With the arrival of spring and the return to a healthy and promising life, many are already planning a visit to Florida in the summer. And kind of like the icing on the cake, buying a cruise to celebrate the return of safe travel sparkles like the North Star at Christmas.
COVID infections are still possible and some cruises are stricter than others. Health rules are issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for cruise lines and ships that sail in US waters. These regulations vary according to the status of the boat and it is very important to know how to recognize yourself before boarding.
Before you even buy your cruise, check to see if the ship’s operator participates in the CDC’s COVID-19 program.
After spotting the boat of your choice on the website, the first tool displayed is a color-coding system, initiated by the CDC, showing the number of reported COVID-19 cases for that vessel. No need to elaborate on the meaning of the red and green rating!
But you should be aware that cruise ships designated “grey”, fly a foreign flag and have opted out of the CDC’s COVID-19 program while operating in US waters. It is therefore impossible to know the public health measures implemented on these ships. Therefore, the CDC has no information on precautions such as the use of masks, testing of crew members, or the vaccination status of travelers for these ships.
The code “yellow” means that the ship has reported that less than 0.3% of its passengers, and/or crew members, have COVID and that the CDC is monitoring the situation. The code “orange” indicates that the ship has reported that 0.3% or more of its passengers, and/or crew members, are fighting the virus – enough for the CDC to have to investigate.