Federal health officials on Monday extended their rules for cruise lines to sail during the pandemic by nearly three more months.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the expansion made “minor changes” to the rules that were already in place. The agency said it plans to move to a voluntary program for cruise companies after Jan. 15 to detect and control the spread of COVID-19 on their ships.
The current regulations, known as the Conditional Sailing Regulations, should expire on November 1st.
The CDC issued the first no-sail order for cruise ships in March 2020 after most companies sailing in US waters agreed to suspend voyages. The CDC issued technical guidelines for the industry five months later and began approving sea trials this spring.
Cruises have since been sailed from Florida and other parts of the country. Most lines require adult passengers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
The CDC noted on Twitter that since sailing restrictions were first imposed, cruise lines have developed and implemented health and safety protocols to cope with COVID-19 and have resumed cruising.
A cruise industry trade group promised to continue working with CDC on health measures on board ships. It cited the CDC announcement as evidence that the lines have made a successful – if only partial – return since the pandemic shut down the industry around the world.
Laziza Lambert, a spokeswoman for the Cruise Lines International Association, said in a statement that “cruises in the United States have resumed successfully,” with measures that have limited the risk of COVID-19 for passengers and crew. She said the CDC’s announcement shows that the health department and government of Biden “recognize the successful resumption of operations for the cruise industry.”
Industry officials have complained that the government has taken a much tougher stance on cruises – it stopped it entirely last year – than it did on airlines and other parts of the travel industry.
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