Posted on 06/03/2021 7:05:54 AM PDT by Capt. Tom
Cruise NewsPorts Latest Cruise Update on CDC Approvals and Florida Lawsuit Latest update on the CDC cruise ship approvals and the Florida lawsuit to get cruises resumed immediately.
The CDC has gotten its fair share of criticism in the last 15 months, in some cases, for a good reason. However, there is no denying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is firing on all cylinders to get cruise lines sailing as soon as possible.
Several cruise lines have gotten permission to sail on voyages with vaccinated guests in the last few weeks. At the same time, the same and other cruise lines have also gotten permission to start sailing on the mandatory simulated voyages.
CDC Keeping Its Promises To the surprise of many, the CDC has been working hard to keep its promise to restart the cruise industry as early as July. In fact, the agency has already permitted Celebrity Cruises to start cruising from the end of June.
In an update provided in the Florida Vs. CDC lawsuit the agency said it has approved port agreements covering 22 vessels at five ports of call and is reviewing the agreements for six additional vessels. These port agreements cover:
Simulated passenger cruises Agreement over port COVID safety procedures A tabletop drill with cruise line and port staff on COVID safety procedures and rules An outbreak emergency response plan A plan for medical evacuations at sea in coordination with the US Coast Guard Cruise terminal and vehicle cleaning requirements Port Miami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, and the Port of Galveston have been announced as having signed agreements with cruise lines.
The CDC has so far approved or provisionally approved four requests to conduct simulated voyages, with six more under review. The approved simulated voyages include Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line, who will all make these voyages in June and July for restart in July.
As for cruises with vaccinated guests, the CDC has now approved two cruise lines and provided them with conditional sailing certificates. Celebrity Cruises will restart US operations out of Port Everglades, Florida, on June 26 with Celebrity Edge on a seven-day cruise.
These cruises will need to comply with vaccination guidelines from the CDC. The vessel will need to reach a 98% crew vaccination level and a 95% crew vaccination level.
Florida Vs. CDC The CDC released the above numbers as part of a motion in the lawsuit that Florida, Alaska, and Texas started against the CDC to seek an injunction against the CSO. The purpose of the motion by the CDC was to say Florida’s lawsuit is meritless essentially. While the lawsuit is under mediation, more details are becoming clear of what has been going on in the talks between the parties.
One such detail could mean the end of cruising for Alaska, says the federal government. According to the CDC, an injunction would stop cruises in Alaska for the season because the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act (ATRA) only benefits cruise ships with Conditional Sailing Certificates.
According to the ATRA, “covered cruise ships” are temporarily permitted to meet an alternative standard if they hold a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate from the CDC and “operate in accordance” with it.
According to the CDC, a CSO waiver would cast considerable doubt on public confidence in cruise ships, particularly in the State of Florida, which is publicly battling the industry over its laws.
Florida dismissed the motion at least partially and planned to submit a response in due course. The lawsuit the three states started against the CDC is taking so much time ships will be sailing under the CSO, with guests onboard, before a decision has been made.
As long as the CDC continues on the path it has started on in recent months, approving plans from the cruise lines quickly and without much issue, we will indeed be sailing before the lawyers have made their conclusions.
Carrot and the stick on the way to the funeral. I am sick of bean counters making laws. The CDC has killed tens of thousands of people with its “guidelines”.
Now you can go on a cruise IF you comply...
Who died and made them God of the seas?
Let the customers decide. I didn't vote for the CDC.
One of the Disney ships was docked at Port Canaveral yesterday. But I cannot say why. Driving up A1A, that sucker looks quite big against the skyline.
IMHO, in spite of all the cruise line propaganda about bookings through the roof, and other cheerleading, I do not believe the Cruise Lines will get back to their 2019 economic status in the next 15 years. If ever. -Tom
I think the CDC has done that all on its own.
-PJ
I’ve resigned myself to the probability that we’ll never cruise again.
We were thinking about an extra-long (for us) trip:
Ft. Lauderdale to LA via Panama Canal.
LA to Hawaii and back to LA.
LA back to Ft. Lauderdale via Panama Canal.
At least we squeezed our last one in as FauciFlu was rearing its head, in February 2020.
Piece by Robert McGillivray, CDC fluffer.
We’re going on a NINE DAY cruise to the Caribbean in January. Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and the Caymans. Celebrity ship Equinox. Jan. 21-30, 2022.
Sounds like a good itinerary. I’ve never been in port in Aruba or Bonaire, at least that I recall. After a while they begin running together.
We get a group discount for being part of the Steve Kane Radio show cruise. Also since our previous cruise was cancelled, we got a 25% increase on the money we put down for that cruise which will be applied to the January cruise.
You tipped us off to that Steve Kane cruise, and we were almost on board (no pun) with it. Then the world went nuts and we never did follow through on reserving.
In any case, we won’t be cruising unless/until the “vaccine” mandate is gone.
Each new day, new vaccine news comes out that scares me more than the virus itself.
-PJ
I’m glad that I reserved originally and then applied it to the January cruise since it meant increasing our cruise money by 25%.
That was supposed to be the Trump Victory Cruise, right? We were so excited!!
I fear you are correct, severe propaganda has a lasting sub conscious effect.
https://twitter.com/Wizard_Predicts/status/1401167185607901187?s=19
BREAKING: Royal Caribbean reverses, won’t require passengers on U.S. cruises to be vaccinated after Gov. DeSantis signed law to fine companies $5,000 every time they ask a customer for proof of vaccination. — Miami Herald
Yes they do...
I keep all my EMails from the cruise line that notes the dates and itinerary so I know where and when I cruised...
My folder for my Aug cruise is titled...
Cruise Mardi Gras Aug 14-21 2021
The folders all start with Cruise and then the name of the ship and the date (and sometimes things like Alaska, Panama or TA etc if Im not going to the Caribbean...
Those folders are all in one called Cruises to be sailed...
I also have Cruises sailed and the heartache one...Cruises cancelled...of which I have 20...
“I also have Cruises sailed and the heartache one...Cruises cancelled.”
Our last cruise was just under the wire — Feb. 1-8, 2020. That was while Diamond Princess passengers were being held hostage in Japan. We were on Sky Princess, and as the trip progressed and we watched the news, you could tell things were going to get really ugly. After a few hours of “oh, crap!”, our group realized that it was an election year and everything was going to get blown out of proportion. We always hear “them” say, “By any means necessary” — and it was necessary.
I was on the Breeze for B2B Feb 15-29, 2020 out of Port Canaveral...
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