The Continued Call for the CDC to Ease Up on Cruising
With COVID-19 mandates and protocols being relaxed throughout the U.S., some host travel agency executives are echoing the call for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to ease up on the cruise industry.
One high-profile travel industry official – Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) – in mid-January publicly asked the CDC to treat the cruise industry the same way as other forms of transportation, as well as public arenas and gathering places.
“WTTC calls upon the CDC to stop singling out the cruise industry with harmful and unnecessary measures,” she said. “Cruise lines have an excellent record for health and safety, and cruising continues to offer extraordinary travel experiences.”
The CDC did lower the Level 4 Travel Health Notice, which advised no cruise travel, to Level 3 in mid-February, which advises against cruise travel for those who are not fully vaccinated or are at an increased risk of severe illness.
Still, James Ferrara, president of InteleTravel, an online host agency, more recently raised the issue again, saying the restrictions against cruising remain harsh and unfairly directed.
“We have seen over the last two years the decimation of our travel and tourism and hospitality industry, and the various sectors connected. None, though, are as egregiously punitive as within cruising and without science-based fact to substantiate,” Ferrara said. “As this sector ramps back up, our economies will see a tremendous boost as we are forecasting passenger volume to recover and surpass 2019 levels, with a full recovery projected by the end of 2023. … Pulling back the curtain and restarting cruise tourism will certainly drive economic recovery and growth.”
He said recovery is important during a time when inflation is rising and people, especially those in port cities, need jobs and economic stimulus.
Ferarra said cruise line protocols represent some of the strongest actions taken by any industry to address and mitigate COVID-19, and cruise ships offer one of the most highly vaccinated, tightly controlled environments for travelers.
“In an InteleTravel consumer survey conducted at the beginning of the year, over half of respondents indicated they plan on cruising this year. To underscore our belief in the safety of cruises, InteleTravel has chartered an entire cruise ship with Carnival Cruise Line to host over 3,000 members of our global network of agents and partners for our annual conference in August,” he said.
Other host agency leaders shared similar viewpoints.
“The cruise industry is, without a doubt, the most regulated, proactive and transparent when it comes to health and safety protocols,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and founder of Cruise Planners, a cruise-oriented host agency. “When you see the incredibly low number of COVID cases compared to the averages seen in America, you can only assume that cruising has been unfairly singled out.”
Brad Tolkin, co-CEO and co-chairman for World Travel Holdings – which includes major host agencies Dream Vacations and CruiseOne – heralded the work the cruise industry has done with health protocols and safety onboard and in ports of call.
“The cruise industry has done a magnificent job of leading the charge as we come out of this pandemic by implementing second-to-none protocols ensuring the safety of both their crew and customers,” he said.