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MIAMI (AP) – Joel Steckler was looking forward to his first cruise in over a year and a half, and he chose the ship which, just two months ago, became the first to accept passengers again after a long pandemic stop.
Steckler was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and that was enough to get back on cruise, under the initial direction of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now, the 63-year-old man from Long Island, New York, will postpone the trip he had planned for Saturday amid new, stricter guidelines sparked by the outbreak of cases fueled by the delta variant and groundbreaking infections.
“You just have to make a personal decision,” said Steckler, who is on drugs that suppress his immune system and changed his plans after seeing his doctor. “You don’t want to be in a position where you’re sick on a cruise and you have to go home or go home somehow.”
Cruise lines have detected infections among vaccinated crew members and passengers, including one elderly traveler who recently died. Last Friday, the CDC began advising travelers at a higher risk of contracting serious COVID-19 illness to avoid cruises. It also recommends that passengers show both a recent negative COVID test and proof that they have been immunized.
In addition to the delta virus outbreak, the CDC has changed its cruise guidelines for high-risk groups due to the proximity of ship passengers, limited onboard care options, and the challenges of medically evacuating passengers. travelers at sea, Center spokesperson Kristen Nordlund said. Tuesday.
Some cruise lines – and cruise destinations – are also revising their own guidelines.
Starting September 3, the Bahamas – a preferred stopover for cruises – is requiring all passengers 12 years of age and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of mooring ships. This prompted companies such as Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival to announce this week that they are adopting the same requirement. Businesses will ask for a government vaccination card or a record from a health care provider.
They were able to do it in Florida after a federal judge temporarily blocked a state law this month prohibiting cruise lines from requiring passengers to prove they are vaccinated.
Companies are also once again demanding masks in interior areas of ships and other places where people congregate.
“Unfortunately, no place on land or at sea is COVID-free at this time,” Carnival Corp said. in a written statement.
Carnival commented on the case of a 77-year-old vaccinated woman who later contracted the virus. The company said the woman “almost certainly did not contract COVID on our ship,” suggesting she was already infected when she boarded.
Neither cruise lines nor the federal government report the number of cases they have had on their ships. They only admitted that there had been infections.
However, Belize officials recently reported that 26 crew members and a passenger on a Carnival cruise ship – all of whom had been vaccinated – had tested positive for COVID-19. They said they all had mild or no symptoms and were isolated.
Jaime Katz, an analyst who covers the cruise industry for financial services firm Morningstar, said that while many high-risk travelers might postpone their trips, others will continue to book for the future, betting the wave current case will subside over time. their boat is sailing.
“The flexible booking and cancellation policies have made cruising more enjoyable for nervous travelers,” he said.
Companies are offering full refunds if people test positive for COVID-19 or decide to cancel after a cruise line shortens the length of a planned trip. Royal Caribbean International also offers to bring people home if they or a member of their party is positive during the cruise.
Chris Woronka, a Deutsche Bank analyst who tracks the entertainment industry, said cruisers, including those over 65, are an avid bunch – so eager to get back on the water that they won’t be not easily deterred by the current wave of COVID and more stringent travel requirements.
“I don’t think it’s permanent unless we deal with Delta 2.0 or the next,” Woronka said.
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Koenig reported from Dallas.
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