Tag Archives: CDC

Disney Gets Approval for ‘Test Cruise’ with Volunteers

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Disney Cruise Line will conduct a test and simulation cruise for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with volunteer guests aboard the 2010-built Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral for a two-night cruise.

Disney follows Royal Caribbean International as the second cruise line to get CDC approval for the test cruise option, which will lead to letting a ship operating with non-vaccinated passengers under health and safety protocols. 

For cruise lines opting to require 98 per cent of guests and 95 per cent of the crew to be vaccinated for COVID-19, there is no test cruise requirement and fewer regulations. However, some brands appear to be set to have some ships go through CDC certification to have more non-vaccinated guests to target family travel.

In a letter sent out Thomas Mazloum, President of Disney Signature Experiences announced the news in a letter.

“We now have the green light to conduct our two-night simulation cruise aboard the Disney Dream from June 29 to July 1, sailing from Port Canaveral. The ship will sail with volunteer passengers and test our newly developed health and safety protocols, which have been meticulously tailored to the current public health environment. All of these protocols are essential to cruising responsibly, and Disney Cruise Line couldn’t be more committed to making vacation dreams come true as it prioritizes the wellbeing of all who step aboard our ships,” Mazloum wrote.

“Today, as we move closer to restarting our U.S. cruises, I want to spotlight the tremendous resilience and positivity of the team. Your collaboration and continued enthusiasm throughout the pandemic have been nothing short of amazing, as we’ve researched, drafted, revised and refined our comprehensive roadmap for cruising again. It has been no small feat – and I’m extremely proud of everyone.”

Return to Cruising: CDC Approves Royal Caribbean Sailing in June

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MS Celebrity Edge. Photo: Jjerome78/CC BY-SA 4.0

The Centers for Disease Control said it had approved one cruise ship from Royal Caribbean to resume sailing in June, more than a year after U.S. cruising was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge will depart from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on June 26, the cruise company said. It will be the first U.S. departing cruise in more than a year with paying passengers.

“Cruising from the U.S. is back!” Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Group chairman and the chief executive officer said in a statement.

The CDC said it is committed to working with the cruise industry and ports to resume cruising in a phased approach.

“CDC and the cruise industry agree that the industry has what it needs to move forward and no additional roadblocks exist for resuming sailing by mid-summer,” the agency said on Wednesday.

The ship will skip a simulated voyage because it requiring crew and passengers to be vaccinated, the CDC said.

Royal Caribbean said all sailings will depart with a vaccinated crew and everyone over 16 must present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. From August 1, all guests ages 12 and older must present proof of vaccination.

The inaugural sailing sets the stage for Royal Caribbean Group to announce additional itineraries, the company added.

The state of Florida, which was later joined by Alaska, sued President Joe Biden’s administration in federal court in April, seeking to overturn the CDC’s decision to prevent the U.S. cruise industry from immediately resuming operations. A federal judge sent that lawsuit to mediation last week.

2021 Alaska Cruise Season May Be Saved as U.S. Senate Passes Key Bill

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The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that will allow foreign-flagged cruise ships to operate in Alaska without calling on a Canadian port as the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act was passed on Thursday. 

It’s a huge step to saving part of the 2021 Alaska cruise season. 

The legislation was the work of Alaskan Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan.

Next, the bill goes to the U.S. House for approval.

The House will need to vote it through and then President Joe Biden will need to sign it.

“Huge victory today in my effort to provide an opportunity for economic recovery for Alaskan communities who rely on cruise ship passengers — the Senate just passed my bill,” said Senator Murkowski in a social media post.

If the bill moves through other branches of the U.S. government efficiently, the next step would be for the industry to gain CDC approval to operate.