Cruising less scrutinized for COVID; CDC requiring less reporting

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

In a sharp turn from the reopening of cruising in December when ships were mandated to track their COVID cases and update the CDC, now the opposite is true after the end of the Conditional Sailing Order for ships.

No longer will cruise operators be mandated to report every COVID-19 case, now they will be required to report only deaths.  In addition, COVID testing and vaccination thresholds have become optional.

Earlier this year the CDC announced that ships would be graded based on how many of their passengers were vaccinated.  That is no more.

It is once again up to the cruise lines to determine what their requirements are for guests; whether that will look like free reign or strict vaccine mandates is yet to be seen in some companies.

Carnival Cruise Line has already dropped its pre-cruising test requirement for stays five nights and less for vaccinated individuals.   Unvaccinated guests  will have no barriers to joining cruises as long as they provide a test. Previously they had to wait to see if they would be accommodated on a cruise.

Despite Carnival loosening up, unvaccinated guests will not be allowed on shore in the Turks and Caicos.  Additionally the CDC is recommending that cruise liners create strict guidelines for the health of residents on shore.

“Cruise ships should develop and maintain shore-side response plans to prevent and mitigate the introduction of COVID-19 to port communities.” It said.

Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean and others have promised that in the coming weeks more changes will be made to their protocol.