CDC Cruise Ship Timeline: From No Sail to the End of the COVID-19 Program

CDC Cruise Ship Timeline: From No Sail to the End of the COVID-19 Program

With the CDC  dropping its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, Cruise Industry News looks at the timeline that led to the decision.

Week of March 9, 2020: Despite efforts by the industry’s lobby group CLIA, cruise lines decide to voluntarily suspend operations in the United States. Most companies plan 30-day operation pauses, aiming for early April resumptions.

March 14, 2020: The CDC issues a No Sail Order, essentially banning cruise ship operations in U.S. ports for 30 days.

April 9, 2020: The No Sail Order is extended for the first time and is now valid for an additional 100 days. During the same announcement, the health agency defines additional parameters for the expiration of the ban, such as the official end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.   

July 16, 2020: The CDC extends the No Sail Order again, this time setting a September 30 expiration date.

July 23, 2020: After extending the No Sail Order, the CDC asks for public input on new cruise protocols.

September 30, 2020: Previously set to expire on September 30, the No Sail Order is extended for another month.

October 30, 2020: The CDC finally drops the No Sail Order, replacing it with a new Conditional Sail Order. The 40-page regulation plan is said to allow cruise lines to start planning their return to service through a framework of phases and public health measures.

November 21, 2020: While cruise operators work to meet the Conditional Sail Order requirements, CDC raises its warning for cruise travel. The health agency now advises against cruising, with a Level 4 warning.

December 31, 2020: As the year ends, no operator has been granted permission to return to service in the U.S. under the original Conditional Sail Order guidance.

March 24, 2021: After Royal Caribbean’s then-CEO Richard Fain speaks out against CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sail Order, calling it “unworkable," more pressure is put on the organization to relax its set of rules for cruising. Mentioning the advance of the COVID-19 vaccination across the country, CLIA asks the health agency to allow for a return of operations by the beginning of July.

April 2, 2021: The CDC issues the first new cruise guidance since October 2020, outlining a technical framework that would allow for the resumption of sailing.

April 3, 2021: Three U.S. Senators introduce an act to revoke the Conditional Sail Order. Called CRUISE Act, the bill requires the CDC to provide mitigation guidance for cruise lines to resume safe domestic operations.

April 5, 2021: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces a lawsuit against the Biden Administration, the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services to allow cruises to restart in the United States.

April 25, 2021: The CRUISE Act is blocked from passing in the Senate and the Conditional Sail Order continues to be the way for the service return.

April 28, 2021: In a letter sent to cruise lines, the CDC says it is looking at a timeline that will allow restarting of the U.S. cruise industry by mid-July.

May 5, 2021:  In yet another step for cruise resumption, the CDC publishes technical instructions for cruise ship operators preparing to conduct simulated voyages in advance of restricted passenger voyages under the COVID-19 Conditional Sail Certificate.

May 15, 2021: The CDC releases further updates to the Conditional Sail Order, paving the way for the restart of cruise operations in the United States. The changes add new rules for screening of embarking passengers, vaccination requirements and more.

May 18, 2021: The State of Florida's lawsuit to reopen the cruise industry against the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services heads to mediation.

May 25, 2021: Under the Conditional Sail Order, Royal Caribbean International becomes the first cruise line to receive the CDC’s approval for a simulated voyage with volunteers.

May 26, 2021: The CDC significantly relaxes cruise ship regulations for passengers and crew that have been vaccinated against COVID-19, allowing a quicker restart of the industry.

June 17, 2021: Seven months after raising it, the CDC lowers its warning against cruise travel from Level 4 to Level 3.

June 26, 2021: As more cruise lines get ready for test voyages, Celebrity Cruises becomes the first cruise major company to resume service in North America. Sailing from Port Everglades, the Celebrity Edge launches the first U.S.-based cruise in over 15 months.

First Week of July 2021: More operators resume service in the U.S., including Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International.

