Just Cruises Plus

Late last week, the CDC recommended that people avoid cruises regardless of vaccination status.  Are they right?  The CDC has a checkered past regarding previous recommendations.  Therefore, we must examine the latest recommendations regarding cruise ships with some caution.

The cruise industry has been at the forefront of creating safety protocols. Major cruise lines are requiring that all passengers be fully vaccinated and tested prior to boarding the ship and some test at points throughout the cruise. Cruise lines have been transparent in their reporting. No other industry has implemented such stringent rules.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association:

“The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard—far fewer than on land—and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore. No setting can be immune from this virus—however, it is also the case that cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land.”

CLIA adds that “many of our members have announced additional measures in response to the Omicron variant, including strengthening testing, masking and other requirements, as well as encouraging booster vaccine doses for those eligible.”  We at Just Cruises Plus have witnessed first hand the protocols that cruise lines have put in place and which they evaluate and adjust on an ongoing basis.

If you are already booked for a trip, we are keeping you updated on safety protocols. If you’d like to plan a trip and have questions about the current safety protocols in place for a particular cruise line or travel company, please give us a call at (215)364-3310.

We wish you a happy and healthy 2022!