The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance Friday that will allow cruises to be fully resumed in U.S. waters, although it does not include a date for when ships will be allowed to sail.
The CDC first issued an order prohibiting sailing in March 2020 and the The industry, which has operated under a “conditional navigation order” (CSO) since late October, is clamoring for a date to embark again.
Instead, the agency on Friday offered technical instructions on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and how to deal with outbreaks that occur at sea.
According to the CDC, this phase of the conditional navigation order will include simulated trips that will allow the crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before embarking with passengers.
The CDC update includes a requirement to increase the frequency of COVID-19 reports from weekly to daily. It also updates a color coding system used to classify ships related to COVID-19 and addresses routine crew tests based on a ship’s color status.
“Navigating safely and responsibly during a global pandemic is difficult,” said the CDC in a statement. “While the cruise always poses some transmission risk for COVID-19, following the CSO phases will ensure that cruise ship passenger operations are conducted in a way that protects crew members, passengers and port personnel, especially with variants emerging from COVID-19 interest. “
The update comes after the cruise industry last week asked the CDC to allow cruises to resume from US ports in early July.
The Cruise Lines International Association industry group said a restart in July would bring the industry in line with President biden
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“The lack of any action by the CDC effectively banned all travel on the largest cruise market in the world,” wrote the group. “The outdated CSO, which was issued nearly five months ago, does not reflect the industry’s proven advances and success operating in other parts of the world, nor the advent of vaccines, and treats cruises unfairly differently.”
The companies announced the resumption of cruises in other parts of the world. Royal Caribbean in early March announced that it would conduct a “fully vaccinated” cruise. The newest ship on the cruise line, Odyssey of the Seas, is due to launch from Haifa, Israel, for the first time in May.