CDC Issues Updated Recommendations for Cruising

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday updated its guidance for those taking a cruise, and it’s not good news for one group.

The CDC is recommending that travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness should avoid cruise ship travel, regardless of vaccination status.

That status update comes in the wake of a surge of new COVID-19 cases across the U.S. Information from Johns Hopkins University shows that as of Friday, August 20, the country has reported 987,417 new cases and 6,037 virus-related deaths in the past week.

The CDC relayed its key information to cruise ship travelers through the guidance. It noted that the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters aboard ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high. Outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on cruise ships.

The CDC recommended that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. People with an increased risk of severe illness should also avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, regardless of vaccination status.

In many respects, even without the guidance given to potential cruisers, airline travelers are seeing the rise of the virus on their own and scaling back their plane trips.

According to the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), ticket sales for the week that ended on Sunday, August 15, were down 41.1 percent compared with 2019, the worst result since the week that ended May 16, ARC data shows.

Last week’s sales were also markedly worse than the week prior, which were off 34.7 percent compared with 2019.

The CDC said people who decide to go on a cruise should get tested 1–3 days before their trip and 3–5 days after their trip, regardless of vaccination status.

Along with testing, passengers who are not fully vaccinated should self-quarantine for 7 days after cruise travel, even if they test negative. If they do not get tested, they should self-quarantine for 10 days after cruise travel.