It’s Time To Bring Back The Cruise Industry

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Are you ready to get on a cruise ship? The answer for many might be a firm no, but in my opinion, it's time to get the cruise industry sailing again.

According to the Washington Post, a group representing most of the world's cruise lines is spending time this week pressuring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow ships to start sailing from the United States by July.

The cruise industry has been shut down since March of 2020 when the CDC issued a "no-sail" order. That meant that ships would not be able set sail from an American port until the no-sail order is lifted.

You might be wondering who would get on a cruise ship during a pandemic? The answer? A lot. While cruise ships are sailing in the United States, cruise lines have been operating in Asia, the South Pacific, and Europe. According to the story from the Washington Post, there have been very few cases of coronavirus since cruise ships started sailing again.

Since starting again, nearly 400,000 passengers have sailed in more than 10 markets with safety measures such as testing, mask-wearing and distancing in place, the association said. Based on public reports that the group tracks, there have been fewer than 50 reported cases of the coronavirus.

“The cruise industry has adopted a high bar for resumption around the world with a multilayered set of policies that is intended to be revised as conditions change,” CLIA President and CEO Kelly Craighead said in the statement.

She said in the statement that the CDC’s “outdated” conditional sailing order “does not reflect the industry’s proven advancements and success operating in other parts of the world, nor the advent of vaccines, and unfairly treats cruises differently.”

Several cruise lines will require passengers and crew to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to go on a cruise.

As for me, I'm all for it. People are ready for vacations and to spend time outdoors. If they feel comfortable on a cruise ship, let's get people back on the ships and get the crews working again. Before a few years ago, I never thought I would enjoy a cruise. Now I miss it and can't wait to go back.