In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its “no sailing” order on U.S. cruise ships and set out a framework that would enable them to resume sailing, providing relief and hope for a devastated industry – and for many cruise fans.
And then, nothing.
Nearly six months later, cruise lines are still awaiting technical instructions from the agency, which will enable them to prepare their ships for simulation voyages, designed to test whether they can sail safely.
In other parts of the world, the industry is excited. Some crossroads are scheduled to resume domestic shipping in Europe later this month and the cruises around the British Isles are planned for June, when the closure restrictions are expected to be lifted. Royal Caribbean is sailing this spring to the Greek port from Haifa to Greece, which requires all crews and passengers on board to be fully vaccinated.
The CDC says its current focus is on using cruise lines to implement the initial phase requirements to test all crews and set up laboratories on board as part of a step-by-step approach to return of passenger shipping. The framework contains extensive testing, quarantine measures and social distance, but the details remain unclear.
“Future orders and technical instructions will address additional activities to prepare cruise lines and return to passenger operations in a way that reduces the risk of Covid-19 among passengers, crew members, including simulated voyages, conditional sailing certification and limited voyages. agency said in a statement.
The strike, first issued for U.S. shipping on March 14 last year, plagued the shipping industry, with companies reporting billions of dollars in losses, causing some of their fleet to shrink and selling ships for waste.
Now, with vaccinations around the world and infection rates declining in some regions, scrambling companies are scrambling to prepare their ships for a gradual return from Europe and Asia. In the United States, cruise fans will probably have to wait at least until the fall.
“We are hopeful for this year,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of cruise news website Cruise Critic. ‘There have been a few success stories from Europe where cruise lines have shown that they have excellent protocols, that they are committed to sticking to them, that they can keep passengers in a bubble and that they can do effective testing. We can expect this knowledge to help inform the voyages in the United States. ‘
Although the roster remains smooth, this is what we can expect from the next few months.
When will I be able to sail again?
Good question. Most cruise ships remain lazy in open waters or in ports around the world because vessels are still delayed or canceled.
In Europe, some of the smaller cruises are planning to start again later this month. AIDA Cruises has planned an excursion around the Canary Islands from March 20, followed by Costa Cruises, which plans to resume Italian cruises on March 27. MSC Cruises is also planning a European trip in May that will only be open to passengers entering the European Union’s Schengen zone.
Last summer, some cruise companies with strict health and safety protocols resumed operations in Europe, but they closed again in the fall after some ships reported cases of Covid-19 and re-closed the region in response to virus revival.
In Britain, domestic shipping could start from May 17, when the exclusion of the hospitality sector is expected to be facilitated, the Ministry of Transport said earlier this month.
Princess, P&O, Cunard and Hurtigruten are among the sailing lines that announced ‘staycation sailings’ around the British Isles this summer. Some ships will sail around the country’s coastline without reaching any ports, while others go ashore.
“People are very excited to start sailing again and we are currently seeing a lot of demand, especially in the expedition space,” said John Downey, president of Hurtigruten, a Norwegian line specializing in expedition sailing.
“We will continue to focus on wonderful, remote destinations where our guests are more often surrounded by wildlife and nature, rather than human populations,” he added. “With strict health protocols we institute, we feel very comfortable about the safety of our guests and crew.”
Why is the United States lagging behind?
Large cruise companies are waiting for the CDC to issue technical requirements to help them prepare their ships. They must then give the CDC 30 days’ notice before embarking on test voyages with volunteer crew and passengers and must apply for a conditional sailing certificate 60 days before a scheduled regular application.
‘The reality is that the cruise lines could in no way meet the guidelines set by the CDC in October and could start sailing again, because they were two-thirds of the pieces for the enigmatic Stewart Chiron, an analyst and CEO of the cruise industry, provided. website cruiseguy.com, referring to the missing technical details in the conditional boating order.
“They are now waiting for it and they expect to update their guidelines as it was issued before the vaccines were rolled out and has changed a lot since then,” Chiron added.
Cruise ship managers say they expect the CDC to issue the technical requirements soon.
What’s up with Alaska cruises?
Few known peculiarities in maritime law have led some cruise lines specializing in Alaska expeditions to cancel all voyages from ports in the Lower 48 states until the end of 2021.
Although it looks like American companies, many of the major cruise lines like Princess and Holland America are in fact foreign-owned. Under U.S. law, cruise ships flying foreign flags are not allowed to sail between U.S. ports without first visiting at least one foreign port. So cruises from Western cities like Seattle usually stopped in Vancouver, Canada, en route to Alaska.
But in February, the Canadian authorities extended their boating ban until February 2022 and effectively halted the cruise business in Alaska so far.
Earlier this month, senators tabled a bill that would waive the requirement for ships to stop at a foreign port, but a vote could be months away.
While striking Alaska cruises, cruise companies turn to state tours through the state using their accommodation and tour networks.
What security measures will there be?
With the coronavirus measures constantly changing, it is difficult to predict exactly what cruises will look like there, especially in the United States.
Last year, the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry group representing most of the largest cruise companies, announced a mandatory set of health protocols that will be implemented as part of a gradual resumption of operations.
The core elements include:
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Test: 100 percent of the passengers and crew will be tested for Covid-19 before launch.
Mask features: All passengers and crew members must wear masks on board and during excursions when they do not have physical distance.
Distance: Physical distance in terminals, on board ships, on private islands and during beach trips is required.
Ventilation: Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air on board must be in place, and if possible, improved filters and other technologies will be used to reduce the risk.
Medical ability: Each ship must have a plan to manage possible medical needs and must provide cabins for isolation in the event of an outbreak. Arrangements must be made in advance with providers of rural transport and medical facilities.
Beach outing: Operators must establish health and safety protocols and ensure that passengers comply with them. Those who do not do so are prohibited from re-entering.
“Ultimately, our decisions will be informed by our global medical and scientific experts and the requirements of the places we operate and visit,” said Roger Frizzell, a spokesman for Carnival Corporation. “Our biggest responsibility and top priorities are the compliance, protection of the environment, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the communities we visit.”
Will vaccinations be needed?
Some companies are reluctant to rely on tests only, after the SeaDream 1, a ship that wanted to be a model for a safe return to the voyage, cut short its voyage to the Caribbean last year because several passengers were positive tested for the coronavirus, despite having a negative test before entering.
Most major shipping lines have not decided whether they need vaccinations for future voyages, and are awaiting further scientific guidance once the vaccination grows worldwide.
In Britain, Saga Cruises and P&O have said they will require all guests to be fully vaccinated before boarding during 2021. Royal Caribbean sailed from Israel to Greece in May, where all crew members and passengers must be over 16 years old. be vaccinated.
“It’s really exciting to see how fast and dramatically science has progressed, even within a few weeks,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group. “We have gained more and more experience with the voyage abroad from Germany, Singapore, the Canary Islands and Italy, and we will continue to learn and adapt as new knowledge and scientific discoveries such as the vaccine emerge.”
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