The world leader in maritime testing, inspection, and certification, Bureau Veritas (BV), has been contracted by the world’s largest leisure travel company, Carnival Corporation, to provide health and safety services in order to facilitate the safe return to cruising, protecting passengers and crew members.
The support provided, including verification of hygiene and safety measures, will be based upon the extensive experience built by BV last year to address hygiene requirements and health protection onboard passenger vessels.
Bureau Veritas' approach meets the requirements of the cruise market, addressing biological risks, as posed by COVID and other infectious diseases. BV said it would verify the procedures and protocols of the Corporation’s ships to identify and manage COVID-related risks in port, at embarkation/disembarkation points, and on the ships. Outbreak management planning is expected to address necessary procedures for prevention, and preparation to manage passenger and crew hygiene, wellbeing, and health via clear definitions of roles and responsibilities.
BV's initial work has been focused on vessels operating under the Carnival brands Cunard, Princess and P&O UK that are scheduled to resume operations from homeport Southampton (under Carnival UK) with added assurance from the independent verification of effective COVID protocols of BV.
Subsequent to the restart of ex-UK itineraries, it is anticipated that a return to sailings will continue in global markets. As an independent body, BV will verify COVID procedures and protocols meeting guidelines enforced by national administrations, helping Carnival ships get back to global operations for all brands of the Corporation.