has been cancelled and replaced with a call to Sitka. The call to Haines on June 14 has also been cancelled and replaced with a call to Juneau. The revised itinerary is available on the Cruise Personalizer.

Thank you for your attention to this important message. Details of the pre-boarding health advisory are below.

Sea Princess Pre-Boarding Health Advisory; June 7, 2011

Dear Princess Passenger,

We would like to take this opportunity to advise you that during the current cruise, there has been an increase in the number of cases of gastrointestinal illness amongst passengers caused by Norovirus. In response, we initiated a comprehensive sanitation program developed in conjunction with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Furthermore, we have arranged for the ship to undergo a prolonged and additional disinfection in San Francisco on Thursday, June 9, 201. As a consequence, embarkation will be delayed until 5:30pm.

As a precaution, we will continue our disinfection efforts throughout this cruise. To assist us with these preventive measures, we ask for your full cooperation in the following:

« To prevent person-to-person spread, please ensure that you wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap for at least 20 seconds and rinse them well under running water. Please ensure that you follow this procedure each time you use the toilet, after coughing or sneezing and before eating, drinking, or smoking. Avoid touching your mouth.

« Please attempt to always use your own stateroom's bathroom facilities.

« In addition to hand washing, please also use the alcohol hand gels where available and before eating in the buffet.

« Should you experience any symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea, please return to your stateroom and report this by immediately contacting the Medical Center by dialling 911.

Thank you for taking the time to read this important information. The success in controlling the spread of this virus relies heavily on the cooperation of you and your fellow passengers. Please see reverse for additional information regarding Norovirus.

If you have any questions regarding this advisory, please contact 1-800-PRINCESS.

Yours faithfully,
Dr. Grant Tarling
Chief Medical Officer

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