Eligibility For Ship Color Status
The color-coding system is only applicable to cruise ships operating or planning to operate in U.S. waters. Status of ships is dependent upon daily submission of the Enhanced Data Collection during COVID-19 Pandemic form.
CDC has confirmed that the ships listed in the table below are operating under health and safety protocols that align with CDCs standards for protecting passengers, crew, port personnel, and communities by mitigating the public health risks posed by COVID-19. Gray-designated ships may have their own COVID-19 health and safety protocols, which CDC has not reviewed or confirmed.
When a cruise ship operating under the CSO notifies CDC of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on board, CDC determines whether an investigation is needed, based on a predetermined investigation threshold. This investigation threshold gives CDC and the cruise industry the ability to work closely together to protect the health and safety of those on board and in communities.
Virgin Voyages Review Of Their First Cruise Ship Scarlet Lady
Virgin Voyages is a new adults only cruise line that recently sailed their first cruise out of the Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami.I was on that first sailing on Scarlet Lady, the cruise lines first of four cruise ships. While I was on board, I wrote my first impressions of Virgin Voyages and you can read that here. Now that I am home from the cruise, here is my full comprehensive review
Adding Layers Of Protection
Covid is predominantly transmitted indoors in poorly ventilated areas where people are not wearing masks, and on cruises, there are a lot of people in close contact indoors, some of which are not wearing masks, Bogoch said.
Last month, the CDC revised its masking guidance for cruises, advising against allowing fully vaccinated crew to remove their masks in areas inaccessible to passengers, designating areas for the fully vaccinated where masks and social distancing are not required or allowing passengers and crew to refrain from masking or social distancing on cruises where more than 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated.
” are right now moving in the direction of being tougher on those requirements, but you’re still not going to have people masked at all times, it’s impossible,” said Chris Woronka, an analyst at Deutsche Bank. “You might see tighter requirements or recommendations or requests on some of this stuff on masks on ships, but it’s just not going to be perfect.”
Also, even with all the protocols in place, the companies are likely to see an occassional Covid case, according to Woronka.
“It’s going about as well as one could expect. I think there was never any vision that this was going to be perfect,” Woronka said.
Dr. Bogoch said each rule or safety protocol adds a layer of protection. The more layers you have, the less likely it is for the virus to spread on board, he said.
The cruise operators have been regularly updating their guidance as more ships set sail.
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Canada To Reopen To Cruise Ships Earlier Than Planned
The Canadian government had a ban on cruise ships from its ports through February 2022, but announced it will lift the ban earlier than planned.
Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced the prohibition will now be lifted as of Nov. 1, which doesnt really help the economy for 2021, but does ensure planning for 2022.
As Canadians have done their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our government continues to work hard to safely restart our economy and build back better, Alghabra said. We will welcome cruise ships an important part of our tourism sector back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season.
The lucrative Alaska sailing season usually runs from May-September while eastern Canadian ports get a lot of business during the fall color season. With the COVID-19 pandemic, ports in places like British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, will have missed out on two seasons.
The cruise industry halted in March 2020, and only in the last month has sailed in the Western Hemisphere. Canada, though, remains off the board. The block of Canadian ports prompted the U.S. government to pass a law that would temporarily allow foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing from U.S. ports for Alaska sailings to bypass the requirement of docking at at least one foreign port during their sailing. Without a Canadian stop on the itinerary, most cruise lines would have been blocked from Alaska sailings without the U.S. intervention.
Msc: Cruising In Spain Cruising In The Uk
MSC Grandiosa was the first cruise ship to set sail from the port of Barcelona in more than a year.
The vessel left the port on the last weekend of June, taking passengers from EU and Schengen countries towards Italy and Malta. Passengers have to adhere to several health and safety standards, taking tests after disembarkation.
Barcelona is an integral part of our year-round itineraries in the Mediterranean and to see it reopen for our guests from Spain and other countries in Europe is extremely gratifying, said MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato. As the first cruise line to offer international cruises from Spain we are sure that our Spanish guests will enjoy the convenience of embarkation in Barcelona on Saturdays and enjoy the popular itinerary that MSC Grandiosa offers in the Mediterranean.
The Mediterranean is not the only place where MSC is restarting its operation. In May, the company announced the opening of the UK cruising season, travelling towards the British Isles, initially with mini cruises and then with full-week cruises.
We are proud to be the first cruise line to set sail from UK waters this summer and offer holidaymakers the chance to experience all of the new and incredible features on board our latest and most innovative ship, commented MSC UK managing director Antonio Paradiso.
Other itineraries will include the Baltic Sea, the east and west Mediterranean including Tunisia and, starting from November 2021, the Caribbean.
