cruise ship with covid passengers

There's COVID-19 on nearly every cruise ship right now: Here's what cruisers need to know

Things are getting iffy again for cruisers -- at least for those with near-term bookings.

The ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases around the world is causing a growing number of disruptions to itineraries and even some last-minute cancellations of entire voyages.

The number of passengers being quarantined on ships (after testing positive for COVID-19) also is on the rise. And passengers who aren't COVID-19 positive are getting caught up in short-term quarantines for being "close contacts" of shipmates who are.

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Meanwhile, just getting to ships is becoming increasingly stressful, as getting the pre-cruise COVID-19 test that's often required before cruising is getting more difficult . Plus, a "perfect storm" of soaring COVID-19 cases and rough winter weather has wreaked havoc with airline operations for weeks.

Still, the situation isn't anywhere near as dramatic or disruptive as what we saw at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, when whole ships were being quarantined due to outbreaks of the illness and, eventually, the entire industry shut down.

As I saw myself during a cruise to Antarctica in recent weeks, many sailings are operating relatively normally, even when there are COVID-19 cases on board.

Here's a look at everything you need to know if you've got a cruise booked in the coming weeks -- or further out.

COVID-19 cases on ships are up a lot

While cruise ships have recorded relatively few cases of COVID-19 over the past year, in part due to unusually strict health protocols , the number of passengers and crew testing positive on ships has been rising sharply in recent weeks along with the greater surge on land.

At the end of December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 5,013 COVID-19 cases had been reported on cruise vessels operating in U.S. waters during the last two weeks of the month, up from just 162 cases during the first two weeks of the month.

That's a 3,094% increase.

Anecdotal reports are that the number of cases on ships is up even more in the first 10 days of the new year.

Notably, all 92 cruise vessels currently operating in U.S. waters have recorded at least a handful of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, according to CDC data.

Still, it's important to note that most of these "cases" of COVID-19 are asymptomatic or mild, only discovered during routine testing. While some ships only are testing passengers who report feeling ill for COVID-19 (and close contacts of those who subsequently test positive), other ships are testing every single passenger at least once per voyage, sometimes more. One line, Viking , is testing every single passenger for COVID-19 every day.

Cruise lines also are testing all crew members regularly.

The result is the detection of many asymptomatic cases that otherwise would have gone undetected. This is a level of surveillance that is much greater than what is the norm for other travel venues such as land-based resorts or theme parks, and it can give the false impression that the positivity rate for COVID-19 on ships is unusually high as compared to other places.

If anything, the positivity rate is far lower on ships than on land, thanks to much stricter health protocols (more on that in a moment).

It's also important to note that the detection of COVID-19-positive passengers or crew on board your ship won't necessarily impact your sailing (unless you are among those testing positive).

Health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19. The current protocol on most ships is to isolate COVID-19-positive passengers and crew but otherwise continue on with voyages as planned.

Your itinerary could change

While health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few passengers or crew test positive for COVID-19, the presence of the illness on board a vessel still could result in notable disruptions to your itinerary.

Cruise lines in recent weeks have faced a growing number of ports that are balking at allowing ships with COVID-19-positive passengers or crew to dock.

Several ships recently had to skip port calls in Mexico , for instance, after passengers and crew on board the vessels tested positive for COVID-19. The ports have since reopened after Mexico's Health Department overruled the decisions of local port officials.

Cruise ships also have had to cancel stops recently at the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, and at San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to local worries about COVID-19-positive passengers and crew on board and/or tighter COVID-19-related entry requirements.

Lines also are dealing with a small but growing number of destinations -- India and Hong Kong, for example -- that are at least temporarily closing to cruising completely, even for ships where no one has tested positive for COVID-19.

Viking on Sunday was forced to announce a major revision of its soon-to-begin, 120-day world cruise after India notified the line it was closing to cruise ships. Viking's 930-passenger Viking Star will begin its world cruise this week by heading south from Los Angeles to Central America and South America instead of sailing westward toward Asia, where it was scheduled to spend a significant amount of time in India.

Your cruise could be canceled on short notice

A growing number of cruise lines are canceling sailings on short notice, citing the disruptions caused by COVID-19. The world's largest cruise operator Royal Caribbean on Friday canceled soon-to-depart sailings on four of its 25 ships, including the next three departures of the world's largest ship, Symphony of the Seas .

Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday canceled soon-to-depart voyages on eight of its 17 ships.

Other lines canceling one or more sailings in recent days include Holland America , Silversea , Atlas Ocean Voyages, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, MSC Cruises , Costa Cruises and Oceania Cruises .

The cancellations come as lines struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels on some ships due to crew members testing positive. When crew test positive, they and their close contacts must stop working and isolate, even if asymptomatic, leaving shipboard venues short-staffed.

You probably won't be quarantined, stranded or stuck

As noted above, health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19.

The current protocol on most ships is to quickly isolate COVID-19-positive passengers and their close contacts. But only the COVID-19-positive passengers are being isolated long term.

As my colleague Ashley Kosciolek experienced first-hand on a cruise in 2021, close contacts only are being isolated for a short period while they are tested for COVID-19. If they test negative, they typically are allowed out of their rooms to rejoin the rest of their fellow cruisers on board.

This means that many sailings are going ahead as planned, with little disruption, even when some passengers and crew on the trips test positive for COVID-19. I experienced this myself in late December when on a Silversea vessel where four passengers tested positive for COVID-19. Some passengers who were deemed close contacts of the passengers who tested positive were isolated for a short period while being tested for COVID-19. But the positive cases had little impact on most of the passengers on board the vessel, and the voyage went ahead as planned.

Such a protocol comes at the recommendation of the CDC, which has set guidelines for how cruise lines should respond to COVID-19-positive cases on board ships, and it has worked well for the past year .

Of course, if you do test positive for COVID-19 on a ship, you will, unfortunately, face what could be several days of isolation in a cabin on a ship or on land. If you are an American cruising overseas, you also won't be able to return to the U.S. until you have tested negative for COVID-19 (or until you recover from the illness and are cleared in writing to travel by a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official).

This is one of the biggest risks of taking a cruise right now, and one reason you may consider canceling a sailing scheduled in the short term (see the section on more-flexible cancellation policies below).

Most COVID-19 cases on ships aren't serious

Cruise lines are reporting that the vast majority of passengers testing positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.

All major cruise lines currently are requiring all or nearly all passengers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with some also starting to require booster shots , to boot. This creates an onboard population that is far less likely to experience serious symptoms of COVID-19 than a cross-section of people on land, according to CDC data.

For all adults ages 18 years and older, the cumulative COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate is about eight times higher in unvaccinated persons than in vaccinated persons, according to the latest CDC data.

You'll face lots of new health protocols

If you haven't cruised since before the pandemic, you might be surprised by how many new health- and safety-related policies cruise lines have implemented to keep COVID-19 off ships.

For starters, there are the vaccine mandates noted above. No other segment of the travel industry has been as uniform in requiring almost every customer to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Related: Will I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise? A line-by-line guide

As noted above, cruise lines also are requiring passengers to undergo COVID-19 tests before boarding ships -- a screening process that is keeping many COVID-19 positive people from ever stepping on board a vessel.

When COVID-19 is detected on a ship, cruise lines sometimes then test passengers multiple times to ensure it isn't spreading. On my recent trip to Antarctica, I underwent six COVID-19 tests in just eight days -- three in advance of stepping on board the vessel (including a PCR test required by Chile, where my trip began) and three while on board.

In addition, most cruise lines now are requiring passengers to wear masks at all times while in interior spaces of vessels, and they have stepped up cleaning regimens, improved air filtration systems on ships and made other onboard changes.

The CDC says to avoid cruising for now

On Dec. 30, the CDC added cruise ships to its list of "Level 4" destinations you should avoid visiting for now due to high levels of COVID-19.

For what it's worth, more than 80 countries around the world -- including a good chunk of all the places you might want to travel -- are on this list. So, the CDC is basically telling you that now isn't a good time to travel. Fair enough. But the warning shouldn't be seen as a call-out on any elevated risk to cruising as opposed to visiting other places, per se.

Places on the Level 4 list currently include Canada, much of Europe and nearly every country in the Caribbean.

The cruise industry has been highly critical of the designation, arguing that cruise ships are far safer places to be right now than almost anywhere else, given their strict health protocols.

