CDC eases COVID-19 cruise restrictions, recommends only fully vaccinated people travel

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has amended its travel advisory guidance on cruise ships, recommending that only vaccinated individuals travel.

The announcement Wednesday adjusted cruise travel from a level 4 “very high,” which advises that all people avoid traveling, to level 3 “high,” which promotes travel among only those who have been fully vaccinated. The CDC also asks that people who are unvaccinated avoid travel in level 3. 

The CDC advises people going on a cruise to get tested one to three days before their trip and three to five days after they return. The CDC said if people who are still not fully vaccinated decide to go on a cruise, they should quarantine themselves, even if they get tested.

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“In addition to 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,” reads the CDC’s guidance,

The updated guidance comes just days before the first post-pandemic cruise ship is scheduled to leave the U.S. The Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Edge is set to sail from Port Everglades on June 26. 

It’s welcomed news for an industry that suffered serious financial losses during the pandemic. One example is Royal Caribbean Group, which reported in February that it lost $5.8 billion in 2020; the year prior, it had net income of $1.9 billion.