Cruise companies can speed up their restarts in U.S. waters if they guarantee most crew and passengers are vaccinated against COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a letter to companies Wednesday night obtained by the Herald — meaning passenger cruises could restart from South Florida in July. If ships can certify that 98% of their crew and 95% of their passengers are vaccinated, they won’t need to do test cruises before restarting passenger operations, the letter said. The CDC estimates that passengers could be boarding cruise ships in U.S. waters as soon as mid-July depending on how quickly cruise companies meet the agency’s requirements. The change to the restart timeline comes after a month of twice-weekly meetings
Norwegian Cruise Lines
CDC sets Nov 1 as Target Sail Date for Cruises
Despite calls from travel industry trade groups, the CDC does not plan to lift the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) ahead of schedule. In a statement to Travel Market Report, the CDC said the CSO will remain in effect—as planned—until Nov. 1, 2021. “Returning to passenger cruising is a phased approach to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19. Details for the next phase of the CSO are currently under interagency review Both Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) put out statements calling for the agency to lift restrictions and allow for cruising to resume from U.S. ports by July 1, 2021. Zane Kerby, president & CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), said
CDC to Allow a Phased-In Return to Cruising in the US
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is letting the no-sail order expire on Oct. 31, setting the stage for a conditional, phased-in return to cruise ship operations. “Considering the continued spread of COVID-19 worldwide and increased risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships, a careful approach is needed to safely resume cruise ship passenger operations,” the CDC said in its Oct. 30 statement. “CDC is establishing requirements to mitigate the COVID-19 risk to passengers and crew, prevent the further spread of COVID-19 from cruise ships into U.S. communities, and protect public health and safety.” The phase-in to cruising will start with testing and implemented safeguards for crew members “while these cruise ship operators build the laboratory capacity needed to test future passengers.” After that, “test voyages”
Cruise Lines Will Now Require COVID-19 Test Prior to You Sailing
Testing will be performed on all passengers and crew as travelers slowly wade back into the waters of traveling again. Cruise lines are finding ways to ease concerns about the close quarters and communal nature of their seafaring vessels. Now, several major cruise companies have agreed to implement new regulations that will require passengers to prove their negative COVID-19 status before embarking on any ships. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents major cruise lines around the world, recently released a statement that all of its members worldwide have agreed to test passengers and crews on all ships with a capacity to carry 250 people or more. Only those with a negative test result will be allowed to embark. “We see testing as
When cruising comes back, will the buffet return with it? Here’s what the cruise lines say
Morgan Hines, USA TODAYWed, October 7, 2020, 7:04 AM EDT·7 mins read As the cruise industry's Nov. 1 restart date approaches, companies have implemented new health protocols and submitted them to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, slowly painting a picture as to what cruising might look like when it returns. But one question remains unanswered: Will the buffet, a beloved part of the cruise experience, return? The answer varies by cruise line. In many cases, the buffet is still going to be a dining option – but it will be different. In other words, it will no longer be a free-for-all where you grab what you want yourself. 'Hygiene is the new luxury': How cruise ship design could evolve to ward against outbreaks Royal Caribbean lines: Look but