August 21, 2021: The CDC issues updated guidance that says that people who are at high risk of severe complications from COVID-19 should avoid cruise ships.

October 25, 2021: With most of the U.S.-based cruise lines and various ships now in service, the Conditional Sail Order is extended by the CDC. The extension of the framework is valid through January 15, 2022.

December 30, 2021: The CDC once again raises its warning for Americans going on cruises, telling them to avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status. After being lowered just a few months back, the warning returns to Level 4, the highest such level.

January 15, 2022: Despite pushbacks from some U.S. politicians, the CDC lets the Conditional Sail Order expire. To replace the guidance, the health agency prepares a new voluntary plan, which cruise lines will opt-in.  

February 9, 2022: The CDC finally releases its new COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships operating in U.S. waters. The program is recommended and includes the continuity of the agency’s colour status system for disease cases on ships.

February 19, 2022: Ten days after the revelation of the new CDC program, 18 cruise brands and 110 ships have officially enrolled in it.

March 15, 2022: After being initially lowered in February, the CDC’s warning for cruise travel goes down once again. For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk is classified with a Level 2 (moderate) warning.

March 30, 2022: The CDC finally drops its cruise health travel warning notice after two years.   

July 18, 2022: The CDC ends its COVID-19 program for cruise ships. The health agency also reportedly stops tracking cases of the disease on cruise vessels.

CDC Ends COVID-19 Program For Cruise Ships

CDC Ends COVID-19 Program For Cruise Ships

Centres for Disease Control and Prevent

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent on Monday ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships.

"New guidance for cruise ships to mitigate and manage COVID-19 transmission will be available in the coming days," the CDC said in a statement on its website.

While no guidance was immediately available, this would point to cruise line's being able to set their own vaccination and testing rules for ships operating or calling in U.S. ports.

The CDC will also reportedly stop tracking COVID-19 cases on cruise ships, having launched a dashboard earlier this year.

The CDC's Program for Cruise Ships replaced the previous Conditional Sail Order, which went through multiple revisions that led to the industry's 2021 restart in North America. That Order had replaced the original No Sail Order that was issued in March 2020.

Florida Eyeing Legal Options to Restart Cruise Industry

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody are keeping all options open to restart the cruise industry in Florida, and are discussing legal strategies, said the Governor, speaking at Port Canaveral during a roundtable discussion on Friday.

“The Attorney General and I have been discussing what potential options we have on the legal side,” he said.

“Let’s appeal to the CDC and let’s try to get the guidance without having to go down that road,” he said. “Obviously at some point, we need a way forward.”

DeSantis noted a strong effort in 2020 to lift the CDC’s No Sail Order, and admitted he thought they had a plan in place to have it lifted by the end of the year.

“The previous administration was supportive of doing it, but the CDC was not. I think what we’ve seen is a continuation of that,” said DeSantis.

"If you keep this No Sail Order in place, Americans are still going to be taking cruises, they are just going to be taking them from the Bahamas or Bermuda," he added.

What We Know About Royal Caribbean’s Free Test Cruises

Thanks to https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/ 

Significant demand was born as a result of Royal Caribbean International’s announcement for the search of volunteers to go on its first test sailings prior to returning to sea in the U.S.

So much that a form has been created to sign up, which saw more than 150,000 hopeful cruise lovers leave their details.

“It's a good feeling knowing that so many people want to get back on ships,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president for sales, trade support, and service at Royal Caribbean International, on Dec. 8 in response to the demand.

The company has also launched a website for potential volunteers to sign up.

Cruise Industry News breaks down what is known about the sailings. 

What are they?

The test sailings are part of the new Conditional Framework by the CDC, which came in place of the "No Sail" order. They will include the company having a number of trial cruises using employees and volunteers as stand-in passengers to test safety and health protocols. 

Trial sailings are said to be monitored by company officials, a third-party class society, as well as the CDC.

When will they take place?

