Cruise lines have begun employing enhanced screening procedures to help prevent the introduction and/or spread of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) onboard ships, said the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
All passengers will be required to complete and sign a written questionnaire prior to boarding a ship operated by a CLIA member.
CLIA said member lines will perform a secondary screening if a passenger reports flu-like symptoms, and that passengers "will not be permitted to travel if they exhibit influenza-like-illness or meet the suspect case conditions for Influenza A (H1N1) as defined by CDC."
The cruise industry instituted similar screening protocols during the outbreak of SARS in Asia in 2003, CLIA noted.