In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted their order to “ban shipping” on U.S. cruise ships and defined a structure that would allow them to resume sailing, bringing relief and hope to a decimated industry – and to many cruise fans.
And then, nothing.
Almost six months later, cruise lines are still waiting for technical instructions from the agency, which will allow them to prepare their ships for simulation trips, designed to test whether they can sail safely.
In other parts of the world, the sector is coming to life. Some cruise companies plan to restart domestic cruises in Europe later this month and trips around the British Isles are scheduled for June, when blocking restrictions are expected to be lifted. Royal Caribbean is conducting cruises to Greece from the Israeli port of Haifa this spring, which will require all crew and passengers on board to be fully vaccinated.
The CDC says its current focus is to work with cruise lines to implement the requirements of the initial phase of testing the entire crew and setting up onboard laboratories as part of a step-by-step approach to returning cruise passengers. The structure includes extensive testing, quarantine measures and social distance, but the details remain unclear.
“Future orders and technical instructions will address additional activities to help cruise lines prepare and return to passenger operations in a way that reduces the risk of Covid-19 among passengers, crew members, including simulated trips, certification for navigation conditional and restricted travel, ”the agency said in a statement.
The suspension of travel, first granted to American cruises on March 14 last year, devastated the cruise industry, with companies reporting billions of dollars in losses, causing some to reduce their fleets and sell ships for scrap.
Now, with vaccinations underway around the world and infection rates dropping in some regions, cruise lines are struggling to prepare their ships for a gradual return starting in Europe and Asia. In the United States, cruise fans will likely have to wait until at least autumn.
“We are hopeful for this year,” said Colleen McDaniel, chief editor of the cruise news website Cruise Critic. “There have already been some success stories outside Europe, where cruise lines have shown that they have great protocols in place, that they are committed to following them, that they can keep passengers in a bubble and that they can do effective tests. We can hope that these learnings will help inform cruises in the United States. “
While the schedule remains fluid, here’s what we can expect from a cruise in the coming months.
When can I go on a cruise again?
Good question. Most cruise ships remain idle in open waters or in ports around the world, as travel continues to be delayed or canceled.
In Europe, some of the smaller cruise lines are planning to restart operations later this month. AIDA Cruises has scheduled a tour of the Canary Islands from 20 March and will be followed by Costa Cruises, which plans to resume Italian travel on 27 March. MSC Cruises is also planning a trip through Europe in May, which will only be open to passengers living in the European Union’s Schengen zone.
Last summer, some cruise lines resumed operations in Europe with strict health and safety protocols, but closed them again in the fall after some ships reported cases of Covid-19 and the region returned to blockade in response to the resurgence of the virus.
In Britain, domestic cruises may start from May 17, when hospitality blockages are expected to be eased, the Transport Ministry said earlier this month.
Princess, P&O, Cunard and Hurtigruten are among the cruise companies that have announced “stay trips” around the British Isles this summer. Some ships sail the coast of the country without calling at any port, while others offer shore excursions.
“People are very excited to start cruising again and we are seeing tons of demand now, especially in the shipping space,” said John Downey, the president for the Americas at Hurtigruten, a Norwegian line specializing in expedition cruises.
“We will continue to focus on remote and incredible destinations, where our guests are more often surrounded by wildlife and nature than by human populations,” he added. “With strict health protocols that we have implemented, we are very comfortable with the safety of our guests and crew.”
Why is the United States lagging behind?
Major cruise lines are waiting for the CDC to issue technical requirements to help them prepare their ships for their voyages. They must then notify the CDC 30 days before starting the test cruises with crew and voluntary passengers and will have to apply for a conditional navigation certificate 60 days before a scheduled scheduled trip.
“The reality is that there was no way for cruise lines to adhere to the guidelines that the CDC set in October and start sailing again because they provided two-thirds of the pieces for the puzzle,” said Stewart Chiron, cruise industry analyst and CEO of cruiseguy.com, referring to the technical details missing in the conditional navigation order.
“They are waiting for this now and expect them to update their guidelines because they were issued before the vaccines were launched and a lot has changed since then,” added Mr. Chiron.
Cruise executives say they expect the CDC to issue technical requirements soon.
What’s going on with Alaskan cruises?
The little-known peculiarities of maritime law have led some cruise companies specializing in Alaska expeditions to cancel all voyages from ports in the 48 Lower States by the end of 2021.
Although they look like American companies, many of the big cruise companies, like Princess and Holland America, are actually foreign owned. Under United States law, foreign-flagged cruise ships are not allowed to cruise between US ports without first visiting at least one foreign port. Therefore, cruises from western cities like Seattle usually stop in Vancouver, Canada, en route to Alaska.
But in February, Canadian authorities extended their cruise ban until February 2022, effectively closing the Alaska cruise business until then.
Earlier this month, senators introduced a bill that would dispense with the requirement that ships stop at a foreign port, but the vote could still take months.
While Alaskan cruises are on hold, cruise companies are working hard to offer land tours in the state using their accommodation and tourism networks.
What security measures will be in place?
With coronavirus measurements constantly changing, it is difficult to predict exactly what cruises will look like, especially in the United States.
Last year, the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry group that represents the majority of the largest cruise lines, announced a mandatory set of health protocols that will be implemented as part of a gradual resumption of operations.
The main elements include:
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Test: 100 percent of passengers and crew will be tested for Covid-19 before boarding.
Wearing mask: All passengers and crew must wear masks on board and during excursions, whenever they are unable to physically distance themselves.
Distance: Physical distances will be required at terminals, on board ships, on private islands and during shore excursions.
Ventilation: Air and ventilation management strategies to increase fresh air on board must be in place and, where feasible, improved filters and other technologies to mitigate the risk will be used.
Medical capacity: Each vessel must have a plan to manage possible medical needs and must allocate cabins for isolation in the event of an outbreak. Prior arrangements must be made with suppliers of ground transportation and medical facilities.
Shore excursion: Operators must define health and safety protocols and ensure that passengers comply with them. Those who fail to do so will be prohibited from boarding again.
“Ultimately, our decisions will be informed by our global medical and scientific experts and the requirements of the places we operate and visit,” said Roger Frizzell, a spokesman for Carnival Corporation. “Our greatest responsibility and top priorities are compliance, environmental protection and health, safety and well-being for our guests, crew and the communities we visit.”
Will vaccines be necessary?
Some companies are reluctant to rely solely on tests after SeaDream 1, a ship that aspired to be a model for a safe return to the cruise, interrupted its trip to the Caribbean last year because several passengers tested positive for the coronavirus, despite the fact they had a negative test before boarding.
Most major cruise lines have yet to decide whether to require vaccines on future voyages and are waiting for more scientific guidance when inoculation becomes more widespread worldwide.
In Britain, Saga Cruises and P&O said they would require all passengers to be fully vaccinated before boarding their ships throughout 2021. Royal Caribbean announced trips from Israel to Greece in May, where all members of the crew and passengers over 16 years old should be vaccinated.
“It is really exciting to see how science has progressed quickly and dramatically, even in just a few weeks,” said Richard D. Fain, president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group. “We have gained more and more experience with international travel from Germany, Singapore, the Canary Islands and Italy and we will continue to learn and adapt as new knowledge and scientific discoveries like the vaccine come to the fore.”
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