Hurtigruten Cruise Line Health & Safety Protocols

At Hurtigruten, safety always has been, and always will be, the number one priority. With over 127 years of experience, strict procedures have been established for protection against infectious diseases onboard. To ensure all voyages are safe for both guests and crew, a number of new procedures have been introduced, as described below.

Hurtigruten Onboard Safety

• For the summer of 2020 ships will not sail with more than 50% capacity, so there will be even more room on already spacious ships. Due to a variety of ships of different sizes, the precise numbers of fellow guests will vary from ship to ship.
• All guests are asked to comply with national guidelines issued by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health at all times. Among other things, this means that while on board, wearing a face mask is optional.
• Respect the capacity restrictions in the various public areas on the ship, such as the swimming pool, sauna, gym and other communal areas.
• Keep at least one metre from each other, and respect the floor markings set up to help with this.
• Frequent hand washing is one of the most important measures against infection. You will often be asked to wash or disinfect your hands; including at embarkation and disembarkation, outside all restaurants and on entering public areas.
• You will be asked to open a cruise account where all purchases are registered on a touch-free card to limit the use of cash and frequent contact with payment terminals.

Hurtigruten Restaurant Safety

Arrangements have been made for more dining sessions so food can be serveed to fewer people at a time, while ensuring the necessary social distancing between guests.

• Arrive for your meals at the agreed time to minimize queuing.
• You should wash or disinfect your hands outside restaurants before being welcomed in.
• Everything guests are in contact with in the restaurants are disinfected between dining sessions.
• Chefs will serve you and carefully place your choice of meal onto your plate as you request.

Hurtigruten Cleaning Protocols

Strict cleaning procedures already exist onboard:

• In addition to thorough daily cleaning, all cabins will be fully disinfected at changeover.
• Electrostatic cleaning is used with strong disinfectants in all communal areas, storerooms and galleys.
• A full disinfection of the entire ship is performed if any infectious substances are detected.
• Regular testing is carried out, and hard surfaces in cabins, galleys and all public areas are flooded, with UV light to identify any organic materials invisible to the naked eye, which can then be removed by cleaning experts.

These routines give continuous feedback on the effectiveness of cleaning activity, and help develop more and more robust cleaning methods. In addition, Hurtigruten also:

• Uses external partners to implement both planned and unannounced hygiene inspections on all ships.
• Does regular checks of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) ventilator filters, and the quality of the drinking water.

Hurtigruten Excursion Safety

You have the opportunity to go ashore at several places, and the number of people who board and disembark the ship at any given time will be regulated, to control the flow of people getting on and off the ship. Hurtigruten is in close dialogue with excursion suppliers along the Norwegian coast to meet the applicable national guidelines.

• Additional cleaning and hygiene procedures are being implemented.
• You will be asked to wash or disinfect your hands thoroughly before, during and after excursions.
• The capacity of the excursions has been reduced to ensure sufficient spacing for social distancing. This may mean some of the excursions are no longer available, or that the excursion has been changed to minimize the risk of infection.
• All equipment provided is disinfected before use by another guest.
• All buses used are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between each trip.

Hurtigruten Staff Safety

All staff follow national guidelines from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health at all times.

• All crew members follow Norwegian rules for quarantine to be able to embark on the ship and have to undergo daily temperature readings.
• They have completed an official COVID-19 course for hygiene procedures and infection management, as well as an extensive internal training program before they embark.
• Crew has always undergone thorough first-aid training and has access to health professionals should a medical issue arise.
• There is a dedicated Health & Safety Officer on board, whose task is to coordinate and ensure the quality of infection control on board.

Along the Norwegian coast, land and access to the onshore health service is never far; meanwhile Hurtigruten's expedition ships always have a doctor and at least one assistant nurse as part of the crew. Should there be a case of COVID-19 on board, infection tracking protocols will be immediately carried out, together with the Norwegian authorities.

Hurtigruten Embarkation Safety

Before embarkation, all guests must provide a self-declaration form. On this form, you must,

• Confirm that you are not showing signs of any COVID-19 symptoms at embarkation.
• Confirm that you have not been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
• Confirm compliance to the current travel restrictions imposed by the Norwegian authorities (for journeys starting and ending in Norway.

A medical certificate from a doctor is not required. This self-declaration form is required to allow you to travel with Hurtigruten, and they reserve the right to refuse embarkation for guests with missing or incomplete information. The digital form is sent to you by email 24 hours before departure. If you are not able to fill in the digital form, you will be given a self-declaration form at check in.

Hurtigruten Passenger Safety

A contactless fever scan to record your temperature will be performed before embarkation, and Hurtigruten reserves the right to conduct this procedure at any point during the trip. This is for your own safety and for the safety of others.

• Should you or someone become ill during the voyage, Hurtigruten is quickly able to isolate the individuals concerned, either in their own cabin or in a designated 'isolation cabin'.
• Procedures for handling infection, has been established, as well as collaboration and good communication with partners and all of the ports visited.
• Should there be a case of COVID-19 on board, infection tracking procedures have been carefully prepared and Hurtigruten will receive help from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
• Hurtigruten always adheres to Norwegian national health guidelines and regularly updates procedures when advice from the authorities changes.