Covid-19 update
In light of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak we at Invergordon Bus Tours are currently operating under strict guidance from the following organisations …
- NHS Inform – https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19
- Department for Transport – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-shipping-and-sea-ports-guidance/guidance-for-shipping-and-sea-ports-on-coronavirus-covid-19
- Health Protection Scotland– https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/a-to-z-of-topics/covid-19/
- World Health Organization– https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
- NHS – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
- Port of Cromarty Firth (Invergordon) – https://www.pocf.co.uk/home-page-3/doing-business-at-the-port/safety-security/
- CLIA – https://www.cruiseexperts.org/
The port of Invergordon, Scotland, UK reopened to visiting cruise ships on 25/07/2021, the first such activity since autumn 2019, and this represents an element of the tentative restarting of cruise operations after the worldwide halting of activity as a consequence of the pandemic.
The 17 expected visits to Invergordon this year, concluding on 05/10/2021, are part of a program of UK coastal cruises for UK cruise guests only, and all of those sailings are operating under extremely tight protocols as a result of the current and ongoing prevalence of the pandemic.
One such tight control that has very necessarily been put in place relates to ports of call …
Now, and likely for the remainder of this 2021 season, the only way of exiting cruise ships while in ports of call is to join ‘protected shore excursions’ provided by the cruise line itself, there are no current exceptions to this rule, this is in place in order to endeavour to avoid bringing possible shoreside infection on to the visiting vessels.
At Invergordon Bus Tours we support the maintenance of maximum protection for all visiting cruise ships for the remainder of this season, that we hope will result in the cruise industry returning to good health much sooner rather than later.
With all of that said, and the likelihood of the world being in a much better position in terms of public health going into next year, we have decided to write off the remainder of this season, and focus on offering great experiences to all of our valued visitors that are likely to come ashore in Invergordon across next year.
From next week, the first week in August, data for the whole of the 2022 season will begin to be added to this website.
Arrival/meeting information …
All pre reserved guests are asked to exit the port area via the West Harbour pedestrian entry/exit point, and to look for the Invergordon Bus Tours branded reception trailer. One of our representatives will be waiting there to welcome all guests to Invergordon warmly.
On production of reservation documentation that will have been provided by ourselves at the point of making a reservation/payment for tour seats, all guests will be issued with a tour ticket on a branded lanyard which must be worn outside clothing for the duration of the time spent with us, and returned to their tour guide on re boarding their tour vehicle after the last stop before returning to the port. Where small children are concerned, an adult may wear a child’s lanyard besides their own. The most important purpose of wearing those lanyards being so we can identify that all persons on a given tour have been processed by ourselves before boarding a tour bus/coach, and that they have joined the correct tour.
Guests will then be directed to their waiting tour bus/coach, the tour branding will be on the front windscreen of the vehicle.
All guests are asked to present themselves to us at our reception trailer at least 20 minutes prior to their scheduled tour start time.
Ongoing Covid-19 minimal precautions …
Even though we expect to be in a much better place by spring/summer next year, a number of wise minimal precautionary infection prevention measures will be in place for the duration of the 2022 season, and some will remain as permanent policy.
Touch free hand sanitizer dispensers will be located on the approach to our reception trailer, and at the doors of all of our tour vehicles, and they must be used without exception, they must also be used on each re boarding throughout a tour.
All of our tour buses/coaches will be disinfectant fogged before passenger boarding for all of our tours.
The same disinfectant sanitizer liquid will be used for both hand sanitization and the disinfectant fogging of our tour vehicles, it’s an extremely safe natural product that’s kind to skin, yet highly effective at preventing bacterial and viral cross infection.
At this point (summer 2021) we are loading our full sized tour buses/coaches to 60% of capacity, we’ll monitor this over the coming weeks and months.
The front 4 seats on all tour vehicles will be out of public use, the 2 behind the driver, and the 2 behind the tour guide.
Any tour vehicles that have onboard WCs, those will be locked out of use, overly lengthy periods on tour vehicles between scheduled public convenience stops will be avoided.
We certainly hope that by spring/summer next year we won’t need to mandate the wearing of face masks on our tour vehicles, although any guests may do so should they wish to, this will also be monitored going forward.
No consumption of food or drink will be permitted on any of our tour vehicles, except for plain water, provided that face masks are not required to be worn.
Most of those measures will be monitored across the 2022 season, and may be relaxed when sensible to do so, but hand hygiene and bus/coach disinfection measures will remain in place permanently as good public health policy.
12/10/2022 – Completion of 2022 cruise season.
We have just completed our 2022 cruise season, our first full season since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.
This was, and was always going to be, a recovery season for us, as for others across hospitality and tourism, after more than 2 years of major disruption, and for ourselves closure.
Since restarting our shore excursion/tour activity on 25/04/2022, with prevailing conditions in mind, we decided to mirror the current cruise industry wide minimal precautionary operating standard by putting the following measures in place….
All our tour vehicles were disinfectant fogged at the start of all operating days.
The wearing of face masks by all guests was a mandatory condition of travel on all our tour vehicles.
The front 4 seats (2+2) on all our tour vehicles were taken out of use for the earlier part of the season to create space between our guests and our tour crew.
We provided hand hygiene facilities throughout our operation.
At Invergordon Bus Tours we sincerely thank all guests that toured with us throughout this season like no other, for their perseverance, patience, and understanding as we restarted our operation with the health and safety of all concerned in mind.
All bodes well as we excitedly look forward to a healthy and prosperous 2023.
Cancellation policy for pre reserved guests …
If a given cruise ship visit is cancelled for any reason, or if a vessel berths in the port of Invergordon, but guests are prevented from leaving the ship, all tour seat prepayments placed by guests for any planned tours with us will be refunded timely.
To conclude …
We would like to wish all people good health, safety, and good fortune during this challenging period, and into the future.
The team at Invergordon Bus Tours.