Return of cruises from the USA: The ban on cruises has been lifted!
On October 30, 2020, the CDC lifted its order banning cruises from US ports in favor of a so-called “permit with restrictions”: the cruise ban has been lifted and the industry will work with the CDC on a phased return for operation.
Everyone who is somehow involved in cruises: the army of thousands of employees of the cruise companies themselves; seaport personnel; dozens of companies that service ships and make cruise life as we know and love it; cruise tour operators and travel agents; and finally, the cruisers themselves, we have all been waiting for this day since March of this year.
The revival of cruises in the most popular regions is beginning! Following the Mediterranean, preparations begin for the resumption of cruises in the Caribbean region.
Why is the importance of this event so significant? The fact is that most of the most popular cruise companies among cruisers are subject to US law. Therefore, when European cruise lines began to revive with Mediterranean cruises in August and September of this year, all American ships were idle in different regions of the world.
“The first phase of this process will include testing crew members and providing additional safety precautions for them,” the CDC said in a statement posted on its website. At this point, CDC will ensure that cruise ship operators provide adequate health and safety protections for crew while establishing the laboratory capacity needed to test passengers.
Subsequent stages will include:
• test cruises to test cruise lines’ ability to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19
• certification of vessels that meet special requirements
• a phased return to passenger flights in a manner that reduces the risk of COVID-19 among passengers, crew, and U.S. residents.
These phases may be modified based on public health concerns and cruise ship operators’ demonstrated ability to reduce the risk of spreading COVID19. CDC will issue additional orders as necessary, which will be published in the Federal Register, as well as technical guidance, which will subsequently be posted on the CDC website
The plan allows individual cruise lines to move through the phases at different speeds, the agency said. In particular, it allows those companies that successfully meet all public health requirements to return to work and cruises with passengers more quickly. While other companies may, by necessity, move through the stages more slowly.
The CDC said the plan not only rewards cruise lines that are more successful in controlling the spread of COVID-19, but also provides a realistic timetable for returning to operations. This schedule takes into account that COVID-19 will still be present in the world and will still impact cruises.
The phased approach will include:
• organizing laboratory tests for crew on board cruise ships in US waters;
• 15 simulated voyages designed to test cruise lines’ ability to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on cruise ships;
• certification process
• return to passenger voyages in a manner that reduces the risk of introduction, transmission or spread of COVID-19 among passengers and crew on board ships and ashore at ports of call.
You can get any advice on cruises from our cruise experts.
