The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dropped its risk assessment of cruising, after more than two years of warning against the dangers of contracting Covid on a cruise ship.
Put in place more than two years ago, cruise health travel notice served as a platform that provided guidance to consumers on restrictions in cruise travel, grading systems and collaborative protocols for sailing safety.
The removal of the health notice demonstrates the transition back into pre-pandemic operations for the cruise industry, according to Virgin Voyages.
Tom McAlpin, chief executive of Virgin Voyages, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to see that the CDC recognises that it’s time to remove the Travel Health Notice website.
“While we feel this was a long time coming, we recognise this move as a demonstration of all of the hard work this industry has done to ensure that we’re offering the safest way to travel.
“It’s refreshing to see them meet us where we’re at, and clearly where our consumers are at considering the major uptick in demand we’ve seen.”
Dave Daigle, spokesperson for the CDC health agency, told USA Today that the removal of the notice doesn’t mean that the agency considers the activity to be without any risk.
He added that the CDC’s decision to remove the notice was based on the pandemic’s current state and a decrease in Covid cases on cruise ships over the past several weeks.
A Cunard spokesperson said: “We are delighted at the news that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lifted its Covid-19 risk advisory for cruise travel.
“Rest assured, we’ll carry on adapting our protocols to best protect everyone on board and meet all requirements of destinations we visit, including vaccine and testing policies.”