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Royal Caribbean Ceo: Things Are Looking Up
Brianna Volz, Digital Journalist
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. Royal Caribbean cruise ships will soon set sail from Florida ports once again after more than a yearlong hiatus due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Before the cruise ships can reopen to the public, they must first conduct simulated sailings with the approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley took to Facebook on Thursday to announce that the cruise line has gotten approval from the CDC for simulated sailings as soon as next month.
Yippee. Just got approval from the CDC for our simulated sailings on Allure of the Seas for July 27 to July 29 from Port Canaveral and Symphony of the Seas sailing from Miami on August 1st to 3rd, Bayley wrote in the post.
Yippee. Just got approval from the CDC for our simulated sailings on Allure of the Seas for July 27 to July 29 from Port Canaveral and Symphony of the Seas sailing from Miami on August 1st to 3rd.
Posted by Michael Bayley on Thursday, June 3, 2021
Bayley seems to think its a step in the right direction, replying Things are looking up! to a Facebook user who commented on his original post.
Just a few days ago, the cruise line announced that it got approval from the CDC to host a simulated cruise on the ship Freedom of the Seas June 20-22. The CDC approval letter by Bayley didnt say from which port that ship will be sailing.
Cruises Are Resuming And Countries Are Reopening Borders
As we look to the beginning of summer, which officially begins on June 20th, eagerness for adventure and travel is at an all-time high. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and business closures have made life stand still. This year, many are ready to dust off their suitcases and get back out into the world of travel.
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Vaccinations And Testing Are Essential
A key part of the CDCs updated guidelines allows cruise lines to forego the onerous simulated voyages and lengthy notification periods that had been part of the original orderon the condition that they meet the requirements that virtually all passengers and crew on each sailing are fully vaccinated . The guidelines also allow vaccinated passengers to present results from faster, cheaper antigen tests prior to boarding instead of the more involved PCR test, although individual cruise lines may elect to impose more stringent requirements.
There may also be fewer children onboard sailings this summer, as vaccines are not yet approved for children under 16. Some cruise lines will allow unvaccinated children to sail with a negative PCR test, while others will not allow any unvaccinated passengers regardless of age. It’s important to read and reach out to the cruise line directly when booking a sailing, to be sure you’re meeting all of their protocols in order to sail.
In addition to following specific cruise line requirements, its also vital that guests review the vaccination and testing requirements for entering the country from which they’re departing if theyre traveling to a cruise that sails outside the U.S.
Cdc Framework And Its Impact On The Resumption Of Cruises
With the new “Framework for Conditional Sailing,” cruise lines now have a much clearer path to getting back to sailing, though certainly not easy.
While the framework lays out a path, there are no actual dates specified within the process. There are, however, certain steps that the CDC says cruise lines must follow.
The framework itself is a series of measures that cruise lines must take, falling into four categories:
Within each of these categories are multiple measures cruise lines must take in order to complete the framework. Once completed, then the cruise lines can apply for a “Conditional Sailing Certificate” to return to sailing.
For a full explanation of all the steps and their requirements, see our article here.
Recently, the CDC eased some rules for cruise lines if they sail fully vaccinated trips where 98% of crew and 95% of passengers have the shot. For instance, if a cruise ship sails a fully vaccinated trip, they can skip the simulated voyages, drastically cutting down the time needed to meet the CDC requirements.
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The Restart Is Underway
The restart of cruise operations is underway by multiple cruise lines already and more will begin resuming through the remainder of 2021. The two largest cruise lines for Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have already restarted with a limited number of ships from the US as the situation theres is moving forward quickly.
The Celebrity Edge cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean group became the first to restart operations with regular passengers from the US which departed on June 26 out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Freedom of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International, was the first cruise ship to be approved for a test sailing at the end of June. That was then followed by the vessel resuming out of Miami, Florida on July 2, 2021.
When it comes to Carnival Cruise Line, as of July 21, a total of three ships have already restarted sailings. Carnival Vista was the first to resume in the fleet when she departed Galveston, Texas on July 3, 2021. Carnival Horizon was then the second in the fleet to resume when the ship departed out of Miami, Florida on July 4, 2021. Carnival Breeze was then the third in the fleet and resume from the Port of Galveston on July 15.
In Canada, the situation has just recently made a major step forward towards reopening for cruise ships. On July 15, the government announced that from that have a capacity of over 100. As long as cruise lines follow the health protocols, then they will be able to resume from that date.
Why Carnival Keeps Rebounding
Shares of the three largest publicly traded cruise line companies Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian are all down more than 80% so far this year, putting the valuations of the big three at multiyear lows.
Carnival and Royal Caribbean did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment, and Norwegian declined to comment.
Carnival is no stranger to calamity, and when its stock price has taken a hit, it has shown it can recover.
