Dream Cruises' Explorer Dream anchored at port in Taiwan.
Dream Cruises has announced that it will be vaccinating the more than 700 crew members and office staff of its Taiwan-based vessel, Explorer Dream.
The ship was the first cruise liner to resume sailing in Asia following the outbreak of the pandemic and has been operating Taiwan-based sailings since July 2020.
It has so far completed more than 80 ‘Discover Taiwan’ sailings and ‘Super Seacation’ island-hopping cruises.
Explorer Dream’s crew and Taiwan-based office staff are now eligible to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination. Dream Cruises is the first cruise company to implement such a programme in Asia.
From May 7, crew and shore staff can receive their first shot at Keelung Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It’s expected this first dose will be completed in three batches.
Dream Cruises has previously collaborated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare for administering flu shots to crew members at the Keelung Hospital.
Dream Cruises has been operating successful ‘no port of call’ sailings in both Taiwan and Singapore. Singapore sailings began last December on board World Dream and both ships have enjoyed a successful track record with zero Covid-19 cases.
A raft of preventative measures were introduced to keep guests safe, including pre-embarkation health screenings, test and trace protocols, mask wearing, 100% fresh air ventilation in all cabins and public areas and social distancing measures.
“With the development and uptake of Covid-19 vaccines, we are confident that the cruise tourism industry will receive the much-needed boost to its road to recovery in the post-pandemic era,” said Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines. “We would like to express our gratitude to the Center of Epidemic Command Center of Taiwan for the efficient implementation of vaccination programs.”
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