As Congress remains stuck in how to fund the country, a government lockdown looms large.
If a funding bill isn't passed by midnight on Friday, most federal agencies would stop work, and most government workers would be furloughed, except for those who work in agencies deemed as "essential services."
The good news is federal workers involved in travel are deemed essential, but there could still be impacts to your upcoming trip.
How would the government shutdown affect cruises?
The good news is control of the ports would not be impacted because they are one of those essential groups.
Based on what we've seen in previous shutdowns, agencies like customs and the Coast Guard remain operational. Immigration, border patrol, TSA are all essential government functions and will continue during a shutdown.
Funding to agencies like Customs and Border Protection would be on hold. However, the agents who you typically interact with at cruise ports are considered essential and will be working without pay during the shutdown.
All federal employees will receive back pay. They won’t be paid during the shutdown, they will get paid when the money becomes available.
The bigger impact is long term, as hiring and training functions get halted. Crucial safety functions like inspections should continue.
Will the shutdown impact air travel?
Just as important as the ship is getting to your cruise, so what should air travelers expect?
It's a mix of good and bad news.
The government deems agencies like the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration essential services. Also, airport security workers and air traffic controllers will still be required to work even though they will not receive paychecks until the shutdown eventually ends.
That sounds good, but the issue the TSA has faced in the past has been agent no-shows.
When there was an extended government shutdown in 2019, after about two weeks of no pay, FAA controllers and TSA agents started not showing up for work. That lead to delays at security checkpoints and flight times.
A few airports actually shutdown, including airports in Philadelphia, Newark, New York, and Atlanta. One benefit to that was it exacerbated the problem and arguably got the shutdown to end quicker.
What should you do if you have a cruise during a government shutdown?
While no one knows if there will be a government shutdown, how long it would last, and what impact it would have, there's a few good ideas to consider.
First and foremost, you should pack extra patience. If ports are understaffed, inspections by local authorities could take longer to clear your cruise ship.
When a ship returns to port in the United States at the conclusion of a sailing, the ship needs to be cleared before passengers can disembark.
Under normal circumstances, this could be a very quick process. However, sometimes customs agents want a more thorough look before they can allow passengers off the ship.
Royal Caribbean Blog reader Don Goldstein shared an experience where he was on a ship returning to port the day after a shutdown begin, "[We] came into port after a cruise, Port Everglades, I think, and it took us about 4 hours to get off the ship due to lack of ICE staffing at the port."
Can I renew my passport for my cruise during a shutdown?
The Department of State says passport processing is essential and will continue during the shutdown.
However, if a passport office is in a building run by a different shuttered agency, then it could close.
Just like the airports, employees in the State Department would be unpaid during the shutdown and there could be absenteeism issues.
