The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guide issued Friday that will finally allow the resumption of cruises in U.S. waters, although it did not include a date for when ships will be allowed to sail.
The CDC first issued a no-sail order in March 2020 and the the industry, which has been operating under a “conditional navigation order” (CSO) since late October, is demanding that an appointment be re-navigated.
Instead, the agency on Friday offered technical instructions on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and how to deal with outbreaks at sea.
According to the CDC, this phase of the conditional navigation order will include simulated voyages that will allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operating procedures with volunteers before sailing with passengers.
The CDC update includes a requirement to increase the frequency of COVID-19 reports from weekly to daily. It also updates a color coding system used to classify ships related to COVID-19 and addresses routine crew testing based on the color status of the ship.
“Navigating safely and responsibly during a global pandemic is difficult,” the CDC said in a statement. “While the cruise will always pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission, after the CSO phases it will be ensured that cruise passenger operations are conducted in a manner that protects crew members, passengers and port staff, especially with concerns “.
The update comes after the cruise industry last week called for the CDC to allow resumption of cruises from U.S. ports in early July.
The Cruise Lines International Association industrial group said a July restart would align the industry President Biden
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“The lack of any action by the CDC has effectively banned all crossings in the world’s largest cruise market,” the group wrote. “The obsolete CSO, which was released almost five months ago, does not reflect the industry’s proven advances and success in other parts of the world, nor the advent of vaccines, and treats cruiseers unfairly differently. “.
Companies have announced the resumption of cruises to other parts of the world. Royal Caribbean in early March announced that it would hold a “completely vaccinated” cruise. The new cruise line ship, Odyssey of the Seas, will launch from Haifa, Israel, for the first time in May.