"The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard — far fewer than on land — and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore," the main trade group for the industry, the Cruise Lines International Association, said in a statement to TPG.

You can cancel if you're worried (in many cases)

If you're booked on a cruise in the coming weeks, and you're having second thoughts, there's a good chance you can get out of your trip. Many lines continue to be far more flexible than normal about cancellations.

Take cruise giant Carnival Cruise Line . Its current flexible cancellation policy allows passengers to cancel as long as a public health emergency remains in effect and receive 100% of the cruise fare paid in the form of a future cruise credit. Passengers are also able to cancel if they test positive for COVID-19. (Proof of a positive test result is required.)

Another large line, Norwegian, just last week extended its pandemic-era Peace of Mind policy to allow passengers to cancel any sailing taking place between now and May 31. For now, the cancellation needs to be done by Jan. 31, and the refund would come in the form of a future cruise credit to be used on any sailing that embarks through Dec. 31.

That means you could call the line right now to back out of a cruise that is just days away. In normal times, you'd lose all your money if you backed out of a seven-night Norwegian cruise with fewer than 31 days' notice.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• What to pack for your first cruise

Luxury cruise ship stranded in Greenland with Covid-positive passengers is finally pulled free

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer was successfully pulled free on Thursday, three days after running aground in Greenland with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship’s owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship’s owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

“There have not been any injuries to anybody onboard, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull,” SunStone Ships said in a statement. The research vessel which pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel’s bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.

The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle  in Alpefjord  in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s northernmost national park. The park is nearly the size of France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is covered by  an ice sheet . Alpefjord is about 240 kilometers (150 miles) from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, which is nearly 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from the country’s capital, Nuuk.

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine, 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

Earlier Thursday, Aurora Expeditions said three passengers had Covid-19.

“These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well,” it said in a statement. Others on the MV Ocean Explorer are “safe and healthy,” it said.

Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a retiree from Australia who is on the ship, Steven Fraser, as saying: “Everyone’s in good spirits. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world.”

Fraser told the newspaper that he had come down with Covid-19 on the ship.

Cmdr. Brian Jensen of the Joint Arctic Command told Greenland broadcaster KNR that the ship is likely to go to Iceland, the closest place with large ports.

“Now it is exciting to find out what the condition of the ship is,“ Jensen was quoted as saying by KNR. “They are in the process of investigating whether the ship is intact and seaworthy and ready to sail on.”

The ship’s owner said several other vessels had rushed to the scene “and offered their assistance, which however, was not needed.” It said it had also “arranged additional tug assistance in case it was needed, however, this has now been canceled.”

Dozens of cruise ships sail along Greenland’s coast every year so passengers can admire the picturesque mountainous landscape, waterways packed with icebergs of different sizes and glaciers jutting out into the sea.

Danish broadcaster DR said there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer has been on board the ship to carry out “initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board,” it said.

The cruise liner began its current trip on Sept. 2 in Kirkenes in Arctic Norway and was due to return to Bergen, Norway, on Sept. 22, according to SunStone Ships.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe Islands and Greenland, including the Arctic Ocean in the north. Greenland is a semi-independent territory that is part of the Danish realm, as are the Faeroe Islands.

The Associated Press

clock This article was published more than  2 years ago

Every U.S. cruise with passengers has coronavirus cases on board

The cdc has opened investigations into 92 ships.

Coronavirus cases have been reported on every cruise ship sailing with passengers in U.S. waters.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all 92 ships with passengers have met the threshold for investigation by the public health agency. In every case, the CDC has either started an investigation or has investigated and continues to observe the ship.

The number of ships under investigation had grown sharply in recent days, but it wasn’t until Tuesday’s update, using data submitted by cruise lines Monday, that every ship reached that level.

Last week, the CDC warned all travelers, including those who are vaccinated, to avoid cruise ships. The advice came after the agency said the number of cases skyrocketed from 162 in the first two weeks of December to 5,013 between Dec. 15 and 29.

CDC warns against cruise travel after 5,000 new cases in 2 weeks

“The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose,” the agency cautioned .

