Cruise Lines Continue Bringing Crew Members Back

Cruise lines continue to bring back employees to their ships as a return to sailing could come as soon as December.

According to CruiseRadio.net, Indonesian maritime staffing agency CTI announced on its Facebook page that several Carnival Cruise Line have departed Jakarta as they head to St. Maarten to board the Carnival Horizon, Carnival Pride and Mardi Gras.

Crew members brought back to Carnival’s ships will be required to quarantine for 14 days before being permitted to begin their jobs. Many of the crew members in Indonesia have been out of work since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the cruise industry.

Earlier this month, CNBC reported Royal Caribbean International and other cruise lines had alerted employees they would be brought back and return to ships in the coming weeks as part of a phased relaunch for sailings.

Crew members from companies around the world have been posting to social media about being rehired or reporting that friends in the industry are going back to work. Even Royal Caribbean’s Twitter account showed positive signs, as the company sent out a list of jobs it would be hiring for and how to apply.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first issued a Level 3 Warning on cruising on March 17, recommending against non-essential travel due to COVID-19. The no-sail order is set to expire on October 31.

The CDC provided its latest update on October 21:

“CDC recommends that travelers defer all cruise travel worldwide. Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on several cruise ships.”