Travel News

Princess Cruises’ Medical Departments Earn Unique Distinction with

Prestigious Quality Certification and Accreditation

Medical Services Attain an Industry First in Healthcare Awards

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (May 6, 2010) – The Princess Cruises  Medical Departments have once again been credited with meeting the quality health standards of an internationally recognized healthcare organization.

Following a comprehensive survey of both its shipboard and shoreside medical departments, Princess Cruises has achieved an industry first by being awarded accreditation and ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality in health care. These awards recognize the excellent standards of medical care provided on board Princess’ vessels.

CHKS accreditation was first awarded to Princess in 2006 and, following comprehensive annual external surveys of its medical facilities, staff and procedures, in 2009 was re-accredited for a further three years. CHKS also certified that the Princess medical program meets the International Organization for Standardization’s quality standards (ISO 9001:2008) and has a management system in place that consistently meets customer and regulatory requirements. Princess is shortlisted to receive the CHKS Quality Improvement Award.

“I think many people would be surprised and reassured to know that our medical centers achieve similar quality standards to medical facilities ashore,” said Dr. Grant Tarling, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Princess Cruises.  “We’ve worked extremely hard to attain these outstanding achievements which demonstrate our dedication to providing the highest standards of medical care for our patients on board our ships.”

CHKS is a major UK based organization which works with public and private health care providers worldwide. They develop best practice standards and are accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), the leading international healthcare quality policy and research organization, as well as by the UK Accreditation Services (UKAS) to award certification to the standards of ISO 9001:2008.

Princess Cruises’ medical department offers one of the industry's most advanced sea-going medical programs, featuring a staff of qualified, full-time maritime professionals who work within well equipped facilities suited to the practice of medicine in a maritime environment. In addition to the CHKS accreditation and ISO 9001:2008 certification, Princess' medical program meets or exceeds the cruise ship medical guidelines issued by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

Princess ships are registered in Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory.  Princess’ certification also applies to the medical programs of its sister lines Cunard Line, P&O Cruises UK, Ocean Village and P&O Cruises Australia, which are also operated by the Princess shoreside medical department.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a Dehoney Travel, by calling 800-325-6708.

New Fees Proposed by State Department

The State Department has proposed new fees for many of its passport-related products and services. The total proposed cost of a new passport will increase from $100 to $135 for adults and from $85 to $105 for minors. Renewals will increase from $75 to $110 for adults and from $60 to $80 for minors. Travelers needing extra visa pages will soon pay $82. Currently, this service is free. As a result, ASTA members should take this opportunity to alert frequent travelers who may be in need of extra visa pages, new applicants and renewal applicants to submit an application immediately.

While no formal implementation date has been given for the changes, the State Dept. has indicated that it intends to implement the new fees once it has had time to consider public comments. The public comment period for the proposed fees ends on March 11, 2010. ASTA will be filing comments with the State Department on March 11, urging restraint in fee changes.

The proposed rules and complete fee chart can be found at www.Regulations.gov.

World Health Organization Raises H1N1 Outbreak Status to Phase 6

The ongoing outbreak of H1N1 flu continues to expand across the globe. Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated the status of the H1N1 flu outbreak from that of a Phase 5 to a Phase 6, meaning that H1N1 is now officially a pandemic. This upgrade should not be taken to mean that the H1N1 is more virulent; rather, it refers to its geographic spread. More info... (229 KB PDF Document)

TSA Continues Expansion of Whole Body Imaging

Passenger imaging is an umbrella term used to describe technologies that visually screen travelers, allowing TSA to more thoroughly detect weapons, explosives and other threat items. More info...