FILE PHOTO: Tourists enjoy a ride on a catamaran as cruise ship Carnival Magic is seen near the shores of Cozumel October 17, 2014./File Photo
April 16 (Reuters) – Cruise industry executives met with health experts and White House staff earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday, following criticism of its guidelines on restarting voyages.
The discussion, which centered around how the pandemic-battered industry could get back into business, comes after the CDC said passengers and crew would need COVID-19 vaccine shots and more frequent testing, but did not give a timeline on when it will lift its ban on cruises.
Carnival Corp, the industry’s largest player, had said the instructions were “unworkable” and threatened to shift home ports of its cruise ships to other parts of the world if the United States did not allow it to start sailing.
Industry leaders showed their frustration with the guidelines relating to vaccination requirements and sought to set up a working group with industry and CDC, the agency said in a statement about the meeting that took place on Monday.
The CDC said it wanted to restart sailing in a phased approach, but again did not provide a timeline.
The chief executives of Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean Group attended the Monday meeting, CNBC reported.
The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The state of Florida, where the three companies are based, had earlier this month filed a lawsuit against the CDC, demanding cruise ships be allowed to resume sailing.
“We welcome the CDC’s expressed commitment to working with the cruise industry… to address the changes in the science, including the impact of vaccines, that will move us toward our shared goal of responsibly resuming operations this summer,” the Cruise Lines International Association said in a statement.
(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 105,954 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) released its annual State of the Cruise Industry report, revealing robust growth in the sector still recovering from pandemic impacts. In 2023, the passenger...
VIENNA (Reuters) – Eleven people were injured when a Bulgarian cruise ship crashed into a concrete wall in a sluice on the River Danube in the northern Austrian town of Aschach an der Donau overnight,...
The world’s largest cruise company Carnival Corporation has announced record revenue and all-time high bookings in the first quarter of 2024. Revenues for the three months ending in February hit...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 105,954 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
