MIAMI (AP) – Joel Steckler was looking forward to his first cruise in more than a year and a half and chose the ship that just two months ago became the first to re-accept passengers after a long stoppage of pandemic.
Steckler was completely vaccinated against COVID-19 and this was enough to resume navigation, under the initial guidance of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now, the 63-year-old from Long Island, New York, will postpone the trip he had planned for Saturday amid new tighter guidelines sparked by the rise in cases fueled by delta variants and advanced infections.
“You just have to make a personal decision,” said Steckler, who is taking medications that suppress his immune system and has changed his plans after consulting his doctor. “You don’t want to be in a position where you’re sick on a cruise and you have to fly home or somehow get home.”
Cruise lines have detected infections among crew members and vaccinated passengers, including an elderly passenger who died recently. Last Friday, the CDC began advising travelers who are at higher risk for serious COVID-19 disease to avoid cruises. Passengers are also advised to present a recent negative COVID test and test that they have been immunized.
In addition to the growing delta virus, the CDC changed its cruise guidelines for high-risk groups due to the proximity of ship passengers, limited on-board care options and the challenges of medical evacuation. seafarers, said Center spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund. Tuesday.
Some cruise lines and destinations are also reviewing their own guidelines.
As of Sept. 3, the Bahamas, a preferred stop for cruise ships, requires that all passengers 12 years of age or older be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of berthing ships. This has prompted companies like Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival to announce this week that they will adopt the same requirement. Companies will request a government immunization card or a registration from a health care provider.
They have been able to do so in Florida after a federal judge this month temporarily blocked a state law prohibiting cruise lines from forcing passengers to prove they are vaccinated.
Businesses also again require masks in the interior areas of ships and other places where people gather.
“Unfortunately, right now, no place on land or sea is free of COVID,” Carnival Corp. said. in a written statement.
Carnaval commented on the case of a 77-year-old woman who was vaccinated and then fell ill with the virus. The company said the woman “almost certainly didn’t hire COVID on our boat,” suggesting she was already infected when she boarded.
Neither cruise lines nor the federal government report how many cases they have had on their ships. They have only acknowledged that there have been infections.
However, Belize officials recently reported that 26 crew members and a passenger on a Carnival cruise – all of whom had been vaccinated – tested positive for COVID-19. They said they all had mild symptoms or not, and were isolated.
Jaime Katz, an analyst who covers the cruise industry at financial services company Morningstar, said that while many high-risk travelers could postpone their trips, others will continue to book for the future, betting that the current wave of cases will decrease by the time your ship sails.
“Flexible booking and cancellation policies have made the cruise more enjoyable for nervous travelers,” he said.
Companies offer full refunds if people test positive for COVID-19 or decide to cancel it after a cruise line shortens the duration of a scheduled trip. Royal Caribbean International also offers to fly people home if they or someone in their party tests positive during the cruise.
Chris Woronka, an analyst at Deutsche Bank that tracks the leisure industry, said cruise ships, including those over 65, are an avid group, so eager to get back into the water that they won’t be easily deterred by the current rise of COVID and stricter travel requirements.
“I don’t think this is permanent unless we’re dealing with delta 2.0 or whatever,” Woronka said.
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Koenig reported from Dallas.