Few politicians have been as outspokenly in favor of cruise ships being able to restart operations as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but he has drawn a line with restart plans.

Many cruise lines have proposed or announced plans to require adults, or even all cruise passengers, to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to sail in the short term.

Speaking to Fox News, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he does not think private business should be able to require a vaccine for its passengers.

"I'm very supportive of getting our cruise lines back up and running," Gov. DeSantis said in an interview. "We think they should be able to sail. But we also don't think that they should be able to require your personal health information in that regard."

Backing up his opinion is a new State of Florida Executive Order that prohibits Covid-19 vaccine passports (EO 21-81).

Section 2 of the Executive Order prohibits businesses from requiring their customers to "provide any documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the business."

Royal Caribbean has not officially decided if it will require its cruise ship passengers to get a vaccine as a matter of fleet wide policy, although it is requiring the vaccine for select ships that will be restarting cruises outside the United States this summer.

Part of that decision to require vaccines for adults on ships sailing from Israel, Bahamas, Bermuda or Cyrpus, also lays with the government of those countries, with whom Royal Caribbean has negotiated with to gain permission to sail from there.

On March 1, 2021, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain reitterated no decision has been made yet on if Royal Caribbean will require its guests to be vaccinated in order to cruise.

"So this raises the question of whether we will require vaccines on all of our sailings. The answer is, we don't know yet."

Mr. Fain is a major support of the vaccines, and believes they are the fastest and best method to get Covid-19 under control.

"Whether we will require vaccines of all of our guests on all of our ships hasn't been decided yet, but we are prepared to go where the science leads us."

Rival cruise line Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) believes by requiring vaccines of every single person onboard its ships initially, in addition to comprehensive protocols including universal COVID-19 testing, is the key to way to get its ships back into service faster with approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The Biden Administration said on April 9 they have no plans for a vaccine passport system.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki when asked about vaccine passports at a press conference April, 6, 2021 responded: "There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential."

Instead, the Biden Administration feels private businesses can best police the issue themselves, without government interference. 

Andy Slavitt, acting director for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in a White House press briefing on March 29, 2021, "unlike other parts of the world, the government here is not viewing its role as the place to create a passport, nor a place to hold the data of — of citizens. We view this as something that the private sector is doing and will do."

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain shared a very positive message to start everyone's week.

For many months, Richard Fain has shared quick video updates with the travel agent community to keep them abreast of what is happening, and his own thoughts on the state of cruising.

In his latest video update, Mr. Fain shared an incredible amount of optimism that cruises will be allowed to sail in the United States sooner, rather than later.

Mr. Fain alludes to positive discussions with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as talks with the federal government, and even goes as far as to say summer cruises to Alaska are still possible this year.

In short, positive news regarding the treatment of Covid-19 and the vaccine rollout, coupled with strong data from cruise ships around the world that new health protocols on cruise ships are effective have given the cruise lines a compelling dataset to use in discussions with the CDC and other health authorities.

"Based on that data, over 30 countries have already granted permission for cruising. And we're optimistic that the CDC will too."

"Based on the advances in science and the data provided by our experiences abroad, the CDC is engaging in a constructive dialogue with us in the industry to enable a return to service in a safe and healthy manner."

In regard to summer cruises, Mr. Fain said that the possibility still remains for there to be a summer cruise season this year.

"We're also pleased that the science and the data have advanced so far in just a few months. The CDC has publicly stated that this could enable cruising to restart as early as mid-July."

"We agree with that assessment and we're more optimistic than ever that a realistic path forward can be achieved in that time frame. That would enable a summer season in Alaska and elsewhere."

Mr. Fain says the final decision on when cruises will be able to restart lays with the CDC, "as they should be, and I caution you that we can't prejudge their decisions."

"The new leadership seems ready to have the kind of dialogue that could lead to a constructive outcome."

Part of the optimism for this forward progress in having productive conversations with the federal government comes from the support the travel community has shown recently.

Mr. Fain points to the public statements of support for cruise lines have, "demonstrated that there is a strong desire to see cruising treated like so many other businesses and allowed to operate under safe guidelines."

"That loud voice has been clear and it seems to be being heard in Washington and in Atlanta."

Mr. Fain's comments follows a groundswell of public support recently for cruise ships to be able to sail again.

Leading the charge has been the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), who has spearheaded a campaign to tell lawmakers people want cruise ships to be able to resume service.

