Covid-19: CDC Lifts All Cruise Travel Warnings

Photo source: @Cruise Lines International Association

Global cruise and tourism associations welcomed the announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it had dropped all guidance for cruise travel.

After two years of warnings against cruise travel, the CDC last week updated its previous “Cruise Ship Travel Health Notice”, which had sparked the angered reaction of the industry late last year.

In December the CDC had raised its Covid-19 warning level for cruise travel to high-risk 4 advising against cruising even for those who have been vaccinated.

Commenting on the announcement Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said: “From the onset of the pandemic, CLIA’s cruise line members have prioritized the health and safety of their guests, crew, and the communities they visit and are sailing today with health measures in place that are unmatched by virtually any other commercial setting.”

It went on to add that the “decision by the US CDC to remove the travel health notice for cruising recognizes the effective public health measures in place on cruise ships”.

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) President & CEO Julia Simpson said “the decision by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove the travel health notice for cruising is well-deserved recognition that the industry has been sailing millions of travelers for many months with highly effective protocols that make cruising among the world’s safest forms of socializing and travel.”

Simpson went on to add that CDC’s decision will “help level the playing field between cruise and land-based vacation options” for the first time since March 2020 and that it was good news for the extensive network of suppliers, many of whom are small businesses, that depend on cruise for their success.

Meanwhile, speaking to media, CDC Spokesperson Dave Daigle said travelers were advised to make their own risk assessment when choosing to travel on a cruise ship, “much like they do in all other travel settings”.

The CDC also recommends travelers update their Covid vaccination before boarding a cruise ship.