US Cruise Lines Cancel Sailings Through At Least End Of 2020 After New CDC Guidelines Released
BOSTON (CBS/CNN) -- US cruise lines have canceled sailings through at least the end of the year because of new safety guidelines related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday announced a new framework for resuming sailings.
The CDC technically lifted a ban on sailings to and from US ports, but it raised concerns about the safety of resuming sailings while cases of Covid-19 increase around the globe.
"Recent outbreaks on cruise ships overseas provide current evidence that cruise ship travel facilitates and amplifies transmission of Covid-19 -- even when ships sail at reduced passenger capacities -- and would likely spread the disease into US communities if passenger operations were to resume in the United States without public health oversight," said the CDC statement.
Cruises worldwide were essentially halted in March following the outbreak of the disease. US cruise lines had been set to resume sailings as of December 1. The Cruise Lines International Association, the industry trade group, Monday issued a statement that they will work with the CDC to resume sailings as soon as possible.
"Our members are 100% committed to helping to protect the health of our guests, our crew and the communities we serve, and are prepared to implement multiple layers of protocols informed by the latest scientific and medical knowledge," said the group's statement. "We will continue to evolve our approach as circumstances evolve. The economic consequences of the ongoing suspension of service are felt in communities across the United States and with hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake, we are committed to resume sailing in a responsible manner that keeps public health in the forefront."
The companies include Carnival Corp., which sails under the brands Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard North America, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn; Royal Caribbean Group, which sails under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea and Azamara brands; and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which sails under the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.
In Boston, Massport says hundreds of thousands of passengers typically pass through Flynn Cruiseport every year for holiday cruises or to visit Boston as a port of call.
The ships that were supposed to sail from Boston during the 2020 cruise season were Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Gem, Holland America Line's Zaandam, Holland America Line's Amsterdam, Holland America Line's Zuiderdam, Royal Caribbean International's Brilliance of the Seas, Celebrity Cruise Line's Celebrity Summit, Ponant's Le Champlain and Seabourn's Quest.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN's Chris Isidore contributed to this report.)