Brett
Guest
Cruise Lines Fear Another Lost Summer
Industry has been idled while awaiting a green light from CDC; port workers are among those affected
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cruise-lines-fear-another-lost-summer-11616405401
Like the rest of the maritime tourism industry, Port Canaveral was mothballed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. One year on, as other parts of the economy blink back to life, the U.S. cruise industry is waiting anxiously for Washington’s go-ahead to sail again—and worried that a second summer season is about to be lost.
Other countries including Singapore, Italy and the U.K. have authorized cruises or set a clear target date for them to set sail. Almost 400,000 passengers have sailed since some countries first began allowing cruises in July 2020, according to the industry’s trade group.
But to get started in the U.S., the cruise industry needs direction from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC lifted its no-sail order in October and replaced it with a conditional set of rules; industry officials said the 40 pages of rules are either indecipherable or impractical, such as a measure requiring cruise lines to conduct “simulated voyages” with volunteer passengers. “I refer to it as the ‘impossible-to-sail order’ because no business could operate profitably,” said Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral’s chief executive officer.
Alaska-bound cruises face an extra hurdle. Most of those ships are foreign-flagged, so they would have to make a stop in Canada, because U.S.
law forbids such ships from carrying passengers between U.S. ports. The problem: Canada has banned cruises until February 2022.
Industry has been idled while awaiting a green light from CDC; port workers are among those affected
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cruise-lines-fear-another-lost-summer-11616405401
Like the rest of the maritime tourism industry, Port Canaveral was mothballed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. One year on, as other parts of the economy blink back to life, the U.S. cruise industry is waiting anxiously for Washington’s go-ahead to sail again—and worried that a second summer season is about to be lost.
Other countries including Singapore, Italy and the U.K. have authorized cruises or set a clear target date for them to set sail. Almost 400,000 passengers have sailed since some countries first began allowing cruises in July 2020, according to the industry’s trade group.
But to get started in the U.S., the cruise industry needs direction from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC lifted its no-sail order in October and replaced it with a conditional set of rules; industry officials said the 40 pages of rules are either indecipherable or impractical, such as a measure requiring cruise lines to conduct “simulated voyages” with volunteer passengers. “I refer to it as the ‘impossible-to-sail order’ because no business could operate profitably,” said Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral’s chief executive officer.
Alaska-bound cruises face an extra hurdle. Most of those ships are foreign-flagged, so they would have to make a stop in Canada, because U.S.
law forbids such ships from carrying passengers between U.S. ports. The problem: Canada has banned cruises until February 2022.
. It may not be a priority for CDC but for people whose livelihoods are gone it’s a matter of importance. Easy to forget when an entire industry is shut down it affects a long supply chain as well, not just the customers. Only the cruise industry has had this happen in USA for over a year with NO activity.
