Repatriation of Grenadian crew

The Government of Grenada is pleased to announce that it has granted permission for the repatriation of 26 employee-nationals of the Carnival Cruise Line, and 18 crew member nationals from Princess Cruises.

The Caribbean Princess cruise ship will arrive at the Melville Street Cruise Terminal, St George, on Saturday, 9 May 2020, at 8 am, and the Carnival Glory will arrive on Sunday, 10 May at 8 am.

After weeks of discussions, and much-coordinated efforts, Grenada is now better-positioned to accept the nationals who are employees of these cruise lines but have been stranded at sea, due to the onslaught of the Covid-19 crisis.

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, as well as the Ministry of Health, have been in constant communication with the cruise lines prior to the granted approval, to ensure that certain necessary health and safety protocols were implemented and agreed on, before Grenada agreed to the repatriation. This was to ensure not only the well-being of the crew members but also the Grenadian public.

As part of the measures, the cruise lines have agreed to provide up-to-date medical records for all crew members, to include Covid-19 test results taken 24 to 48 hours prior to ships’ arrival.

The following is a list of guidelines employed by the Government to aid in the smooth and safe repatriation process.

1. Crew members will receive additional medical screening at the Melville Street Cruise Terminal. This will include temperature checks and PCR or Rapid Tests. Further testing will be done as assessed by the Grenada Medical Team during quarantine.
2. All medical screening after crew disembarkation will be completed by the Ministry of Health.
3. Crew members must complete at least, a 14-day mandatory quarantine at specified quarantine locations, to which they will be immediately transported after screening at Melville Street.
4. Crew members will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to include, but not be limited to face masks.
5. The Government and Cruise Lines will work out all modalities for the repatriation of the nationals, and Government will do whatever is necessary to get the stranded cruise ship workers home.
6. The official Government of Grenada contact for the crew repatriation exercise will be Dr Francis Martin, Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health.

The Government of Grenada looks forward to welcoming home this group of nationals, and we continue to empathize with all others stranded abroad, who are desirous and anxious to return to Grenada. It is a work constantly in progress, as we explore the most feasible and safest ways of doing so.

GIS