Cruise lines are just a couple of weeks away from restarting sailing from U.S. ports at the beginning of JUL, and the CDC’s latest travel notice update has given the cruise industry another ‘shot in the arm.’
On 17JUN, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention officially changed its travel alert warning for cruising, moving it from Level 4 “very high” - indicating the U.S. health agency’s position that cruising during the pandemic was unsafe for anyone - to Level 3.
Level 3 is still classified as “high” risk - but considering that the CDC singled out the cruise industry for some of the longest and most stringent bans and restrictions of any activity during the pandemic - it’s a big win in communicating the safety of cruising now.
At Level 3, cruise travel is recommended only for fully vaccinated guests. The CDC warns that pax who are not fully vaccinated are at “increased risk, since the virus spreads person-to-person, and outbreaks of Covid-19 have been reported on cruise ships because of their (group) settings where Covid-19 spreads easily.”
Full vaccination for both crew and guests is a condition most cruise lines had already implemented. So in that sense, the new CDC guidance is a bit behind the curve, but any public affirmation that fully-vaccinated cruising is safe bolsters cruise lines’ restarting plans.
It also appears to be a volley in the ongoing battle between the state of Florida, which has passed a law prohibiting companies - including cruise lines - from requiring proof of vaccination from customers, and the CDC. Florida has taken the CDC to court to force it to permit cruising to restart - unconditionally. On its part, the CDC has told the court that its regulatory changes and guidance in recent months are permitting cruising to start - not unconditionally, but safely.
For unvaccinated travellers, the latest guidance remains clear: “CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide.”
Still, the CDC seems to acknowledge that some unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers will choose to cruise regardless, and it advises them to practice physical distancing, hand washing and mask wearing - which is still a requirement for all travellers, including the fully vaccinated, on all public transportation in the U.S.
Some cruise lines that do permit guests who are not fully vaccinated on board have made it clear, as reported in Open Jaw, that unvaccinated pax will incur “hassles” and higher costs due to additional protocols and being financially responsible for multiple rounds of mandatory testing.
