AP

Cruise lines require vaccinations, tests, amid virus surge

Aug 25, 2021, 9:07 AM | Updated: 9:17 pm

n this Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 photo, The Carnival Dream cruise ship arrives as construction work is ...

n this Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 photo, The Carnival Dream cruise ship arrives as construction work is underway for Carnival Cruise Line's new Terminal F, which will be the homeport to the Carnival Celebration cruise ship at PortMiami, in Miami. Cruise companies are adapting to a changing landscape amid a rise in COVID-19 cases that is threatening to dampen the industry’s comeback.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MIAMI (AP) — Joel Steckler was eager for his first cruise in more than a year and a half, and he chose the ship that just two months ago became the first to accept passengers again after a long pandemic shutdown.

Steckler was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and that was enough to resume cruising, under initial guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, the 63-year-old from Long Island, New York, is going to postpone the trip he had planned for Saturday amid new, tighter guidelines prompted by the delta-variant-fueled surge in cases and breakthrough infections.

“You just have to make a personal decision,” said Steckler, who takes medication that suppresses his immune system and changed his plans after consulting his doctor. “You don’t want to be in a position where you are sick on a cruise and you have to fly home or somehow get home.”

Cruise lines have detected infections among vaccinated crew members and passengers, including in an elderly traveler who recently died. Last Friday, the CDC began advising travelers who are at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness to avoid cruises. It is also recommending that passengers show both a recent negative COVID test and proof they’ve been immunized.

In addition to the surging delta virus, the CDC changed its cruise guidelines for high-risk groups because of the close proximity of ship passengers, the limited options for care on board and the challenges of medically evacuating travelers at sea, Centers spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said Tuesday.

Some cruise lines — and cruise destinations — are also revising their own guidelines.

Starting Sept. 3, the Bahamas — a favored stop for cruises — is requiring all passengers 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for ships to dock. That has prompted companies including Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival to announce this week that they are adopting the same requirement. The companies will ask for a government vaccination card or a record from a health care provider.

They’ve been able to do so in Florida after a federal judge this month temporarily blocked a state law banning cruise lines from requiring passengers to prove they’re vaccinated.

The companies are also once again requiring masks in indoor areas of the ships and other places where people gather.

“Unfortunately, no venue on land or at sea is COVID-free right now,” Carnival Corp. said in a written statement.

Carnival commented on the case of a vaccinated 77-year-old woman who later came down with the virus. The company said the woman “almost certainly did not contract COVID on our ship,” suggesting she was already infected when she embarked.

Neither cruise lines nor the federal government are reporting how many cases they have had on their ships. They have only acknowledged that there have been infections.

Officials in Belize, however, recently reported that 26 crew members and one passenger of a Carnival cruise ship — all of whom had been vaccinated — tested positive for COVID-19. They said all of them had mild or no symptoms, and were in isolation.

Jaime Katz, an analyst who covers the cruise industry for the Morningstar financial services company, said while many high-risk travelers might postpone their trips, others will continue to book for the future, betting that the current wave of cases will subside by the time their ship sails.

“Flexible booking and cancellation policies have made cruising more palatable for nervous travelers,” he said.

Companies are offering full refunds if people test positive for COVID-19 or decide to cancel after a cruise line shortens the length of a planned trip. Royal Caribbean International is also offering to fly people home if they or anyone in their party test positive during the cruise.

Chris Woronka, a Deutsche Bank analyst who follows the leisure industry, said cruisers, including those over 65, are an avid bunch — so eager to get back on the water that they won’t easily be dissuaded by the current COVID surge and more stringent travel requirements.

“I don’t think this is permanent unless we’re dealing with delta 2.0 or whatever the next one is,” Woronka said.

___

Koenig reported from Dallas.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: Scottie Scheffler celebrates after a birdie on the 10th hole during the second round of the ...

Associated Press

No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler: From the course to jail and back after Friday arrest

Top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested after police say he dragged an officer while trying to get around a fatal accident Friday.

23 hours ago

Photo: Seattle Times publisher and CEO Frank Blethen announced he will step down at the end of next...

Associated Press

Seattle Times CEO to step down after 4 decades in charge of family-owned paper

Seattle Times publisher and CEO Frank Blethen announced he will step down at the end of next year after four decades of leading the paper.

2 days ago

Image: Andy Jassy, Amazon president and CEO, attends an event on Aug. 15, 2022, in Culver City, Cal...

Associated Press

Comments from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy about unions violated federal law, NLRB judge rules

A federal judge ruled Amazon CEO Andy Jassy violated labor law by making certain anti-union comments during media interviews two years ago.

15 days ago

Image: Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New Yo...

Associated Press

Judge raises threat of jail as he holds Trump in contempt, fines him at trial

Former President Donald Trump was held in contempt of court at his trial Tuesday and fined $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order.

18 days ago

Photo: The seal of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seen before an FCC meeting to vot...

David Hamilton, The Associated Press

Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers

The FCC on Thursday voted to restore "net neutrality" rules that prevent broadband internet providers from favoring some sites over others.

23 days ago

southwest airlines...

David Koenig, The Associated Press

Southwest will limit hiring and drop 4 airports, including Bellingham, after loss

Southwest Airlines will limit hiring and stop flying to four airports as it copes with weak financial results and delays in getting new planes from Boeing.

23 days ago

Cruise lines require vaccinations, tests, amid virus surge