Covid-19 Operating Protocol

Pearl Seas Cruises was the first U.S. and Canadian cruise line to suspend operations due to COVID-19 and we are committed to resuming travel only when it is safe for our guests, crew, and community partners.

Pearl Seas has taken significant steps to ensure the safety of our guests and crew during all upcoming travel. We have partnered with Vikand Solutions, a leading global expert in maritime medical operations and healthcare. They will have medical professionals joining us onboard the vessel to ensure comfort, safety, and wellness. Below is a summary of the physical changes, operating protocols, and sanitation practices that have been implemented.

Our effort leverages the advantages of our modern small ship and coastal routes to mitigate risk. Our goal is to make everyone who supports us onboard and ashore comfortable with our cruises. Further, guests with concerns travelling may utilize our flexible Cruise with Comfort program at any time up to 24 hours before the start of their cruise. 

We are working with communities, vendors, municipalities, state governments, and federal agencies to responsibly resume travel. There is always risk, and we understand that each decision to travel is personal. 

For additional information please call Pearl Seas Cruises toll-free at 1-800-981-9146.

Safety Technology and Modern Ship Design

• Our ship has approximately 310 square feet of passenger space per guest at full capacity. This amount was increased to approximately 410 square feet per guest through capacity reduction measures (see General Operating Protocols) and is compared to approximately 140 square feet per guest on other ships.

• There are independent HVAC systems in every stateroom and lounge. Air conditioning ducting is cited as a source of virus transmission; our ships have no shared ducting between rooms or public spaces. 

• UV-C water filtration systems for all potable water. These filtration systems kill a wide range of bacteria and viruses.

• We have implemented a touchless boarding and check-in process. Medical screenings may require contact between a medical professional and the guest, however proper PPE will be donned and utilized.

• Extensive pre-cruise screening measures and denial of boarding to anyone with flu-like symptoms or other qualifications of concern.

• Guest capacity reduced by 25%. Each cruise will sail with a maximum of 75% of the allotted guest capacity. Capacity reductions increase distancing measures and increase the ability for private crew accommodation.

• Increased time between cruises to allow for full vessel sanitation.

• Sanitation rounds to be conducted on an hourly schedule, including sanitation of all touchpoints, including railings, doorknobs, elevator buttons, and gangways.

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) to be available at all times for guests and crew. PPE includes face shields, gloves, and face masks. PPE may be required during certain events as situations dictate.

• Public bathrooms will be closed. Guests will be asked to use the restrooms in their stateroom.

• Hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the ship and at the gangway before each boarding and unboarding.

• Luggage sanitation prior to loading on the ship. Deckhands performing sanitation will be wearing PPE.

• Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be kept behind transmission barriers and passed to guests individually. Pearl Seas Cruises will not have buffets.

• PPE will be provided for all housekeepers.

• Guests will have the same housekeeper for the duration of the cruise.

• Cleaning chemicals meet EPA and CDC Guidelines. Most cleaning and sanitizing chemicals provided by Ecolab, a company providing hygiene products to more than three million customer locations around the world, including to the foodservice and healthcare industries.

• Daily sanitation of all touchpoints in staterooms, including doorknobs, light switches, sink, balcony railing, thermostat, etc. 

• Disposable cover applied to each TV remote control prior to guest boarding.

• Onboard medical services provided by Vikand Solutions, a certified global medical company, with long-standing experience in the maritime and cruise industries.

• Resident nurse or EMT aboard Pearl Mist for the duration of each cruise.

• Compliance with CDC sanitation guidelines.

• Medical facility to be provided onboard with supplies.

• Covid-19 quick test kits will be carried onboard. 

• Covid-19 PCR samples collected onboard, samples may be sent to nearby facilities ashore for processing.

• Isolation rooms will be created and made available as necessary. An allotment of staterooms aboard each ship to be sanitized and kept unoccupied unless they become necessary for isolation purposes. 

• Outbreak Management Plan in place to respond to confirmed Covid-19 case onboard.

• Coordinated care with shoreside medical facilities and evacuation plans in place from every port of call. 

• Denial of boarding to anyone with flu-like symptoms or who has tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 30 days.

• Denial of boarding to anyone who has travelled overseas in the past 14 days

• Private transportation directly to the ship (or to the arranged pre-cruise hotel, if the hotel has implemented suitable sanitation practices).

• Medical tent with pre-boarding screening including respirations, oxygen, and temperature check. Covid-19 testing will performed as needed.

• Touch free boarding and check-in process.

• Main dining room capacity reduced with removal of tables and chairs to allow for social distancing.  

• All dining tables to be used only once during each meal service. There will not be multiple seatings at any table during any meal. 

• PPE will be provided for all chefs and galley workers.

• In-room dining will be available to all guests upon request.

• Breakfast service to private balconies will remain available.

• Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be kept behind transmission barriers and passed to guests individually.  

• All tour venues screened for social distancing and sanitation practices. Group sizes will be modified to reflect the conditions at each venue. Tours may be modified to focus on spaces that enable social distancing. 

• Private coaches will travel directly to and from each venue.

• Coaches sanitized before every boarding.

• Reduced coach capacity to allow for social distancing during rides.

• Additional excursion times will be added as needed for guest enjoyment to offset reduced group sizes.  

• Pre-boarding screening practices will apply to guests and crew members. Additionally, crew members will be screened at the conclusion of every cruise.

• Reduction of crew movement in public spaces and reduced shore leave. Crew trained to engage in social distancing at all times, including when off-duty. 

• Covid-19 identification training for all crew members. This includes training on how to observe and report symptoms, as well as how to self-identify their potential symptoms. 

• Covid-19 response training for all crew members.

• PPE training for all crew members, including the purpose, use, and donning of PPE. 

If you are uncomfortable traveling, please stay home. Our new Cruise with Comfort program has been created to provide flexibility amid Covid-19. If you exhibit any symptoms or feel uneasy traveling, please contact us. For more details on Cruise with Comfort, please click here. 

Cruise Specialist

If you have any questions in the meantime, please call a Cruise Specialist

 1-800-981-9146

7 days a week


For further information or questions, please contact Pearl Seas Cruises at 1-800-981-9146. Our offices are open 7 days a week. 8:30am to 8:30pm Eastern Time (5:30pm Pacific Time)

The Covid-19 Operating Protocol is subject to review and change at any time. As the situation evolves, operating practices must be adapted; this includes the potential for cruise suspension. These practices do not eliminate the risk. Rather, they are designed to reduce risk and slow the spread of illness by removing known transmission sources, increasing awareness, and speeding response time.