Over the years, the company has faced every disaster you can envision, from viral outbreaks, to colliding ships, flooding, and fires. But perhaps its two biggest scars are the sinking of the Costa Concordia off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 passengers, and an engine-room fire that left the Carnival Triumph without power for days, causing toilets to backup and human waste to overflow into rooms and hallways. That so-called “poop cruise” gripped global media.
Carnival wasn’t defeated. It sunk hundreds of millions of dollars into upgrading its systems across the fleet, and it gave the Carnival Triumph its own $200 million makeover, plus a new name.
After each one of these crises, Carnival’s stock mostly rebounded. Lately, things haven’t been looking quite as good for Carnival’s stock. It has been steadily declining since 2018 and began 2020 at a lower share price than in 2016. On Tuesday, Carnival announced it would suspend dividend payments.
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Cdc Approves First Cruise From Florida But Desantis May Stand In The Way
Federal health officials have approved the first passenger cruise from the U.S. from Fort Lauderdale in June but Floridas governor insists he will block company plans to require passengers be vaccinated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday gave Royal Caribbean Group approval to start seven-nightcruises to the Caribbeanon its Celebrity Cruises brand ship, Celebrity Edge, on June 26, according to an agency spokesperson. The ship is the first to win Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approval for revenue cruises since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The approval is a welcome milestone for the cruise industry, which has been paralyzed in the U.S. since March 2020 after COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths on several ships.
For the past 15 months our conversations with friends and loved ones about seeing the world have been accompanied by the phrase someday. Im beyond proud and excited to say that day has arrived, said Celebrity Cruises CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo in a statement. The June 26 cruise will leave from Port Everglades and visit Mexico and The Bahamas.
Celebrity Cruises spokesperson Susan Lomax said the company has opted to comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions vaccination threshold and will require all crew and passengers 16 years old and older to be vaccinated. The age requirement will drop to 12 years old on Aug. 1.
We are working with the Governors office to align on the path forward, she said via email.
Further Changes Are Possible
The situation worldwide is changing weekly, and cruise lines are working with the relevant authorities for a safe return. Its all very fluid, and the restart dates may change even further. The CDC has been making some adjustments recently with relaxing masks and social distancing rules for vaccinated guests.
Also Read: CDC Ditches Mask and Social Distancing Rules for Vaccinated Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line still plans to restart in August from Florida but parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings recently filed a lawsuit against Florida on the states vaccine passport ban. The result of this could have an impact on any protocols the line implements.
The ongoing saga between the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Florida has still not been resolved. In fact, just recently, the CDC successfully got a hold on Florida being allowed to overrule its Conditional Sailing Order. On July 19, the Florida Governor said it will come out on top and could take its lawsuit against the CDC as far as the supreme court.
Cruise Hive will continue to monitor any new developments, so keep checking this detailed page for when cruises resume, not just this year but in 2022.
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Puerto Rico To Reopen On July 15
Last week, Puerto Rico’s Governor announced the island will reopen and remove nearly all the restrictions it had in place, which includes the reopening of beaches and international travel prohibitions.
Gov. Wanda Vázquez said Puerto Rico will welcome tourists back beginning on July 15.
Puerto Rico’s Visitor Heatlh & Safety Guidelines lists certain measures still in place even once the island reopens, including arriving passengers “may be asked to self quarantine for 14 days no matter the symptoms.”
In addition, the Puerto Rico National Guard is assisting with health screenings of all arriving passengers in the airport.
Masks will still be required while outside the home and inside any business.
“These have been hard decisions,” she said. “Now its up to each one of us…to decide where to go and how to go about it.”
The announcement does not specify cruise ships.
Cruises From Port Tampa Bay Are Back With Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
Cruises from the Port of Tampa are back with Royal Caribbean becoming the first cruise line to restart operations. Serenade of the Seas is the first cruise ship since March last year sailing from the city with guests onboard. The vessel has already been sailing this year in Alaska, where she started operation on July 19.As with all Royal Caribbean ships, Serenade of the Seas will be sailing with
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When Will Cruises Resume A Line
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Editors note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.
The Great Cruise Shutdown is finally coming to an end.
A growing number of cruise ships also are restarting operations in Europe and other destinations around the world, and small vessels have resumed operations on U.S. rivers and intracoastal waterways.
Still, only a very small fraction of the worlds cruise vessels are currently back to sailing. It could be many months before a majority of cruise vessels are operating, and some lines already have said it could be well into 2022 before they return to normal service.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into the launch plans for startup lines Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Virgin Voyages. Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has now pushed back its inaugural voyage to Nov. 10. Virgin Voyages has pushed back its big debut in Miami to the fall . Both lines were originally due to debut in 2020.
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Heres a look at when major river, ocean and expedition cruise brands that market to North Americans say theyll resume operations:
Adventure Canada has canceled sailings on Ocean Endeavour until 2022.