Bahamas Paradise Cruise, the only provider of two-night cruises to the Bahamas with sailings from the Port of Palm Beach, finally welcomed the Grand Classica home.
"The Port of Palm Beach is excited to welcome back the Grand Classica. Some people don’t realize cruising is a major economic driver in the Sunshine state and right here in Palm Beach County. Before the pandemic, the cruise line was credited for generating more than $100 million in local and state revenue and supporting more than 1,300 cruise related jobs. Think about the businesses that rely on the cruise industry. Every time the cruise ship docks at the Port they fuel up, they purchase food and the crew members spend money in our local restaurants, grocery stores and shopping malls," said Port of Palm Beach District Board Chairman Joseph Anderson.
The cruise industry was hit hard due to COVID-19, and after a year without sailing, the cruise line finally received the green light to welcome its ship back and begin formal preparations, in anticipation of our simulated sailing scheduled for June 25.
The cruise line will hand select a small group of fully vaccinated passengers to join its vaccinated crew, and they will sail on a two-night round-trip cruise to Grand Bahama Island onboard Grand Classica. To ensure the proper safety protocols have been met, the simulated sailing will include every part of the cruise line's regular experiences including dining, entertainment, leisure activities and shore excursions.
Safety remains top priority for the cruise line and the Port of Palm Beach. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line says all crew members will be vaccinated prior to sailing. The Port of Palm Beach worked with the Palm Beach County Health Department to organize vaccine clinics for crew members.
Passengers looking to sail once the cruise line receives clearance form the CDC, will need to obtain a Bahamas Travel Health Card from the Bahamian Government, which requires either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure.
Fully vaccinated guests and crew are not required to wear masks outdoors. The cruise line will be requiring masks onboard when in public indoor areas for both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests.
The cruise line continues to put health and safety of its passengers and crew front and center with an extensive list of new preventative measures. CDC rules and regulations are changing constantly, and cruise line representatives are in daily dialogue with them on all the recommendations as it relates to crew and guest safety.
Passengers and crew can expect BPCL to adhere to all CDC sanitizing and disinfecting guidelines. BPCL will only use FDA approved cleaning products with a COVID/bacteria/common virus kill rate of < 1 min. including Influenza A & B.
Procedures include:
• Wearing of face masks for unvaccinated guests is still required; however, vaccinated guests will have to wear masks inside the ship but not outside
• Extensive sanitation processes at our port terminal, ships, passenger walkways, and common areas
• Electrostatic spraying process for all common areas and guest cabins with CDC/FDA approved hospital-grade disinfectant
• A fresh air ventilation system to ensure healthy air quality in all cabins and common areas
• Social distancing at our dining and entertainment areas
• Dining rooms will be sanitized three times a day after each use, while theaters will be cleaned before and after every show
• Kids’ club facilities will be cleaned twice per day, and the number of players will be limited per table at our Par-A-Dice casino
• Isolated wards available in the medical center for ill guests or those who are concerned that they have been exposed to COVID-19
• Proper sealing and disposal of contaminated items and medical waste according to the CDC’s guidelines
