Line begins U.S. operations on June 26 with health security-enhanced experience.
ATLANTA – Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, and Forbes Travel Guide announced their first partnership with a leading cruise line to adopt the tech-enabled Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED system. Each ship in Celebrity Cruises’ award-winning fleet has been Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide, using a solution designed to help mitigate risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and other public health outbreaks.
The Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED system adds another layer to Celebrity Cruises’ already exemplary ‘Healthy at Sea’ program, which encompasses health and safety measures established in accordance with guidance from public health authorities, government agencies, and the company’s own team of health and safety experts – all to provide each guest with the peace of mind to fully enjoy their journey.
Developed in response to COVID-19, Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED works in tandem with existing programs and protocols like Celebrity’s ‘Healthy at Sea’ by ensuring health and safety measures – from employee well-being and safety to onboard sanitization to contactless adaptations for in-room dining – are comprehensive and can be verified by shipboard staff. The Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED solution allows real-time tracking of the verification process from the Celebrity Cruises headquarters to ensure each captain and crew confirm adherence to health and safety protocols outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local ports, as well as any specific company standards prior to sailing. Data generated through this process also provide an audit trail of protocol compliance and analytics, which is accessible to the ship’s captain and monitoring teams at headquarters via the Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ platform’s virtual dashboard.
“We have been extremely impressed with both how comprehensive the Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED system is and how easy it is for our staff to use,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises president and CEO. “As The Celebrity Fleet returns to service, Sharecare will help verify our rigorous ‘Healthy at Sea’ protocols, enabling our guests to simply relax and enjoy their vacation. We thank our partners from Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide for their ongoing support in our quest to return to opening up the world.”
To maintain Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED status, each shipboard team will complete the verification process covering a comprehensive list of touchpoints, including embarkation and disembarkation, housekeeping, and communal areas and activities, on every ship between sailings. With each Celebrity cruise, initial passenger boarding will not commence until the ship has been health security “cleared” by its executive committee. At this point, all passengers will receive notification via their handheld devices that their ship has been re-verified and is ready for boarding. This notification and reverification between every cruise aim to give travelers peace of mind that every requirement has been completed and confirmed by Celebrity staff.
“We commend Celebrity Cruises for not only reimagining the luxury experience with health security at the forefront, but also driving this ‘win’ for well-being that gets people back to doing what they love – safely, confidently, and responsibly,” said Hermann Elger, executive vice president and general manager of travel, entertainment, and health security at Sharecare. “Like Celebrity, we recognize a culture of accountability is key to curbing the spread of COVID-19 and other public health threats so its industry can get back to business. Further, as one of the first cruise lines to resume sailing in the U.S., Celebrity’s health security efforts are setting a new well-being standard for its community of passengers and shipboard staff.”
In November 2020, Sharecare debuted a strategic partnership with Forbes Travel Guide, the global authority on hospitality excellence, to empower the hospitality industry to mitigate the operational and health safety challenges introduced by the pandemic and restore confidence among travelers. By combining Sharecare’s expertise in healthcare and digital innovation with Forbes Travel Guide’s best practices for hotel operations and service, Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED uniquely enables hotels, resorts, restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, and now cruise lines to put public health and safety at the center of exceptional guest experiences.
“As the first Sharecare VERIFIED cruise line, Celebrity sets a new industry standard for public health safety, which Forbes Travel Guide is proud to promote and celebrate,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “In addition to health security, Forbes Travel Guide looks forward to bringing its prestigious Star Rating program to cruise ships. Our inaugural awards, slated for 2023, will help travelers choose the world’s best cruise experiences, just as our Five-Star system highlights the world’s most incredible hotels.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