In addition, a series of public statements (and even a lawsuit) from local officials, as well as bills in Congress have been introduced with the singular goal of compelling the CDC to allow cruise ships to sail again.

Cruise ships have been shutdown in the United States since March 2020, when the cruise industry volunteered to stop cruising in the early days of the global health crisis.  Since then, the CDC instituted a ban on cruise ships.

Since then, many other aspects of travel have either not been halted, or been allowed to restart, including airlines, hotels, theme parks, and casinos.

Members of the House of Representatives have introduced their own bill to get cruise ships sailing again.

Coinciding with a similar bill in the United States Senate, Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) introduced H.R.2554, which would allow cruise ships to sail again and circumvent the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Framework for Conditional Sail Order (CSO).

The text of the bill is not yet available, but it is co-sponsored by 14 members of congress:

• Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
• Rep. Weber, Randy K., Sr. [R-TX-14]
• Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]
• Rep. Gimenez, Carlos A. [R-FL-26]
• Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-25]
• Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
• Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]
• Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]
• Rep. Carl, Jerry L. [R-AL-1]
• Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]
• Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]
• Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
• Rep. Lesko, Debbie [R-AZ-8]
• Rep. Franklin, C. Scott [R-FL-15]

The bill mirrors another bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) last week.

Salazar represents Florida's 27th Congressional district, which includes PortMiami.

Rep. Salazar believes the suspension of cruise ships has cost the the U.S. economy too much money, "The suspension in U.S. cruise departures has resulted in the loss of $5.64 billion to the State of Florida’s economy, the loss of 91,450 jobs, and the loss of $4.44 billion in wages. The ripple effects of these devastating losses are being felt across the nation."

If passed, the CRUISE Act would have four major tenants.

• Requires the CDC to issue recommendations for how to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 to passengers and crew onboard cruise ships.
• Establishes an interagency “Working Group” that will develop recommendations to facilitate the resumption of passenger cruise ship operations in the United States. The recommendations will facilitate the resumption of passenger cruise ship operations in the United States no later than July 1, 2021.   
• No later than July 1, 2021, the CDC must revoke the order entitled “Framework for Conditional Sailing and Initial Phase COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Protection of Crew.”
• Ensures that HHS and CDC retain all appropriate authorities to make and enforce regulations necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases on any individual cruise ship.

Last week, she walked to to the CDC and met with the Deputy Director of the CDC to work on a way for cruise ships to sail again.

I walked over to the @CDCgov myself and met with the Deputy Director.

She assured us that they would come to the table & work with us.

I’ll never stop fighting until @PortMiami is OPEN & our ships are back at sea! pic.twitter.com/Wenur0qGcz

— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) April 15, 2021

In the video, Rep. Salazar commented that she “had a very good meeting” with the Deputy Director, “who assured me that we were gonna be talking to the Director very, very soon.” She also added that the Deputy Director assured that they “were gonna work together, so we could open the Port of Miami and have those cruise ships back at sea.”

Alaska Congressman Don Young is one of the co-sponsors of the bill, and feels strongly about cruises being able to restart because of the deep financial impact no cruises is having on his home state.

"Every day that passes without the lifting of CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order is one day closer to the loss of the 2021 Alaska cruise season. No federal agency should have the ability to deprive Alaskans and their businesses the opportunity to earn a living for over 31 months."

"We must trust the science; vaccines are effective and proper protocols can be put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the livelihoods of countless Alaskan small businesses in the state's ports and Alaska Native communities on the line, I not only call on the CDC to recognize this perilous moment for so many small business owners, but I also ask my colleagues to cosponsor this critical bill."

Happy weekend! I hope Spring is starting to arrive where you live.  Regardless of the weather, it is time to sit back, relax, and check out the latest in Royal Caribbean news!

The news that got a lot of attention this week was a new bill introduced that aims to get cruise ships sailing again.

Senators from Florida and Alaska sponsored a new piece of legislation that would allow cruise ships to start sailing without the CDC's interference.

Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, along with Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, announced a bill that is aimed at overriding the CDC’s current framework for getting cruise lines back to sea. In this new legislation, called the CRUISE Act, or Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements, lawmakers are calling on U.S. health officials to change current guidelines.

The purpose of the bill is to end the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC)'s Framework for Conditional Sail Order (CSO) by July 4, 2021 so that cruise lines can restart sailings from the United States.

