Cruise Lines Can Sail Again From The U.S., But It’s Not Clear How Soon

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In this aerial view, five luxury cruise ships are seen being broken down for scrap metal in Izmir, Turkey. With the global coronavirus pandemic pushing the cruise industry into crisis, some cruise operators have been forced to cut losses and retire ships. The cruise industry has been one of the hardest hit industries after a series of outbreaks occurred on cruise liners as the pandemic spread.

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Chris McGrath/Getty Images

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Under these guidelines, it’s not clear when cruises will resume. The largest cruise line, Carnival, has sailings from Florida ports scheduled in December.

In Europe, where cruise lines have resumed limited operations, the surge in coronavirus cases there has led several to cancel departures and trim schedules. In Australia, Princess Cruises has cancelled all sailings until June because of uncertainty about restrictions on international travel.

After months of waiting for the «No Sail» order to be lifted, the response from the cruise industry was less than effusive. The industry convened its own «Healthy Sail Panel» of medical experts who developed a lengthy set of guidelines for resuming cruises. In a statement, Kelly Craighead, CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association, said companies look forward to reviewing the new CDC order «in detail.» He says the industry is focused on protecting the public health, and «with enhanced measures in place, and with the continued guidance of leading experts in health and science as well as the CDC, we are confident that a resumption of cruising in the U.S. is possible to support the economic recovery.»