Cruising could resume as early as mid-July, CDC says

98% of crew, 95% of passengers will need to be fully vaccinated

Reports: CDC may allow cruises to resume in mid-summer

Ready to set sail? CDC said that cruising could resume in mid-summer in the U.S., according to USA TODAY.

Spokesperson Caitlin Shockey told the news outlet that cruises could begin passenger voyages from the U.S. as early as mid-July depending on cruise lines’ pace and their ability to follow the CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order.

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“CDC looks forward to continued engagement with the industry and urges cruise lines to submit Phase 2A port agreements as soon as possible to maintain the timeline of passenger voyages by mid-July,” Shockey said.

According to a letter obtained by USA TODAY, the CDC is well aware that cruising will never be risk-free but intend to prioritize passenger safety.

“We acknowledge that cruising will never be a zero-risk activity and that the goal of the CSO’s phased approach is to resume passenger operations in a way that mitigates the risk of COVID-19 transmission onboard cruise ships and across port communities,” Aimee Treffiletti, head of the Maritime Unit for CDC’s COVID-19 response within its Global Mitigation Task Force for COVID-19, said in the letter.

After observing industry feedback, the CDC elaborated on five guidelines that will need to be in place if cruises resume:

  • Ships can bypass required simulated test voyages and resume sailings with paying passengers as long as 98% of crew members and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated.
  • It will now take the CDC five days to respond to applications from cruise lines for simulated voyages rather than 60 days.
  • The CDC’s testing and quarantine requirements for passengers and crew members on cruises will follow CDC’s guidance for fully vaccinated people.
  • According to the CDC, cruise ship operators might enter into a “multi-port agreement” instead of a single-port agreement. This transition will be dependent on whether all port and local authorities sign the agreement.
  • The CDC also elaborated on quarantine guidelines for passengers who are exposed to or contract COVID-19. It said that local passengers will be allowed to drive home and passengers who have traveled by air to cruise can quarantine in a hotel.

About the Author:

Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.