Pre-boarding testing, masks and daily temperature checks are among 74 practices recommended by the Healthy Sail Panel submitted jointly by Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a 65-page report, the panel of experts detailed five areas where rules must be in place for protection of passengers, crew and the communities where cruise ships call when cruising resumes.

The first set of guidelines mandate aggressive measures to prevent Covid-19 from entering a ship through pre-cruise education, screening and testing of crew and guests prior to embarkation. Passengers should be tested between five days and 24 hours before boarding and at embarkation passengers should undergo an additional health screening. Crew members should be tested between five days and 24 hours before leaving their home then quarantine on board for seven days and be retested before beginning duties

Read it all in The Cruisington Times