Carnival’s Grand Princess first cruise ship since COVID

NAWILIWILI — Fred Bergonia was more concerned about staying dry and catching fish than the arriving Grand Princess cruise ship Monday at Nawiliwili Harbor.

The Grand Princess, on its second stop following a stop in Honolulu Sunday, became the first cruise ship to berth at Nawiliwili Harbor since the onset of the novel coronavirus more than a year ago.

Measuring at 949 feet and with a load of 3,006 guests, the Grand Princess is also the first ship to visit Nawiliwili following port agreements reached between the state Department of Transportation Harbors Division and Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Lines, formalizing health and safety protocols for cruise-line operations in Hawai‘i.

The agreements were signed in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order requiring cruise ships with the capacity to carry more than 250 people to have formal port agreements with local port and health authorities.

In addition to the CDC order that requires each ship to have on-board testing and medical staff to ensure proper prevention, mitigation and response protocols and training, both Carnival and NCL have committed to full vaccination rates in addition to pre-board testing and onboard safety and cleaning protocols.

The state DOT also requires cruise ships to participate in the state’s Safe Travels digital platform requiring uploading proof of vaccination or negative test results for passengers and crew on cruise lines arriving in Hawai‘i from outside the state.

“Developing these agreements with the goal of
reducing potential negative impacts of cruise travel on our local health resources could not have happened without invaluable guidance from the Governor’s Office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Hawai‘i Department of Health, the Hawai‘i Department of Defense, the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and the county agencies,” said HDOT Director Jade Butay.

“We appreciate everyone, including the cruise line representatives, coming together to finalize the required agreements to fulfill the CDC Conditional Sailing Order,” he said.

According to the hawaii.portofcall.com website, the next cruise ship, the 593-foot Insignia, with 450 guests, is scheduled to visit Nawiliwili on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
Source: The Garden Island