Likely the first quarter of 2021, possibly even January. Here’s a quote from Freed at Virtually Yours forum organized by Cruise Planners:

“We don't know exactly when the test sailings are going to happen – we think in Q1, and we're hoping for January.”

Which vessels will be taking part?

Industry sources previously stated that they expect the Mariner and Navigator of the Seas, the company's recently-refurbished "short Caribbean" ships, to be the vessels pressed into service.

On what itineraries?

Freed said in November that the first cruises will be short sailings to CocoCay, which would allow the company to operate in a bubble on its own private island.

Who gets to go?

More than 150,000 people signed up, according to Royal Caribbean International, so it will be tough to choose from them. Apart from cruise line workers and CDC staff, the cruise line is likely to choose volunteers among its most loyal customers.

"We haven't figured out our protocols yet for the volunteers but certainly loyalty status will be a key selector," said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ president, and CEO during the International Cruise Summit that took place on Dec. 1-2. “Our top tier has the name of Pinnacle and they've cruised with us a gazillion times … they'll be amongst the first to receive the invitation."

Freed said on Dec. 8 that the company’s travel partners will be invited, too.

What about safety?

Royal Caribbean is working on ensuring they are conducted safely and in compliance with the regulations.

“While we review the requirements proposed by the CDC and consider when we can host our simulated trial sailings, we are gathering information from those who have shown interest on our Volunteers of the Seas Facebook page. Our priority is to ensure that we can exercise our comprehensive set of measures in a safe and healthy manner while making sure we provide a memorable vacation experience,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement.

Yet a lot of information is still to be released about the sailings.

“We will be announcing more as we get more information,” Freed said. “So, we look forward to it; we're looking forward to it.”

Cruise Lines Extend U.S. Sailing Suspension Until 2021

The trade association representing 95 per cent of the global ocean-going ships says its members will maintain the voluntary suspension of cruise ship operations in the U.S. through the end of the year.

Cruise Lines International Association members include brands of Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, the three largest cruise ship groups. Each made their own separate announcements related to suspending U.S. cruises through the end of the year on Monday.

The voluntary suspension comes less than a week after the U.S. CDC issued framework guidance to resume cruise operations in earnest despite surging cases and recent warnings from government scientists that cruise ship travel exacerbates the spread of COVID-19. The CDC’s No Sail Order, which was first issued in March and later expanded multiple times, expired on October 31.

The framework requires cruise lines to “demonstrate adherence to testing, quarantine and isolation, and social distancing requirements to protect crew members while they build the laboratory capacity needed to test crew and future passengers.”

CLIA said today that extending the sailing suspension through the end of the year will give its members time to implement the extensive measures set out by the CDC and the guidance of outside public health experts.

The suspension has created unprecedented losses for cruise lines and beaten down cruise stocks. According to CLIA, the cruise industry generates over $53 billion in annual economic activity and supports 421,000 jobs in the United States. The cancellation of cruises since for nearly eight months has resulted in estimated losses of more than $25 billion in economic activity and over 164,000 American jobs.

The Association issued the following statement on behalf of its members:

“As we continue to plan for a gradual and highly-controlled return of cruise operations in the U.S., CLIA members are committed to implementing stringent measures to address COVID-19 safety, including 100% testing of passengers and crew, expanded onboard medical capabilities, and trial sailings, among many others. We share a common goal with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect public health, which has been affirmed and reaffirmed consistently throughout the industry’s response to the global pandemic. As we work to operationalize a path forward, our members have agreed to extend our existing suspension of U.S. operations through December 31. This action will provide additional time to align the industry’s extensive preparation of health protocols with the implementation requirements under the CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing and Initial Phase COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Protection of Crew. We recognize the devastating impact that the pandemic continues to have on the 421,000 Americans whose livelihoods are connected directly to cruise operations. We will work with urgency to advance a responsible return to cruising while maintaining a focus on effective, science-based measures to protect public health.”