Royal Caribbean News

• First look at Wonder of the Seas deck plans
• CDC keeps highest warning level possible against going on a cruise ship
• New Navigator of the Seas west coast cruises now available to book
• Photos: Royal Caribbean cruise ship brings needed supplies to St. Vincent following volcano eruption
• Royal Caribbean sees facial recognition technology, not wearables, as the future of personalization
• Report: Royal Caribbean targeting January 2023 opening of Royal Beach Club in Nassau, Bahamas
• Alaska Governor threatens to sue US over cruise ship ban
• Which Royal Caribbean ships have water slides?
• Norwegian Cruise Line pushes CDC for an answer to their proposal to restart cruising
• Cruise industry met with CDC this week about cruises restarting this summer
• Royal Caribbean cruise planner sale is back: Discounts on drink packages, wifi and more
• SilverSea will require all cruise ship passengers to be fully vaccinated
• 10 unique foods you will find on Royal Caribbean
• How to get a health visa for your summer 2021 Royal Caribbean cruises

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 402nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a look at this summer's cruises you could sail on.

In this episode, Matt takes a look at what you need to be thinking about if you are planning a summer 2021 cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: 20 Royal Caribbean tips for a better cruise

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 20 Royal Caribbean tips for a better cruise — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO sees signs "We Are Approaching The End" of cruise shutdown

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain thinks cruise ships being able to sail again may be up next.

In his latest video update, Richard Fain sees a lot of key milestones happening now that point to the fact things are moving in the right direction.

Included in his comments was mention of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recent update to its Framework for Conditional Sail Order (CSO), which Mr. Fain characterized as, "tougher restrictions on cruising out of U.S. ports."

Royal Caribbean will be sailing from new homeports this summer outside the United States, but in order to get there, you will need to complete a health visa.

In addition to having a passport, the government of these countries where Royal Caribbean's ships are sailing from requires international visitors provide a health visa that proves they do not have Covid-19.

Getting a health visa is a mere formality, but it is an additional step that never existed before in the repertoire of cruisers.

In each case, expect to incur a little bit of time and money to get it all done right before your sailing.

Adventure of the Seas

The Bahamas requires a travel health visa that you can start filling out now.

The health visa is available online, where you can first create a profile for everyone traveling.

Similar to Royal Caribbean's online check-in, you will add your name, information and even upload a photo of your passport.

Bookmark the site, and then plan to get a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test taken no more than five (5) days from collection date (date of test) to date of arrival.

Test results must be uploaded to the Bahamas Travel Health Visa portal and presented upon arrival. 

The cost of the health visa and PCR test are not included with your cruise, so it is a cost you will have to incur.

Vision of the Seas

Bermuda requires the Bermuda Travel Authorization to be completed by cruisers prior to their arrival on the island.

Guests sailing on Vision fo the Seas will have to have a negative PCR test result before traveling, testing upon arrival into the country and filling out appropriate entry forms.

Visitors must take a PCR COVID-19 test and obtain a negative result no more than five days before arrival. The day of testing is day 0.

According to Bermuda, guests must complete one to three days before departure the Bermuda Travel Authorisation process online which gathers important information for the island’s health and immigration officials; a $75 fee per traveler is required, which includes the cost of all COVID-19 testing in Bermuda. 

Each passenger must have a form completed regardless of age. Children 9 and younger do not have to be tested at any point, and their Travel Authorization fee is $30.

Bermuda has arranged an option for testing with AZOVA, where you can get PCR tests at Costco, or even an at home test.

Jewel of the Seas

Getting to Cyprus means you must fill out the Cyprus Flight Pass before you arrive.

It is not clear exactly what will be required for guests traveling to Cyprus yet. Royal Caribbean says "it is likely" that a RT-PCR test will be required prior to boarding and obtain a negative result.

"Royal Caribbean will update booked guests via email and text message, in the 30 days prior to sailing, to reinforce the latest requirements for the designated departure port."

Royal Caribbean is doing its part to help bring much needed supplies to the Caribbean island of St. Vincent.

Photo by Stv Online

Following the eruption of La Soufriere volcano, Royal Caribbean Group has begun the work in helping the residents of the island.

The volcanic activity that began on April 9 forced some 20,000 to flee the northern end of the eastern Caribbean island for shelters and contaminated water supplies across the island.

Serenade of the Seas arrived to bring supplies to the island on Thursday.

Royal Caribbean said the ship brought much-needed fresh water that was produced onboard to locals, with more relief supplies on the way.

