Today, the South Florida based ferry company, Baleària Caribbean, has announced that they will postpone their scheduled November 5th, 2020 passenger transport reopening date until further notice.
The company stated that they came to this decision after further discussions with Government and Tourism officials. All parties agree that it is important to ensure that they are ready to properly and safely receive passengers in all areas, both air and cruise ports. In a statement, the company’s Managing Director, Mario Otero, stated: “Although this is a disappointment for us, the citizens of the Bahamas and the tourism market, we expect to return very soon. Baleària Caribbean is prepared, and we will continue to work with Government and Port officials until the all-clear is given, and we can continue to transport passengers between Florida and the Bahamas safely.”
The ferry transport has gone to extensive lengths to ensure the safety of their passengers and staff members. They received certification by the international entity Bureau Veritas. This makes Baleària the first shipping company in operation to have a Global Safe Site Covid-19 certificate. In another groundbreaking move to facilitate social distancing, the shipping company has vowed to reduce passenger capacity by 40% temporarily. Other notable measures include temperature scanning for each passenger before boarding, easy access to sanitizer dispensers in the terminals, and aboard the vessel. Passengers and staff members will be required to wear a face mask/covering at all times throughout the travel process. The addition of Plexiglass dividers on every seat and common areas, and last but certainly not least, the ship and terminals will undergo a deep and extensive sanitation process before, during, and after each sailing.
Baleària Caribbean would like to thank the citizens of the Bahamas, tourists, and all others who have openly expressed support to their reopen efforts and who continue to await the restart of their services faithfully.
