Norwegian, which despite its name being a company based in the United States, sent a letter on Monday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, notifying him of its proposal. It is the first major American cruise company to draw up plans for resuming travel in the United States.
Then, on Monday, the Norwegian basically said: enough. The company said it plans to require vaccines for everyone on a ship at least two weeks before departure.
“Vaccines are the main vehicle for Americans to return to their daily lives,” said Norwegian CEO Frank Del Rio. “We believe that through a combination of 100% mandatory vaccines for guests and crew and science-supported public health measures … we can create a safe, bubble-like environment. “
CDC issues a return to the sea plan
The CDC’s statement was not well received by the industry.
The Cruise Line International Association, an industry trade group, called the CDC’s statement “disappointing”, “excessively expensive” and “largely impractical”. He said the health agency is demanding a zero risk approach to cruises, rather than calling for efforts to mitigate the pandemic, which she says is the CDC’s guideline for “all other sectors of our society in the United States”.
In response, the CDC said it is committed to working with the cruise industry to resume cruises following its phased approach outlined in its conditional navigation order – hopefully, mid-summer.
But Norwegian said it shares the CDC’s view that vaccines can help Americans return to normal, and believes that their plan “shares the spirit and exceeds the intention” of the CDC guidelines.
The company sails under the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The other two major US-based cruise companies, Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean, have not yet announced their own plans to resume travel in the United States.
“We are reviewing and studying all options to ensure the health and safety of our guests and crew,” said Royal Caribbean.
Cruise ban
All three companies suffered massive losses last year, totaling $ 6.8 billion among them. They all borrowed large amounts of money and cut staff to face the crisis.
But American public health officials did not approve the resumption of travel in the United States, the largest cruise market in the world. The commercial group asked the CDC to announce a definitive date for the resumption of cruises by the United States in early July.
“The lack of any action on the part of the CDC has effectively banned all travel on the largest cruise market in the world,” said the group’s statement on March 24. “Cruises are the only sector of the United States economy that remains banned, although many others have opened or continued to operate during the pandemic.”
The CDC guidance that is blocking cruises in the United States “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,” said the Group CEO, Kelly Craighead. “Cruise companies should be treated in the same way as other travel, tourism, hospitality and entertainment sectors.”