CDC issues new guidelines for the cruise industry, but does not give the green light

PEMBROKE PARK, Florida. – The Centers for Disease Control issued a new guideline for the cruise ship industry on Friday. It is the first update since October, but it does not appear that commercial travel will resume immediately.

The new instructions mention the COVID-19 vaccines, saying that vaccines are a necessary step before passenger travel can be resumed.

“COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be essential for the safe resumption of passenger operations,” said the CDC in a statement. “As more people are fully vaccinated, the phased approach allows the CDC to incorporate these advances in planning to resume cruise ship travel when it is safe to do so.”

[ALSO SEE: Florida Gov. signs executive order banning “vaccine passports”]

The CDC said that the simulated (experimental) voyages should allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before boarding passengers.

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The guidance also states that the frequency of notification of COVID-19 cases and crew diseases should be increased from weekly to daily.

However, the CDC has not specified a date when cruise operations can resume at U.S. ports, instead, they said they will issue additional guidance before allowing cruises to resume.

“Navigating safely and responsibly during a global pandemic is difficult. While the cruise always poses some COVID-19 transmission risk, following the phases of the Conditional Sail Order Structure (CSO) will ensure that cruise ship passenger operations are conducted in a manner that protects crew members, passengers and port personnel, especially with emerging variants of COVID-19 that are of concern, ”states the statement.

The CDC first issued a request for a ban on sailing in March 2020, which affected one of South Florida’s economic engines, the cruise industry.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has asked the CDC to rescind its banning boarding order.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year, it’s that roadblocks don’t work and Florida residents deserve the right to earn a living,” DeSantis said during a round table in Port Canaveral, Florida. “The cruise industry is essential to our state’s economy and keeping it closed until November would be devastating for the men and women who depend on cruises for their livelihood and their families. I urge the CDC to immediately terminate this order to prohibit baseless navigation to allow Florida residents in this sector to return to work. “

The CDC’s prohibition on sailing is currently in effect until November 1.