Cruise lines are requiring all crew and most, if not all, passengers to be fully vaccinated to sail. Passengers also need proof of a recent negative test before boarding.

In addition to the 92 ships with passengers on board, 18 vessels are in U.S. waters with crew only, according to the CDC. Of those, two have met the threshold for investigation, and three have reported cases but not enough to warrant an investigation. Thirteen crew-only ships have reported no cases, according to the data.

“As part of investigating cruise ships that meet the investigation threshold, CDC will obtain additional information from the cruise ship, such as case exposure histories, details about close contacts, traveler vaccination rates, and medical capacities,” CDC spokeswoman Caitlin Shockey said in an email.

She said the agency would work closely with cruise lines and “consider multiple factors” before moving ships from their current status — yellow — to the more serious red status, in which a ship would return to port right away or delay a sailing. To reach that mark, a ship must have sustained transmission of covid-19 or covid-like illness and the potential for “cases to overwhelm on board medical center resources,” the CDC says .

Cruise passengers on holiday trips deal with outbreaks: ‘We’re sailing on a petri dish’

Since late December, several cruises have been turned away from ports because of passengers or crew on board testing positive. Most have continued on their journeys, even when they were forced to skip the stops they had planned.

On Wednesday, however, Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed it was canceling a nine-day Caribbean voyage on Norwegian Getaway that was scheduled to leave Miami that day. The reason, according to the cruise line: “COVID related circumstances.”

The operator gave the same reason on Tuesday for bringing a ship, Norwegian Pearl, back to Miami after it left for an 11-night Panama Canal trip Monday. According to the Miami Herald , passengers were informed that the trip was ending after an unspecified number of crew tested positive; the company would not provide that number to The Washington Post. The vessel is scheduled to return to Miami on Thursday.

“We will never compromise on health and safety and we will of course, continue to take all appropriate action to ensure everyone’s well-being and to protect public health,” the company said in a statement .

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

Do You Need to Be Vaccinated to Cruise? It Depends on the Ship and Destination

While most cruise lines have scrapped covid vaccine and testing requirements, some companies and international cruise ports still have vaccination and testing rules in place..

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If you’re planning on sailing with Viking anytime soon, you’d better track down that COVID-19 vaccine certificate.

Courtesy of Viking

When cruising restarted in spring 2021, after a nearly 15-month pandemic-spurred shutdown imposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cruisers faced a barrage of rules, including strict requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations and precruise COVID-19 testing. Later, the rules started to go by the wayside, and it was hard to keep track of who was requiring what. Not anymore.

Most cruise lines have now dropped or are soon dropping rules for both vaccinations and precruise testing, with at least one notable exception. Viking —on its river, ocean, and expedition ships—still requires everyone on board be fully vaccinated .

Another line that was still requiring COVID vaccinations, small-ship line Windstar Cruises, will be scrapping its vaccine mandate as of June 1, 2023. “We’ve invested in and improved our health and safety processes, including upgrading the HVAC systems on all of our ships, which has led to a cleaner and safer environment on board,” says Windstar president Christopher Prelog. “When combined with the widespread availability of vaccines and medical treatments, the risk factors are considerably lower now, giving us the confidence to lift the requirement.”

Are COVID vaccinations and testing still required for cruises?

Most cruise lines have dropped both their vaccine and testing requirements. Those that have lingered into 2023—mostly lines operating smaller ships—have been quietly scaling back their requirements.

The result: While there was a time after cruising restarted that you could be assured that your fellow passengers, at least those age 12 and up, were both fully vaccinated and tested for COVID-19 before getting on the ship, that is not the case anymore.

That said, specific countries have their own requirements, and several countries still require that cruise ship passengers are vaccinated and/or tested before arrival. If you are doing an itinerary outside of the Caribbean or Europe (where most vaccine and testing requirements have been dropped)—including to select countries in Central and South America or to Australia—you still have to read your cruise line’s precruise health and safety information carefully to make sure you comply with the latest requirements.

Contact your cruise line or check the U.S. State Department’s travel advisories for the latest.

What to know before you cruise

Vaccine and pretrip testing requirements can be confusing, especially if you are cruising internationally. Cruise lines have their own rules; countries have their own rules.

