CDC Pushes Cruise Travelers Back to Ground Shipping—Covid Keeps Sailing Ocean‑Off
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a stern warning to keep folks off cruise ships this week, regardless of their vaccination status. Daily Covid‑19 hits are breaking records, driven by the swift‑crawling Omicron variant, and the health agency is raising the alarm to its highest level.
Why the Crisis Hits the Sea
- CDC reports over 90 cruise vessels now under investigation, with the threshold set at just 0.10 % of passengers testing positive.
- Travelers on cruise ships are told to get tested three‑to‑five days after a voyage and watch for symptoms for fourteen days.
- Even pre‑planned itineraries remain untouched, the cruise lines say.
Impact on the Floating Economy
Shares of the big three—Carnival Corp, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and Royal Caribbean Group—tumbled about 1 % following the advisory. The industry’s comeback, which finally set sail in June after months of grounded ships, now faces a delayed return.
Industry Voices
“It’s puzzling that the CDC hammers on cruise ships when they only make up a thin slice of the onboard population,” the Cruise Lines International Association quipped.
Norwegian Cruise, meanwhile, insists its guests are better shielded than the general public. Similarly, Carnival assured customers that its scheduled cruises would proceed as planned.
Air Travel Hits the After‑Glass
Omicron’s reach is still splashing onto the skies, with timing reports from FlightAware.com indicating over 1,180 flights cancelled and 10,300 delayed across U.S. borders in a single day.
Bottom Line
With the CDC’s new “Level 4” cruise warning and relentless Omicron spread, travelers are urged to stay ashore. The industry braces for another slow roll‑out, while the general travel sector braces for the same uncertainty in the clouds above.