Photos by Royal Caribbean

Photo by @toni2oni

Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Reflection evacuated British, U.S. and Canadian nationals to St. Maarten at no cost.

La Soufriere volcano has shot out another explosive burst of gas and ash Friday morning as the ship was taking evacuees away.

For the evacuees going on Celebrity, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a warning against people fleeing for their lives on a cruise ship due to volcano erupting because "the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is higher since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships." 

All evacuees aboard took a negative rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of boarding.

St. Vincent’s Argyle International Airport has been closed since the eruption began.

Heavy ash deposits at the Argyle International Airport have prevented airlift there. 

We have our first look at what is (likely) the deck plans for Wonder of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship that is still under construction will be the cruise line's fifth Oasis Class cruise ship and her deck plans are our first look at what the ship may offer guests.

Our friends at Singapore Cruise Society first discovered the new deck plans. 

Wonder of the Seas will cruise in China and be the first Oasis Class ship to sail from Asia.

It is being reported that Royal Caribbean will release more information on the new ship in a conference broadcasted from China on April 20, 2021. 

Keep in mind these deck plans may (and likely will) change.

Here is a look at the deck plans as they are now.

Deck 3

Deck 4

Deck 5

Deck 6

Deck 7

Deck 8

Deck 9

Deck 10

Deck 11

Deck 12

Deck 14

Deck 15

Deck 16

Deck 17

Deck 18

Read more: Why are new cruise ships still being built?

Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2022. She was originally scheduled to be delivered in 2021, but was delayed due to the global health crisis.

Under construction in France, Wonder of the Seas had to be delayed in order to spread out spending. She is still scheduled to sail exclusively in China.

The new cruise ship was floated out in September 2020, but Royal Caribbean has not released itineraries for Wonder of the Seas to book.

Among the many fun activities you can do on a cruise ship, water slides are a fan favorite. So which Royal Caribbean ships offer a wet plummet onboard?

Until recently, Royal Caribbean did not offer water slides, but they have been adding water slides to their ships steadily.

If having a water slide on your cruise is important to you, here is a guide to which ships offer slides.

Types of water slides

Royal Caribbean offers a few different types of water slides across its fleet.

Over the years, Royal Caribbean has experimented with new slides in addition to rolling out tried and true favorites.

The Perfect Storm

The most common combination of water slides on any Royal Caribbean ship is what the cruise line calls The Perfect Storm.

Two racer slides, Cyclone and Typhoon, offer a fast ride side-by-side to a water splash down.

Supercell is the name of the large bowl-shaped slide, where you enter a large saucer section to see how many times you can go around before exiting down to the end.

Tidal Wave

Tidal Wave is the first boomerang-style slide, and allows you to go on a raft up a near vertical wall to achieve a feeling of near weightlessness, before sliding back down for a giant splash.

This is only available on Liberty of the Seas.

Blaster

Royal Caribbean's first aqua coaster, The Blaster, is the longest water slide at sea.  

You ride in a raft down more than 800 feet of dips, turns, and straightaways, with some portions even extending over the side of the ship.

This is only available on Navigator of the Seas.

Riptide

A headfirst mat slide, Riptide takes you on an exhilarating journey down translucent tubes with views (if you can keep your eyes open).

This is only available on Navigator of the Seas.

Kids slides

There are a few different types of water slides specifically for younger children available on some Royal Caribbean ships.

Splashaway Bay is Royal Caribbean's aqua park that offers usually two kinds of water slides for kids.

One is a short slide that goes directly down, and the other is an enclosed tube slide that swirls around a couple times.

On Royal Caribbean's Radiance Class ships, there is a single water slide for children on the back of the ship. This is an open-air slide that swirls around before the exit.

Royal Caribbean ships with water slides

All water slides on Royal Caribbean's cruise ships are complimentary to use when they are open.

Water slides have set hours published in the Cruise Compass, and are usually open during most of the day.

Adventure of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Splashaway Bay

Brilliance of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Explorer of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)

Freedom of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Splashaway Bay

Harmony of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Icon of the Seas

Icon of the Seas' Category 6 Waterpark is the largest at sea!