CLIA’s statement added:

“In the nearly eight months that cruise operations in the U.S. have been suspended, CLIA members have been diligent in the planning and development of rigorous protocols in the interest of the health and safety of passengers, crew and the communities cruise lines serve. The public health protocols that CLIA members have agreed to adopt have been informed by the recommendations of world-class experts in public health and science, as well as the experiences of CLIA member lines who have resumed sailing in Europe and other parts of the world with approval from local and regional governments.”

US ‘no sail’ order for cruises extended until October 31

A ‘no sail’ order imposed on US cruise lines due to Covid-19 has been extended by a month until October 31.

Reports had suggested that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wanted the order to be extended until February 15, 2021.

However, the new edict in a 29-page document from the CDC came as cruise industry body Clia in the US volunteered to continue to suspension of sailings until the end of October.

The CDC had previously extended the order first made in March, to April, July and September “to protect public health”.

A Clia US spokesperson said: “We look forward to engaging in a thoughtful and productive dialogue with our partners and regulators in the United States to return to cruising in the region.”

The latest move follows cruise lines putting forward series of health and safety protocols as part of lobbying efforts to allow a return of operations. These include crew and passenger testing, the wearing of masks, enhanced cruise ship ventilation, stringent response procedures and shore excursion protocols to make it safe to sail during the pandemic.

Efforts are also being made in the UK to persuade the government to lift its ban on cruising from British ports at a time when limited sailings have resumed in the Mediterranean by companies such as MSC Cruises, Costa and Tui Cruises.

Clia president and chief executive Kelly Craighead said: “Based on what we are seeing in Europe, and following months of collaboration with leading public health experts, scientists, and governments, we are confident that these measures will provide a pathway for the return of limited sailings from the US before the end of this year.”

The extension of the US cruise ban came as the CDC revealed 3,689 confirmed cases of the virus on cruise ships and 41 deaths between March 1 and September 28.

The data also showed a total of 102 outbreaks on 124 ships, meaning more than 82% of ships within US jurisdiction were affected by Covid-19 during this time.

Four vessels still have “ongoing or resolving” Covid-19 outbreaks on board.

“Recent outbreaks on cruise ships overseas continue to demonstrate that reduced capacity alone has not diminished transmission,” the CDC said.

This highlighted the need for “further action prior to cruise ships safely resuming passenger operations in the United States”.

CDC said it supported a decision by Clia and its members to voluntarily extend the suspension of operations for passenger cruise ship travel through to October 31.

“CDC further supports the decisions of numerous cruise ship operators that have voluntarily cancelled scheduled voyages involving US ports beyond the date specified by Clia, including Cunard, Crystal Cruises, Holland America, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruise Lines, Viking Ocean Cruises and Windstar Cruises.

“However, because not all cruise ship operators subject to the no sail order are members of Clia or have made similar commitments, CDC is extending its no sail order to continue to protect the public’s health by ensuring that passenger operations do not resume prematurely.”

CLIA anticipates talks with CDC on return to the sea

MSC Magnifica at anchor in Queensferry Edinburgh

Days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the No Sail Order for cruise ships from U.S. ports through September, CLIA expressed confidence that it was close to starting a meaningful dialogue with the agency about resuming sailings. 

CLIA global chair Adam Goldstein said that so far, its engagement with the CDC has focused mostly on the health and repatriation of crew members who were still aboard ships in U.S. waters. 

The CDC had not thus far engaged meaningfully with CLIA and the industry about resuming service, Goldstein said, but he was encouraged that would begin, citing commentary in the No Sail Order extension that indicated “a willingness for information exchange and development of approaches beyond what we had seen from them before.”

CLIA was also encouraged that its voluntary suspension through Sept. 15 closely aligned with the CDC’s No Sail Order extension to Sept. 30.

