CDC Lowers Cruise Travel Warning Level

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lowered its travel warning for unvaccinated cruise ship passengers from Level 4 to Level 3.

The CDC’s move from “Level 4: Very high level of COVID-19” to “Level 3: High level of COVID-19” recommends travelers who have received a full coronavirus vaccination should avoid river and ocean cruises.

Health officials also said due to the ease of transmission in small areas, travelers with an increased risk of severe illness should not travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. The CDC update states that unvaccinated passengers who decide to take a cruise should get tested 1–3 days before their voyage and 3–5 days after their trip.

In addition, passengers not fully vaccinated should self-quarantine for seven days after cruise travel if they receive a negative test result and 10 days if they do not get tested. The CDC originally raised the warning level for cruise ship travel to its highest point of Level 4 in November 2020.

Even vaccinated travelers should be on notice as travel reopens, as Celebrity Cruises announced last week that two passengers on the first North American cruise since 2020 tested positive for COVID-19. Every passenger on the sailing was fully vaccinated.

Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean announced the debut of Odyssey of the Seas would be delayed until the end of July due to a coronavirus outbreak among crew members.