Americans have been told to avoid cruise holidays even if they are fully vaccinated and boosted, with the CDC warning the risk of infection on ships is ‘very high.’
Between December 15 and 29, there were 5,013 Covid cases in US waters reported to the CDC, 31 times higher than the previous two weeks. The agency said it has more than 90 cruise ships under observation as a result of Covid.
The soaring cases have caused misery to travellers, including more than 1,000 Americans who spent their Christmas Day stuck aboard a Holland America Line ship off Mexico after port authorities in Jalisco blocked them from disembarking because of a Covid outbreak among the crew. ‘Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status,’ the CDC said on its website, adding that ‘even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants.’ The surge at sea comes amid a nationwide increase driven by the highly-infectious Omicron variant – with the average daily cases reaching a record-breaking 512,533 on Thursday. The record bests the nations previous record of 489,267 reported on Wednesday. The US broke a world record for average daily COVID cases for the second day in a row with 512,533 reported on Thursday, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of John Hopkins data The agency recommends mitigation steps that include getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a mask in indoor settings and taking a test before gathering. ‘The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board 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,’ the CDC said. The surge in fresh cases linked to the highly-transmissible Omicron variant has raised fresh challenges for the cruise industry, which resumed service in the United States this summer after being essentially dormant for more than a year. On Thursday, Royal Caribbean modified or cancelled 16 destinations out of 331 due to the uptick in Covid cases. Shares of Royal Caribbean dipped 0.2 percent in afternoon trading.Shares of Carnival fell 0.6 percent in early afternoon trading, while Norwegian Cruise Line dropped 1.5 percent. The Cruise Lines International Association said it was disappointed with the new recommendations, saying the industry was singled out despite the fact it follows stricter health protocols than other travel sectors. The decision ‘is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard,’ a statement said. ‘The majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore.’ In March 2020, as the coronavirus took hold in the U.S., the CDC put a halt to all cruises for what turned out to be 15 months. Last June, it allowed ships to resume sailing under new strict new conditions. In August, as the delta variant surged, the agency warned people who are at risk of severe illness despite being vaccinated not to go on cruises. The CDC on Thursday also recommended that passengers get tested and quarantine for five days after docking, regardless of their vaccination status and even if they have no symptoms. Omicron has sent cases skyrocketing to unprecedented levels across the U.S., including Florida, the hub of the nation’s cruise industry. The state set another record this week for new daily cases, with more than 58,000 recorded Wednesday. U.S. cruise lines have not announced any plans to halt trips, though vessels have been denied entry at some foreign ports. Carnival Corp.’s spokesman Roger Frizzell said in an email after the CDC recommendation that the company had no planned changes. ‘Our enhanced health and safety protocols have proven to be effective time and time again over the past year,’ he said. Before the CDC announcement, Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement that omicron is leading to passenger cancellations and changes to itineraries, but it is causing ‘significantly less severe symptoms than earlier variants.’ The company said that since cruising restarted in U.S. waters last spring, 1.1 million guests had traveled with its cruise lines and 1,745 people had tested positive for COVID-19, or about 0.16%. It said that 41 people required hospitalization, and that no passengers hit with omicron had been taken to the hospital. ‘We don’t like to see even one case, but our experience is a fraction of the comparable statistics of virtually any other comparable location or industry. Few businesses are subject to such intense scrutiny, regulation and disclosure requirements by so many authorities,’ said Richard Fain, CEO of Royal Caribbean. Most cruise lines require adult passengers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Ships are allowed to relax measures such as mask use if at least 95% of passengers and 95% of crew are fully vaccinated.