There had been at least 3,689 COVID-19 or coronavirus-like illness cases on cruise ships in U.S. waters, “in addition to at least 41 reported deaths,” the CDC said last October 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. That’s because the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high, since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships.
Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis (R) is threatening to sue the federal government if the CDC doesn’t allow cruises to restart by the summer. The cruise industry is worth billions of dollars for the state’s economy, according to the Associated Press (AP).
University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy Prins told AP it’s “too early” for cruises to resume, given the higher risk of the virus spreading among passengers mingling on ships for long periods. She noted that “testing and symptom screening are not perfect methods of prevention.” Prins added companies would have to limit passenger numbers, with crews required to show they’re fully vaccinated in order to lower the risk of the virus spreading — something DeathSantis opposes, and no industry leader addressed. DeathSantis also opposed COVID-19 vaccine passports.
Florida became one of the world’s epicenters for the virus last July, forcing DeathSantis to pause the state’s first round of reopening. He fully lifted restrictions on restaurants last September, as part of a commitment to reopen the economy, saying “we’re not closing anything going forward.” He never set up a statewide mandate to wear masks.
Major U.S. cruise lines are accepting bookings for June 2021 trips out of Florida ports, a Spectrum News review has found. The bookings come as Norwegian Cruise Line this month canceled all cruises through June 2021. “The timing for re-start in the U.S. continues to be uncertain,” On April 6, 2021 Carnival said in a statement to Spectrum News. On April 6, 20211, Carnival Cruise extended its pause of all operations out of U.S. ports through June 30, 2021.