Cruises could start sailing from U.S. ports this summer, according to a letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the cruise industry that USA TODAY …
Cruises could start sailing from U.S. ports this summer, according to a letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the cruise industry that USA TODAY obtained late Wednesday. While the letter somewhat clarified the murky time frame for cruises to resume stateside – potentially by mid-July, pending cruise lines, ships and ports meeting certain requirements – it leaves plenty of questions for cruisers who may be considering booking. And while the CDC outlined a potential restart date, that doesn’t mean that the restrictions on cruises are lifted. The CDC offered clarifications to its guidance and still expects cruise lines to meet its requirements before sailing can resume. USA TODAY sought out expert insights on what it all means for those looking to book or take a cruise. Before sailing, ships have to meet the CDC’s COVID health and safety requirements, but that doesn’t mean boarding a cruise ship is without risk. « Cruising during a global pandemic is difficult, » Caitlin Shockey, spokesperson for the CDC, told USA TODAY. « While cruising will always pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission, CDC is committed to ensuring that cruise ship passenger operations are conducted in a way that protects crew members, passengers and port personnel, particularly with emerging COVID-19 variants of concern, » Shockey said. « The beginning of the pandemic was a unique and difficult time for everybody, but we have learned so much since that time — and those lessons have been applied to almost every facet of cruise operations today, » Golin-Blaugrund told USA TODAY Thursday.
