Norwegian, which despite its name is an American company, sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday informing it of its proposal. This is the first major U.S. cruise line that outlines plans for the resumption of U.S. cruises.
On Monday, therefore, Norwegian essentially said: Enough. The company said it plans to require vaccinations for everyone on a ship at least two weeks before they sail.
“Vaccinations are the primary vehicle for Americans to return to their daily lives,” said Norwegian CEO Frank Del Rio. “We believe that through a combination of 100% mandatory vaccinations for guests and crew and scientifically supported measures for public health … we can create a safe, ‘bubble-like’ environment. “
CDC issues a back-to-sea plan
The CDC’s statement was not welcomed by the industry.
The Cruise Line International Association, the industry trading group, called the CDC’s ‘disappointing’, ‘excessively heavy’ and ‘largely unworkable’. The health agency is said to be demanding a zero-risk approach to shipping, rather than asking for efforts to mitigate the pandemic, which he says is the CDC’s guideline for ‘every other American sector of our society’.
In response, the CDC said it was committed to working with the cruise industry to re-sail according to the phased approach set out in its conditional sailing order – hopefully by mid-summer.
But Norwegian said it shares the CDC’s view that vaccinations can help Americans return to normal, and he believes his plan “shares in spirit and exceeds intent” of the CDC’s guidelines.
The company operates under the brands Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The other two major U.S. cruise companies, Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean, have not yet announced their own plans for resuming U.S. cruises.
“We are exploring and studying all options to ensure the health and safety of our guests and crew,” said Royal Caribbean.
Cruise ban
The three companies all suffered heavy losses last year, totaling $ 6.8 billion. Everyone borrowed large sums of money and cut staff to deal with the crisis.
But U.S. public health officials have not signed a resumption of U.S. shipping, the world’s largest shipping market. The trade group has asked the CDC to announce a definitive date for the resumption of US shipping by early July.
“The lack of any action by the CDC has banned all shipping on the largest shipping market in the world,” the group said in a statement on March 24. “Cruising is the only sector of the U.S. economy that remains banned, even though most others have opened or continued throughout the pandemic.”
The CDC leadership, which is blocking US shipping, “does not reflect the proven progress and success of the industry in other parts of the world, nor does it vaccinate vaccines, and otherwise treats shipping in an unfair manner,” said Kelly Craighead, executive director. head of the group, said. “Cruise lines should be treated the same as other travel, tourism, hospitality and entertainment sectors.”