CDC announces end of COVID-19 program for cruises

CDC highlights that it has worked closely with the cruise industry, state, territorial, and local health authorities, and federal and seaport partners to provide a safer and healthier environment for cruise passengers and crew.

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Going forward, the CDC said that cruise ships have access to guidance and tools to manage their own COVID-19 mitigation programs.

CDC had imposed strict testing and masking restrictions, along with elaborate protocols, before permitting cruise ships to resume sailing from U.S. ports in the summer of 2021.

A year later, it moved to a voluntary program in 2022 in which all of the major cruise ships sailing from the U.S. chose to participate in and continued to report outbreaks of the virus.

However, with the spread of the variants of the virus, the CDC continues to advise passengers that they should not travel if they recently experienced COVID-19 symptoms and should test no more than three days before their cruise and between three and five days after their cruise.

These also continue to advise on frequent handwashing and the use of masks in crowded locations.