Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

US authorities halt cruise travel for another 100 days

US authorities halt cruise travel for another 100 days

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have extended a 'no-sail order' for cruise ships by 100 days or until COVID-19 is no longer an emergency.

The extension followed a CDC ruling that passengers or crew arriving in the US from a cruise ship will no longer be able to board commercial flights.

The share price of Carnival Corp. fell sharply on Monday, after the cruise operator announced, in response to the CDC ruling, that it has cancelled all North American cruise itineraries through 26 June. Carnival also cancelled all trips out of New York until the end of this year.


Cayman first banned cruise ships starting 16 March.

The first ship scheduled to sail to Cayman is now the Carnival Vista, which is set to depart Galveston, Texas, on 27 June. The Carnival Paradise and the Carnival Sensation are set to leave from Tampa and Miami, respectively, on 29 June.

While the CDC ruling eliminates any ambiguity for US cruise schedules, it is not certain that these international travel dates are realistic. Even if US-based cruise lines were allowed to sail again in US waters when the CDC order expires, it is not clear that they will be allowed to land in Cayman.

At a press conference last week, Premier Alden McLaughlin called earlier cruise schedules indicating a return to Cayman by the end of May “premature”.

The CDC said, despite the existing restrictions on foreign travel, cruise ship travel markedly increases the risk and impact of the COVID-19 outbreak within the US.

At least 10 cruise ships reported crew or passengers that either tested positive or experienced respiratory symptoms or influenza-like illnesses.

The CDC estimates there are approximately 100 cruise ships at sea off the US East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast, with nearly 80,000 crew on board. In addition, there are 20 cruise ships at port or anchorage in the US with known or suspected COVID-19 cases among the crew who remain on board.

“There are several public health concerns when crew members become ill while on board the cruise ships,” the CDC said. “As we have seen with the passenger illness response on cruise ships, safely evacuating, triaging, and repatriating cruise ship crew has involved complex logistics, incurs financial costs at all levels of government, and diverts resources away from larger efforts to suppress or mitigate COVID-19.

“The addition of further COVID-19 cases from cruise ships also places healthcare workers at substantial increased risk.”

The CDC order requires that cruise lines develop operational plans to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and include medical screening of passengers and crew, as well as the training of crew members to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and deal with any outbreaks on board.

The no-sail order remains in effect for at least 100 days, unless the US secretary of health officially declares COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency or the CDC director rescinds or modifies the order.

Cancelled trips are a major drain on the cash reserves of the main cruise lines – Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. Carnival is offering passengers between US$300 and US$600 added credit to future bookings, if they do not request a cash refund. Royal Caribbean is offering 125% credit on new bookings to avoid a full refund.

Last week, Carnival revealed in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that support of the industry is unwavering, with almost half of the passengers who saw their cruise cancelled choosing to sail with the cruise line at a later date.

When contacted by Carnival, 45% of passengers opted for added credit to a future sailing, and 55% requested a refund.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×