US cruises could restart in mid-July, according to the CDC. What does that mean for cruisers?
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.
New ship from Disney Cruise Line, has ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Frozen,’ superheroes and more
►A year without cruising:No ‘crystal ball’ to tell when sailing could restart amid COVID-19
Are cruise ships safe?
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.
emerging COVID-19 variants of concern,” Shockey said.
Bari Golin-Blaugrund, vice president of strategic communications for Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade organization, said that cruising is now a safer option thanwhen cruise ships saw COVID outbreaks and lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic.
vaccination requirement for his company’s 28-ship fleet, is key to protecting its passengers from contracting COVID-19.September and remain in effect, according to Golin-Blaugrund.
Should I book a cruise now?
Michelle Fee, CEO of travel agency Cruise Planners, told USA TODAY Thursday that “pent-up demand” for cruising will lead to higher bookings with the news of a potential mid-summer restart.
“Many more people (will be) ready and waiving their credit cards,” Fee said.
She added that there will likely be a rush to book – and not just for the first cruises sailing. There may be an even higher demand for fall or winter cruises, when sailing seems more certain with the timeline for resumption slowly becoming more clear.
“Consumers should be thinking ‘if I want to sail on a cruise ship in the next 18 months, I should get my deposit in right now,'” Fee said.
How soon can I book a cruise from a US port?
Many cruise lines have canceled sailings from U.S. ports through June but have kept July sailings an option. Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line, for example, are already offering cruises from U.S. ports such as Miami, starting in July.
Alaska cruises, however, are a different story. Canada has banned cruise ships from its waters until March 1, 2022. But Canada’s ban not only impacts ships in Canadian waters, it also puts a roadblock in the way of cruises in Alaska, New England, Washington state or the Great Lakes.
As a result, some cruise lines have canceled or stopped bookings on many of their cruises scheduled for the Alaska season. Norwegian’s website, for example, is not taking new bookings for Alaska cruises until 2022 apart from one cruise in October that is expected to travel to Russia and Japan with no stop listed in Canada. And Royal Caribbean International’s next opening online for an Alaska cruise is in April 2022.
