Search Travel Market Report

mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Packaged Travel
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Resources
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Briana Bonfiglio
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Jennifer Arango
    • Kelly Fontenelle
    • Keri-Anne Slevin
    • Louis Intreglia
    • Tom McCarthy
Sponsored By ALG
Sponsored By ALG

CLIA, Cruise Industry Commits to Universal Testing for Both Passengers and Crew Members

by Daniel McCarthy / October 06, 2020
CLIA, Cruise Industry Commits to Universal Testing for Both Passengers and Crew Members

This week, CLIA announced its plan to test every single guest and crew member before they board cruise ships. Photo: Shutterstock.com


While the public waits for cruise lines in the U.S. to be given the go-ahead to start sailing again, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and its members lines are committing to do whatever they can to keep passengers and crew members safe.

This week, CLIA announced its plan to test every single guest and crew member before they board cruise ships, one part of a multi-layered approach that it hopes will not only help the CDC make the decision to allow cruises to operate again, but will allow consumers to book and sail confidently.

The policy will be required for all ships with a capacity of 250 guests or more.

During Seatrade Cruise Global Virtual on Tuesday, Adam Goldstein, the vice chairman with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and CLIA Global Chair, called the move just one step of a multi-layered approach to deal with the threat of COVID in the cruise industry.

Goldstein said that while some lines already operating in Europe are testing guests at the cruise terminal, CLIA’s plan doesn’t call for that.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be at the port,” he said. “Crew and/or guests can embark the ship but they must have a negative test result,” whether taken before they leave home or “whatever it may be.”

As testing is becoming “easier” and “getting better sequentially as we go forward,” universal testing has become a realistic goal for many cruise lines and a powerful weapon against the threat of COVID-19.

Universal testing has been a major part of almost every plan formulated in the industry to resume cruises safely.

MSC Cruises was one of the first lines to offer that plan, and has since done so successfully for its Mediterranean return to cruising earlier this summer. Royal Caribbean and NCLH’s Healthy Sail Panel also made the recommendation, calling pre-board testing the “single most important step that can be taken to prevent disease introduction onboard.” CLIA’s plan for gradual resumption, which it submitted to the CDC in September, also included universal testing.

There is still no definite date for when cruises in the U.S. will resume. CLIA was on schedule to meet with the CDC last Friday to talk about the future of the CDC’s “No-Sail” order. That meeting was ultimately scrapped after news broke of President Trumps’ positive COVID-19 test. 

For the moment, Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled all sailings through November while Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled all sailings outside of those leaving from Florida ports through the end of the year. 

Royal Caribbean's Richard Fain this week said that Royal will first look to train its crew on the new protocols and then do some test sailings before opening it up to guests. Those first guest sailings will include limited destinations, with just a few ships, and only a small number of shore excursions on offer.

Other lines, including Disney Cruise Line, have extended cancellations into December, while others, like P&O Cruises, are looking to 2021.

  58
  0

MOST VIEWED

  1. The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Travel Deals for 2023
  2. The Ten 'Most Christmassy' Towns in the U.S.
  3. U.S. State Department Warns Travelers About GPS Dangers in South Africa
  4. The Worst Airports for Holiday Flight Delays
  5. What Will Be the Biggest Travel Trends of 2024?
  6. Royal Caribbean Monitoring Haiti Violence


  1. Here Are the New Cruise Ships Debuting in 2024
  2. Dondra Ritzenthaler to Join Azamara as CEO
  3. Iceland Travel Update: Southwest Earthquakes Heighten Risk of Volcanic Activity
  4. The World's Most Expensive Flights
  5. CBD Gummies Result in Lifetime Passenger Ban for Carnival Cruiser
  6. Southwest Pilots Set Up Regional Strike Center in Preparation for a Strike
TMR THIS WEEK
Presented by Windstar
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=31e281c0-9d92-ee11-adc6-005056a855ed&Width=350&Height&250

Consultative Selling for Travel Advisors: Why It is Important and How to Do It

With consultative selling, a travel professional is viewed as a trusted advisor (more akin to a lawyer, financial advisor, or other high-level consultant). 

Read More...
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Silversea to Sail First-Ever Full Summer Season in French Polynesia
Silversea to Sail First-Ever Full Summer Season in French Polynesia

The cruise line will offer 17 sailings of two itineraries in the summer of 2026. 

Read...
Margaritaville at Sea Reveals Details of New Ship, Expanded Caribbean Itineraries
Margaritaville at Sea Reveals Details of New Ship, Expanded Caribbean Itineraries

Margaritaville at Sea is expanding beyond two-day Bahamas cruises. 

Read...
Here are the Cruise Wave Season Promotions for 2024
Here are the Cruise Wave Season Promotions for 2024

Wave Season is just around the corner. Here are all the offers we know about so far.

Read...
Celebrity Cruises Welcomes Ascent to Fleet with Sister Godmothers and Brother Captains
Celebrity Cruises Welcomes Ascent to Fleet with Sister Godmothers and Brother Captains

Celebrity Ascent is the line's fourth Edge-class ship. 

Read...
American Queen Voyages Expands America's Test Kitchen Partnership
American Queen Voyages Expands America's Test Kitchen Partnership

The collaborative "6 Recipes, 6 Rivers" menu includes regional dishes to give cruisers a taste of each river. 

Read...
Holland America Sets New Black Friday Bookings Record
Holland America Sets New Black Friday Bookings Record

This year, the cruise line saw 20% higher volume than last year's record high.

Read...
OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
Trends in River Cruise, 2023
European Travel Trends 2023
Winning in The Tech Era: Essential Insights for Travel Advisors
View All
Advertiser's Voice
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=c0852062-a67c-ee11-adc6-005056a855ed
Swan Hellenic: Beyond Ordinary
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News |Packaged Travel |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Resources |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy