As hinted at over the last few weeks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) lowered its warning for going on a cruise ship.
The warning has gone from Level 4 to a Level 3 warning of "Very High" to "High".
A level 3 warning means those not fully vaccinated for Covid-19 should avoid cruise ship travel, but does not go as far as warning against cruise ship travel for everyone.
The four warning levels are as follows:
Level 4: Very high level of COVID-19
Level 3: High level of COVID-19
Level 2: Moderate level of COVID-19
Level 1: Low level of COVID-19
It made the change based on its Travel Health Notice Level based on two factors:
- Cumulative new COVID-19 crew case counts over the past 14 days
- If cases among crew members are increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same.
A level 3 warning means cumulative new Covid-19 case counts over the past 14 days are between 1,000 - 2,000, and cumulative new symptomatic Covid-19 case counts over the past 14 days are between 500 - 999.
The CDC lowering the warning level was hinted at by Royal Caribbean executives in an earnings call with Wall Street investors on February 4.
At the time, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said he expected the change, "We also believe that in the not too distant future, the CDC Level four will be downgraded to Level three, and I think that will also be another positive step in the right direction."
Cruise industry reaction
Immediately after the warning was lowered, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) issued a statement supporting the change.
CLIA was extremely vocal in its criticism of the CDC's policies towards the cruise industry recently, but said this new change is a "step in the right direction".
"The decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lower the Travel Health Notice threat level for cruise ships is a step in the right direction and recognizes the leadership and effectiveness of the cruise sector’s health and safety protocols that are unmatched by virtually any other commercial setting."
CLIA pointed to the fact the lowering of the warning is a direct result of the effective health protocols the cruise industry has employed to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, "Cruise ships have medical, isolation and quarantine facilities on site, implement extensive response plans using private shoreside resources, and have created an environment where almost every single person is fully vaccinated.
"As a result, cases of COVID-19 are very low with the vast majority mild or asymptomatic—making cruise unequaled in its multi-layered approach to effectively mitigating COVID-19."
A change after harsher words
The CDC lowered its warning for travel on a cruise ship less than a week after the cruise industry slammed the CDC's guidance update.
On February 9, the CDC unveiled the terms of its voluntary Covid-19 program for cruise ships to follow. It was met almost immediately by backlash from cruise lines that viewed it as out of touch with society's approach to Covid currently.
Despite Covid numbers falling precipitously on ships (and on land), the agency continued to urge the public against cruise ship travel for the fully vaccinated because in their view, the chances of getting COVID on a cruise ship is "very high".
CLIA went as far as to call out the CDC for being "unnecessarily discriminatory" against the cruise industry.
CLIA also said Covid-positive cases on cruise ships have seen a dramatic drop lately, and that Covid cases on cruise ships are 80 times lower than on land in the United States.
