CDC Suggests Americans Should Avoid Traveling on Cruise Ships As Omicron Cases Spike

The cruise industry took one blow at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and now may have to suffer another.

Just one day after COVID cases marked a new record high, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory warning for Americans regarding the potential dangers of cruise travel.

The agency pointed out the recent spike in COVID-19 cases that have been reported among ships around the globe and added that cruise ships operating in U.S. waters totaled more than 5,000 COVID cases between Dec. 14 and Dec. 29. The data shows a significant spike from the previous two weeks when only 162 cases were confirmed. 

“The COVID-19 Travel Health Notice level has been updated from Level 3 to Level 4, the highest level,” the CDC wrote. “This reflects increases in cases onboard cruise ships since identification of the Omicron variant […] The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters onboard ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.”

For those who still plan on going on cruises, the CDC recommends urges that they get fully vaccinated and receive their booster if eligible before their trip.

The CDC also recommends that travelers get tested 1–3 days before their cruise departs and 3–5 days after they return, “regardless of vaccination status or symptoms.”

Brian Salerno, who is the senior vice president for Maritime Policy at the Cruise Lines International Association, said the group wasn’t pleased with the agency’s recommendations and added that cruise ships have put in place protocols to help curb the spread of the disease.

“We’re obviously disappointed at the CDC’s decision to raise the travel level for a cruise today,” he said, “especially given the overwhelming level of effectiveness of cruise protocols that are resulting in the significantly lower level of cases on cruise as compared to land.”

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