• Frightening Bolt: The tallest drop slide at sea
• Pressure Drop: First open freefall slide at sea
• Hurricane Hunter and Storm Surge: First family raft slides at sea
• Storm Chasers: First mat-racing duo at sea

Independence of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Splashaway Bay

Jewel of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Liberty of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Tidal Wave
• Splashaway Bay

Mariner of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)

Navigator of the Seas

• Blaster
• Riptide

Oasis of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Ovation of the Seas

• Splashaway Bay

Odyssey of the Seas

• Splashaway Bay

Radiance of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Serenade of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Spectrum of the Seas

• Splashaway Bay

Symphony of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Utopia of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Voyager of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)

Wonder of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Perfect Day at CocoCay

Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas offers a few different water slide options to enjoy.

At Perfect Day at CocoCay, you will find complimentary water slides that anyone can enjoy, as well as water slides that cost extra.

Complimentary slides

There are two areas where kids can enjoy water slides for no additional cost at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon both have small slides that are suitable for most ages.

These slides are generally best for younger children.  

Thrill Waterpark

The water slides that will get your attention quickly are all located in Thrill Waterpark.

Thrill Waterpark has a per-person cost for access to all the slides throughout the day. Royal Caribbean sells day passes for access to the water park. Only full-day passes are available, with no half-day passes offered any longer.

The exact cost of admission to Thrill Waterpark varies from sailing to sailing, so you will need to consult the Cruise Planner website for exact pricing.

Daredevil’s Tower 

The big thrills are at Daredevil's Tower, where you will find seven slides to choose from, including twin Dueling Demons drop slides and the duo of Manta Raycers; the high-speed, fully vertical Screeching Serpent; the coiling Green Mamba; and the 135-foot-tall Daredevil’s Peak – the tallest waterslide in North America.

There are also a few smaller slides as well.

Splash Summit

If you want to experience slides together, Splash Summit offers slides perfect to be shared.

Seven multi-rider slides are available, including The Twister, a winding tube slide for two sharing a raft; The Slingshot, a zero-gravity slide for four; the four-lane Splash Speedway racing slides; and the new Tailspin, a family flume-style slide for 2-4 people.

Adventure Pool

For younger kids, Adventure Pool offers an obstacle course of lily pads, a rock-climbing wall, and swing ropes to bounce, climb, and swing to their heart’s content.

Labadee

Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private destination in Haiti, does not have a water park, but does have a single slide you can purchase rides on to enjoy during your day.

The Dragon's Splash Waterslide is an almost 300-foot slide that drops you into an 18-foot splash zone.  

The cost is $24 for one ride.

Water slides tips & advice

• Water slides are open on embarkation day, so bring your bathing suit in your carry-on luggage so you can take advantage of lower lines.
• Want to go faster on any of these slides? Bathing suit materials and rash guards slow you down, so the less material in contact with the slide, the faster you will go.
• At Perfect Day at CocoCay, lifeguards will ask you to remove rash guards when going down slides on Daredevil's Peak.
• When your ship is in port is a great time to enjoy the water slides with less of a wait.
• Many times there are multiple lines for slides, but guests can stand together blocking the way. Politely ask to move past them if you do not see the end of your line.

More than a week after Norwegian Cruise Line submitted its plan to safely restart cruises from the United States to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there has been no answer.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) called out the CDC on Thursday for not responding yet to their proposal.

On April 5, NCLH submitted a proposal that included 100% vaccination of guests and crew onboard, as well as strict health and safety protocols for all sailing through October 31, 2021.

Today, the company sent a "reminder letter" to the CDC requesting a response.

NCLH President and CEO Frank Del Rio wrote to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky that he is concerned about the lack of progress, calling the experience "frustrating".

"As you know, our industry had a meeting with your office on Monday, and while we appreciate the dialogue, our proposal was not addressed."

"Going forward, we understand the industry may be having regular meetings with your office but remain concerned that such meetings produce the nonexistent results they have had since last year."

NCLH believes by requiring vaccines of every single person onboard its ships initially, in addition to comprehensive protocols including universal COVID-19 testing, their plan exceeds the intent of the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order (CSO).

Read more: Everything we know about if Royal Caribbean will require a vaccine

Under NCLH's proposal, sailings would be able to commence from U.S. ports beginning July 4.