“The fact that we’re beginning to converge makes us more optimistic that the kind of engagement we’re looking for with the CDC as our regulator will begin in the near future and will allow their experts, our experts, our operations personnel, our leaders and their leaders to have the kind of dialogue that will result in the safe and successful resumption of service,” Goldstein said. 

According to CLIA, being involved in such high-level talks with regulators in Europe has helped enable the resumption of limited cruise operations in Germany and Norway. 

“The EU has engaged with us fairly intensively through multiple rounds of discussion to work toward an EU guidance permitting national regulators to adopt appropriate regulations, which, in combination with our protocols, we believe is what put Germany and Norway in a condition to restart under the limited conditions,” Goldstein said. 

CLIA believes more European countries in the near term may also begin limited cruise operations. 

“This is a reflection of one of the expectations we’ve had for a couple months now -- that cruising would restart in kind of a sequential manner,” Goldstein said. 

CLIA’s primary focus is still on its members’ primary source market, North America, and most popular destinations: the Caribbean, Alaska, Bermuda and Mexico. Goldstein said that CLIA and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association are in dialogue with destinations around North America “to work toward alignment” on how they can confidently open up to cruise ship visits.

“In order for the North American cruise market to regenerate, two things need to be true: The cruise industry needs approval from the CDC to resume operations in and out of the U.S., and the ports of call need to accept the ships,” Goldstein said. “This critical work will take time, but it is in everyone’s interest to come to a mutually agreeable approach.” 

In what seemed to be a response to the CDC’s citing a lack of consensus among cruise lines and the need for additional industry-led efforts regarding safely resuming passenger operations, Goldstein said that over the next weeks and months, CLIA expects to emerge with one or more policies that members will eventually sign onto in response to the pandemic.

“Our goal remains to emerge with a unified approach policy-wise across the associations that all member lines will sign up for,” he said. “I can’t tell you when that will occur or the steps that will get us there.”

CDC extends No Sail Order for the U.S. cruising through Sept. 30

CDC extends No Sail Order for the U.S. cruising through Sept. 30

By Johanna Jainchill

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the No Sail Order for cruise ships from U.S. ports through Sept. 30.

The previous No Sail Order was set to expire on July 24. The extension can be cut short only if the secretary of Health and Human Services declares that Covid-19 is no longer a public health emergency or the CDC director rescinds or modifies the order.

CLIA member lines had already decided last month to voluntarily suspend operations until at least Sept. 15, saying that it was "increasingly clear that more time will be needed to resolve barriers to a resumption in the United States."

The CDC reported July 16 that from March 1 to July 10, there were 99 outbreaks on 123 cruise ships, with a total of 2,973 cases of Covid-19 or Covid-like illness on cruise ships and 34 deaths. The CDC said that 80% of ships within U.S. jurisdiction were affected by Covid-19 during this time frame and that nine ships have ongoing Covid-19 outbreaks.

"The challenges described in this document highlight the need for further action prior to cruise ships' resuming passenger operations," the CDC said, adding that it supports CLIA's decision to voluntarily extend the suspension of operations. "However, because not all cruise ship operators subject to the No Sail Order are members of CLIA or have made similar commitments, CDC is extending its No Sail Order to ensure that passenger operations do not resume prematurely."

The CDC also reported that as of July 10 it has "expended an estimated 38,000 person-hours on the cruise ship Covid-19 response since March 14" and that "CDC continues to have regular conversations by phone and email with cruise lines, often daily."

The order applies to the operation of vessels with the capacity to carry 250 individuals or more, which excludes many small-ship ocean and river operators, some of which plan to resume service this summer.

In response to the order, CLIA said that the association and its member lines "remain aligned with the CDC in our commitment to public health and safety. We are also pleased that the CDC has announced its intention to issue a request for information about the industry's resumption of passenger operations. As we continue to work towards the development of enhanced protocols to support the safe resumption of cruise operations around the world, we look forward to a timely and productive dialogue with the CDC to determine measures that will be appropriate for ocean-going cruise operations to resume in the United States when the time is right."