U.S. State Department Add Cruises to its COVID-19 Travel Advisory
by Daniel McCarthy
In a new travel advisory, the U.S. State Department this weekend wrote that “U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship.”
The advisory, the State Department said, was made because as coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads, “many countries have implemented strict screening procedures that have denied port entry rights to ships and prevented passengers from disembarking.”
The State Department did write that “this is a fluid situation” and that those who do choose to cruise should contact the cruise line directly before cruising for further info.
The news comes the same weekend that Vice President Mike Pence and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf met with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to develop an approach to “protecting public health while traveling.”
In a statement reacting to the advisory, a CLIA spokesperson said that “any action to restrict cruising is unwarranted, and at odds with the World Health Organization which ‘continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.’"
The statement continued: “Singling out the travel and tourism industry, and cruise lines specifically, will have significant detrimental impacts — some possibly irreversible — on the national and local economies.
“With the proactive measures in place by the cruise industry based on prevailing guidance from global health authorities, restricting cruising is unreasonable and will have long-lasting detrimental effects on the U.S. economy well beyond the travel and tourism industry.”
Last week, CLIA updated its guidelines for its cruise line members to follow that included requiring all of denying boarding to those who have traveled from, two, or through South Korean, Iran, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy, two weeks prior to the sailing date; and screening those who had been in or out of airports in countries that the CDC has listed on its coronavirus tracking page two weeks prior to their cruise.
CLIA is also asking lines that initial medical support and enhanced screening be given to anyone onboard a sailing who is exhibiting symptoms.
Most cruise lines are updating their cancellation policies to allow guests peace of mind when holding onto their bookings. Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and more have all made it easier for its guests to comfortably hold onto their bookings.