Tag Archives: cruise ships

USA Today reports: Royal Caribbean International is postponing the inaugural sailings of its newest cruise ship after eight crew members received positive coronavirus test results during routine testing. The Odyssey of the Seas’ initial sailings, which the cruise line had laid out as six- and eight-night Southern and Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from July 3 to July …

The Miami Herald reports: Royal Caribbean International will no longer require any of its cruise passengers to be vaccinated for COVID-19 as it had previously planned to. In a press release Friday announcing cruises for sale on eight of its ships from U.S. ports this summer, starting with Freedom of the Seas from PortMiami on July 2, the company said …

Forbes reports: On a call with travel agents last Thursday, Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior VP of sales, trade support and service at Celebrity Cruises, discussed “the elephant in the room,” according a scoop in the unofficial Royal Caribbean Blog, which is not affiliated with the cruise line. The blog’s founder, Matt Hochberg, was not on the call but obtained an audio …

The Points Guy reports: In an emailed response on Thursday to questions from TPG, DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw suggested vaccine requirements for sailings that Celebrity Cruises announced Wednesday as part of a plan to restart cruising from Florida on June 26 are in violation of Florida law, and the line could face massive fines if it moves forward with …

USA Today reports: Cruising in U.S. waters can officially resume in June. The first large cruise ship has been approved by the CDC to sail in June. Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary Royal Caribbean Group, is the first cruise line to receive approval to sail one of its ships with paying passengers on board. The Celebrity Edge will depart on a …

West Palm Beach’s ABC News affiliate reports: Earlier in May, Norwegian announced it was considering suspending Florida departures, this was due to the governor’s ban on businesses requiring proof of vaccination. Gov. Ron DeSantis responded by saying the cruise line was free to leave and the new rule wouldn’t change. The company has decided to stay and announced that it …

The Points Guy reports: The world’s third largest cruise company is prepared to pull its ships from Florida in the coming months if it has to comply with the state’s new law against vaccine mandates. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and CEO Frank Del Rio on Thursday suggested the company’s three brands — Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent …

USA Today reports: The return of passenger-filled cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters is in sight. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released additional guidance for cruise ships with instructions for trial voyages with volunteer passengers meant to take place in advance of sailings that include paying passengers. “With the issuance of these next two phases, cruise …

CNBC reports: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is “committed” to the resumption of cruise industry passenger operations in the United States by mid-summer, it said on Wednesday, announcing some new steps to speed approvals. “If a ship attests that 98% of its crew and 95% of its passengers are fully vaccinated,” the agency said in a …

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Silversea Cruises became the second major cruise line to announce it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all passengers when it resumes global itineraries on June 5. The decision could set up a confrontation with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when the luxury cruise line is scheduled to sail from Port Everglades in December. DeSantis’ press office …

The Miami Herald reports: Florida’s U.S. Senators introduced legislation Tuesday to override the Centers for Disease Control’s existing framework cruise ships must follow to resume operations and replace current regulations with a new set of recommendations to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 aboard ships. Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, along with Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, all Republicans, introduced the …

Tampa’s Fox News affiliate reports: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is optimistic that cruises can resume by mid-summer, as operators struggle to stay afloat one year after sailing was shut down due to coronavirus concerns. “Well, the bottom line is safety… I can’t wait for us all to be on the move …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis today announced that Florida has filed a lawsuit against Biden administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and the CDC, demanding that U.S. cruise ships be “reopened immediately.” “This is not reasonable. This is not rational,” DeSantis said during a news conference at PortMiami. “We don’t believe the federal government has the …

Spectrum News reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ripped into the federal government’s continued pandemic ban on cruise ships using U.S. ports, threatening Friday to file a lawsuit if one of the state’s biggest tourism sectors is not allowed to resume operations soon. Appearing at Port Canaveral with leaders from Carnival, Norwegian, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, DeSantis and Florida …

USA Today reports: Royal Caribbean’s newest ship “Odyssey of the Seas” is set to debut in May with departures from Israel with all passengers and crew over the age of 16 vaccinated. “In conjunction with Israel’s health and tourism authorities, Royal Caribbean will be the first to offer fully vaccinated sailings, where both crew and guests above the age of …

The New York Post reports: The president of cruise giant Royal Caribbean has announced that 100,000 people have already volunteered to sail free-of-charge on their government-mandated test voyages. Just three days earlier, the company set up a “Volunteers of the Seas” Facebook page to attract those eager enough for a free ride aboard a cruise ship during the COVID-19 pandemic. …

USA Today reports: The cruise line industry, which has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, submitted a report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday with dozens of recommendations on how to prevent or mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on ships. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian’s Healthy Sail Panel submitted the 66-page report in response to a …

Reuters reports: A federal judge dismissed lawsuits by Grand Princess cruise ship passengers who sued for emotional distress caused by their fear of exposure to COVID-19, saying that allowing their cases to proceed would “lead to a flood of trivial suits.” Judge Gary Klausner in Los Angeles said in Tuesday’s ruling that allowing passengers to collect damages based on potential …

From the Cruise Lines International Association: “Due to the ongoing situation within the U.S. related to COVID-19, CLIA member cruise lines have decided to voluntarily extend the period of suspended passenger operations. The current No Sail Order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will expire on 24 July, and although we had hoped that cruise …

Complex reports: It’s been two months since the cruise industry closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than 100,000 workers are still trapped on ships, with many going unpaid. According to the Miami Herald, crew members don’t know when they’ll be able to go home. While cruises allowed most passengers to disembark the ships, employees have been left …