The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent on Monday ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships.
“New guidance for cruise ships to mitigate and manage COVID-19 transmission will be available in the coming days,” the CDC said in a statement on its website.
While no guidance was immediately available, this would point to cruise line’s being able to set their own vaccination and testing rules for ships operating or calling in U.S. ports.
The CDC will also reportedly stop tracking COVID-19 cases on cruise ships, having launched a dashboard earlier this year.
The CDC’s Program for Cruise Ships replaced the previous Conditional Sail Order, which went through multiple revisions that led to the industry’s 2021 restart in North America. That Order had replaced the original No Sail Order that was issued in March 2020.
Norwegian Bliss in Ponta Delgada Azores, photo credit Spacejunkie2
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings today announced it will no longer require guests to complete pre-cruise COVID-19 testing unless required by local regulations, according to a press release.
This policy will go into effect across Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises beginning August 1, 2022, the company said.
The pre-embarkation testing requirement will remain in place for guests currently travelling on voyages departing from destinations with local testing regulations, including but not limited to the U.S., Canada, Greece and Bermuda.
Norwegian said that the relaxation of the testing policy is in line with the rest of the travel, leisure and hospitality industry worldwide as society continues to adapt and return to a state of normalcy. The company added that it continues to strongly recommend all guests be up to date on vaccination protocols and test at their convenience prior to travel.
Another cruise line is completing its restart plan today as Arcadia resumes service for P&O Cruises in England.
Returning after a three-month operational pause, the 2005-built vessel is welcoming guests in Southampton for a cruise to Iceland, Norway and Ireland.
The 14-night itinerary visits six different ports, such as Reykjavik, Akureyri, Alesund and Belfast.
Continuing its restart program, the Arcadia is set to offer different itineraries departing from Southampton, with cruises visiting the British Islands, the Baltic, Western Europe and more.
In September, the 83,000-ton vessel is also sailing a special 30-night voyage to the United States and Canada. The roundtrip itinerary features visits to New York City, Boston, Halifax, Corner Brook, Bar Harbor and more.
At the time, P&O cancelled seven additional departures on board the ship, which offers an adults-only product.
Built in Italy, the Arcadia originally entered service in April 2005 and has a capacity for 1,968 passengers in double occupancy.
In 2018, the vessel was subjected to a major refit, which, according to P&O, improved the onboard experience with a fresher and more contemporary feel.
Following guests’ feedback, the company updated several parts of the ship, including cabins, suites, public areas, bars, main dining restaurants and speciality dining venues.
With the Arcadia now sailing again, P&O Cruises’ entire fleet is once again in service.
After a 14-month gap, the UK-based company first welcomed guests back in mid-2021, with a series of domestic cruises onboard the Britannia and the new Iona.
The Carnival-owned brand later returned to more destinations, gradually adding the rest of the fleet back into service.
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