“Over the past year we have worked tirelessly and invested heavily to create a path to resume cruise operations including enlisting the guidance of the nation’s top scientific and public health experts. We are confident that with our science-backed SailSAFE program, we will offer a uniquely safe and healthy vacation experience which protects our guests, crew and communities we visit,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

“We strongly believe our proposal submitted to the CDC 10 days ago, which includes mandatory vaccinations for all guests and crew, offers a safe and immediate solution to resume cruising and eliminates the need for the obsolete CSO, which in its current form is impossible to operationalize and more importantly ignores the advancement of vaccines. Our proposal goes well above and beyond the intent of the CSO and would greatly accelerate the path to resume cruising while freeing up the CDC’s valuable time and resources, allowing it to focus on its many other competing public health priorities. I continue to await further discussion with the CDC and I am respectfully requesting a prompt response to my written proposal to recommence cruising in July allowing us to join America’s national reopening.” 

Norwegian's Plan

To get things going, NCLH has proposed the most stringent policies yet by any North American cruise line.

The plan has five major components:

1. NCLH will require that all guests embarking from a U.S. port and/or disembarking to a U.S. port provide proof of having been fully vaccinated with an FDA-, EMA-, or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine no less than two weeks prior to their departure date;

2. All crew on NCLH vessels will be fully vaccinated with an FDA-, EMA- or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior to commencement of their duties onboard their assigned vessel;

3. NCLH will also incorporate and operationalize the protocols developed by the Healthy Sail Panel (“HSP”), led by former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt and former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. Scott Gottlieb. These protocols, include universal testing of guests and crew, combined with required vaccines for all guests and crew, thereby creating a safe, “bubble-like” environment; and

4. On or about July 4, 2021, NCLH vessels will begin cruise operations at an initial reduced capacity of 60%, gradually ramping up our fleet departing from U.S. ports and increasing capacity by 20% every 30 days.

5. These stringent requirements will remain in place until public health conditions allow for the implementation of more lenient protocols.

Without a doubt, NCLH's plan is centered around the Covid-19 vaccine, "vaccinations are the primary vehicle for Americans to get back to their everyday lives while containing the spread of the virus. As such, our robust science-backed plan combines mandatory vaccinations for all guests and crew with multiple additional layers of preventative protocols, including universal COVID-19 testing."

Talking is the first step in making progress.

Cruise industry executives met with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other Government agencies this week in a virtual meeting to discuss restart plans.

A meeting was held between the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) and the CDC, in which the industry voiced their concerns with the Framework for Conditional Sailing (CSO.)

Pressure has been mounting across different platforms to give cruise lines a chance to resume sailing.  Lawsuits, new legislation, and a vigorous write-in campaign have been some of the new initiatives thrown at the CDC after months of inaction by the agency.

According to CLIA, CLIA and member line representatives from companies operating in the U.S. shared their concerns about the CDC's so-called plan for phased restart, as well as a call for more changes sooner.

The meeting took place earlier in the week, and CLIA issued this summary of what happened.

"We appreciated the opportunity to meet with members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and White House staff on Monday, April 12, 2021."

"We know from the successful restart of cruising in many countries outside the United States that collaborative communication between industry, government, and health authorities is critical. Therefore, we welcomed the invitation to discuss the current Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO.)"

"We pointed to the hundreds of thousands of passenger sailings following enhanced health and safety measures that have successfully mitigated the risk of introducing and transmitting COVID-19 on cruise ships at levels much lower than found on land. "

"Furthermore, cruise line CEOs shared their views on why the CSO – which was issued nearly six months ago - lags behind international efforts, does not reflect an understanding of how the industry operates, is predicated on scenarios that are increasingly unlikely and has not kept pace with positive medical advancements."

The problem with the CSO

In recent weeks, the cruise industry has criticized the CSO as being overly complicated, outdated, and unnecessary.

Instead, cruise lines have proposed dropping the CSO completely and allowing cruise ships to sail under the submitted extensive new health protocols.

CLIA appears to be encouraged by what they heard, but is still keeping up the pressure on the Administration and the CDC to lift the CSO.

Read more: How to easily tell your Congressperson you want the CDC to let cruise ships sail

Mounting pressure

This week's meeting follows blow back on the CDC after they released updated technical guidance for its Framework for Conditional Sailing on April 1.

The new guidance was largely seen as lacking and impractical. CLIA called it, "unduly burdensome, largely unworkable".

Moreover, it seems the CDC is still adhering to a zero-risk objective rather than the mitigation approach to Covid that so many others facets of life have adopted.

Since then, a new bill was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) that aims to revoke the CSO and take control away from the CDC.

Florida's Governor has sued the federal government, and Alaska's governor is considering doing the same.