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Hugo Martín is an assistant editor on the Fast Break Desk, the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news team. He has been a journalist with the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years, covering politics, transportation, travel, business and the outdoors. A native Californian, Martín was part of the Metro staff that won Pulitzer Prizes in 1993, 1995 and 1998. In July, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, putting the onus on cruise lines to create their own standards.
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Are cruises safe? What you need to know about cruise ship security - The Points Guy
Are cruises safe? What you need to know about cruise ship security.
Posted: Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
David Daigle, a spokesperson for the CDC, told USA TODAY last Tuesday that the health agency acknowledges it is "not possible" for cruising to be a zero-risk activity amid the pandemic. A person's chance at contracting coronavirus is higher on cruise ships because the virus spreads more easily between people spending time in close quarters on the vessels. With so many ships under watch, it remains unclear if the CDC will require any to take additional public health measures. So far, the agency has not upgraded any ships under watch to the more serious “red” status.
Voyager of the Seas
In making that decision, the CDC considers multiple factors, including the percent of passengers and crew who are fully vaccinated; whether variants of concern are identified among positive cases; medical resources on board; and more. Two days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Americans to avoid travel on cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status. The advisory, the agency’s highest coronavirus warning, came in response to a surge in cases in recent weeks, caused by the spread of the contagious Omicron variant. "It is especially important that travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status," the agency added. CDC requests that cruise ships submit a cumulative ARI report (even if no ARI cases have occurred) preferably within 24 hours before arrival in the U.S. [7], and sooner if a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 3% [8]. These reports are requested by completing the Cruise Ship Cumulative Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) Reporting Form.
After Travel
Daigle laid out the progression of how cruise ship color codes are updated by the CDC. That percentage includes cases occurring within passengers in the five-day period after disembarkation that the health agency is notified about by state or local health departments, the CDC said. "Ship color status is determined using surveillance data from the previous 7 days – regardless of voyage dates – and CDC investigation findings," the CDC says on its website. Just one case of coronavirus or COVID-19-like symptoms could prompt the CDC to monitor or investigate a ship, which is why it's important to understand how the CDC determines ship status and where to find the latest ship-specific information. Another large line, Norwegian, just last week extended its pandemic-era Peace of Mind policy to allow passengers to cancel any sailing taking place between now and May 31. For now, the cancellation needs to be done by Jan. 31, and the refund would come in the form of a future cruise credit to be used on any sailing that embarks through Dec. 31.
On February 21, five crew members from voyage A transferred to three other ships with a combined 13,317 passengers on board. No-sail orders§§ were issued by CDC for these ships until medical logs were reviewed and the crew members tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new advisory Thursday that travelers should avoid traveling by cruise ship, regardless of vaccination status, after a recent surge in positive COVID-19 cases onboard ships. Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) updated its color-coded list of ships that tracks where passengers or crew have tested positive for Covid-19. Disembarking cruise ship passengers or crew members who have ARI should continue to take recommended precautions after disembarkation. If a passenger or crew member with viral ARI is taken to a healthcare facility off the ship, the facility should be informed before arrival.
Cruise Ship Travel
Both the medical team and the guest services team called him regularly to check on him. Doctors provided him with over-the-counter medication and the guest services team helped him plan his disembarkment process. Cruise ships are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases because of their closed environment and contact between travelers from many countries.
Cruises
In addition, masks should also be worn in shared spaces and passengers who are not fully vaccinated against COVID should self-quarantine for five days after travel, in addition to getting tested three to five days after their return, the CDC said. On day two, cases are reported to the CDC, data is pulled from REDCap and the color status is assessed by the agency. On restricted voyages, or cruises carrying paying passengers, just one case among crew merits a yellow status, prompting a CDC investigation. The cruise industry has been highly critical of the designation, arguing that cruise ships are far safer places to be right now than almost anywhere else, given their strict health protocols.
More cruise ships have reached "level yellow" — the level where the CDC investigates a ship's COVID outbreak. The agency increased its travel warning for cruises to Level 4 — the highest level — following investigations of dozens of ships that have had outbreaks of the virus. Every major cruise line has detailed procedures for handling coronavirus cases on board and protecting fellow passengers and crew. Gray status means the ship's health and safety protocols have not been reviewed or confirmed by the CDC. On Dec. 30, the CDC added cruise ships to its list of "Level 4" destinations you should avoid visiting for now due to high levels of COVID-19. If you haven't cruised since before the pandemic, you might be surprised by how many new health- and safety-related policies cruise lines have implemented to keep COVID-19 off ships.
Ships without confirmed cases on board
If anything, the positivity rate is far lower on ships than on land, thanks to much stricter health protocols (more on that in a moment). Notably, all 92 cruise vessels currently operating in U.S. waters have recorded at least a handful of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, according to CDC data. As I saw myself during a cruise to Antarctica in recent weeks, many sailings are operating relatively normally, even when there are COVID-19 cases on board. The ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases around the world is causing a growing number of disruptions to itineraries and even some last-minute cancellations of entire voyages. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider or a travel health specialist that takes place at least one month before you leave. Discussing your health concerns, itinerary, and planned activities with your provider allows them to give more specific advice and recommendations.
The regulation, called a conditional sailing order, is scheduled to expire on Jan. 15 to become a voluntary program. Coronavirus hospitalizations in the state have also risen from about 1,200 patients two weeks ago to about 3,400 on Wednesday. But that is still less than one-fifth the number of hospitalizations reported in late August due to the delta wave. Spas and gyms remain open, but some cruise lines limit them to vaccinated guests.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating more cruise ships due to new COVID-19 cases aboard. On the fourth day of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise, Jesse Suphan and other passengers onboard the Carnival Cruise Line’s Panorama were denied entry at the port of Puerto Vallarta, because of the number of onboard coronavirus cases. If you are feeling sick before your voyage, do not travel and ask your cruise line about rescheduling or reimbursement options. If you feel sick during your voyage, report your symptoms to the ship’s medical center and follow their recommendations. Because Hochberg became sick toward the end of his trip, he only had to isolate in his cabin for one day. Guest services provided him with numerous options for his disembarkment plan, including allowing him to stay on board and finish his quarantine until he tested negative.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises travelers to stay in their cabin and notify the onboard medical team if symptoms of the virus occur. §§ CDC has the authority to institute a no-sail order to prevent ships from sailing when it is reasonably believed that continuing normal operations might subject newly arriving passengers to disease. Most cruise lines require adult passengers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, according to AP. "Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants," the CDC said on its website.
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