Before your trip, you will need to review your cruise line’s health and safety protocols. If a precruise test is required by a certain country, you will find that noted. In this case, you may be required to arrive at your ship with a negative COVID-19 test result in hand or not. (If testing is required, it can typically be either a PCR test or tele-health-monitored antigen test , paid for by the passenger. The cruise line may also require a test at the pier, paid for by the cruise line.)

If being fully vaccinated is required, that means having received the original series of vaccines at least 14 days prior to your cruise, or the original series plus a booster shot or shots.

As was the case even before the pandemic, you will be asked at embarkation to fill out a questionnaire inquiring about your current health status and whether you currently have any symptoms of illness.

You are free to pack and wear masks on your cruise. Most cruise lines suggest you do wear masks in crowded indoor situations—but it’s not enforced.

A quick cruise line guide to COVID requirements

Here’s a rundown of the basic rules for some leading cruise lines. Note: There may be additional requirements if you are traveling internationally. Be sure to review the latest requirements prior to boarding.

American Queen Voyages

On American Queen Voyages’ river, ocean, Great Lakes, and expedition ships, there are no longer any precruise testing or vaccinations required. Face coverings are optional, though masks may be required of any passengers showing symptoms.

Precruise testing is no longer required for vaccinated guests sailing with Azamara , except in ports where testing is required. No vaccination is necessary for cruises departing from or returning to the United States or Europe. In Australia, all guests 12 years and older must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing with all required COVID-19 vaccine doses (including a booster shot). Children under 12 years old are not required to be vaccinated.

Celebrity Cruises

No vaccination or testing is required on the majority of Celebrity Cruises sailings. Destinations with stricter requirements include: the Galápagos, Australia and New Zealand, transatlantic crossings, and select Central and South America itineraries. Unvaccinated guests need to be tested in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.

As of April 23, 2023, on the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria , and as of June 8, 2023, on the Queen Elizabeth , vaccinations and testing will no longer be required by Cunard (until then, testing and vaccination requirements apply).

Disney Cruise Line

For sailings embarking from the United States, which are the bulk of Disney Cruise Line’s sailings, no vaccination or testing is required. Disney recommends all guests be vaccinated before sailing and take a test for COVID-19 two days prior to their cruise. There are additional requirements on repositioning cruises and in Australia, so it is important to check the line’s website before your cruise.

Holland America Line

There are no precruise testing or vaccination requirements on most Holland America Line itineraries. There are requirements on select voyages (you can look up a specific voyage’s requirements on the line’s website).

Lindblad Expeditions

For voyages embarking on or after May 11, 2023, Lindblad Expeditions will no longer require guests to be fully vaccinated, although the line recommends guests be fully vaccinated (for cruises prior to that time, all passengers age five and up must be vaccinated). Lindblad recommends, but does not require, passengers take a predeparture COVID-19 test within five days of the start of their expedition.

Oceania Cruises

Vaccine requirements are purely dependent on the destinations being visited on each Oceania cruise. Passengers are advised to be up to date on the latest regulations for all destinations on their cruise itinerary.

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Effective April 2023, Paul Gauguin Cruises no longer requires that passengers are vaccinated or tested for COVID prior to embarkation, but it continues to encourage vaccination. “Paul Gauguin Cruises’ officers, staff and crew will remain fully vaccinated,” the line states. Travelers will need to present a health declaration form at embarkation.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Vaccines and precruise testing are generally not required to sail with Regent Seven Seas Cruises . There are some requirements in place based on local health regulations in a specific country a ship is visiting. Regent notifies guests approximately 30 days prior to sailing of any country-specific protocols.

Royal Caribbean

No vaccine or precruise testing is required on the majority of Royal Caribbean itineraries, with a few exceptions: Cruises from Australia, transpacific and transatlantic sailings, and cruises from Hawai‘i to Vancouver.

No vaccine or testing required except on certain Seabourn itineraries where a country may have specific requirements.

No vaccination is required for Silversea passengers except as designated by the destination. Precruise testing is not required except when specified by a destination.

Viking Cruises

All passengers and crew are required to be vaccinated on Viking’s river, ocean, and expedition ships—without exception. Viking strongly recommends passengers receive a booster dose before departing. Viking recommends but does not require a predeparture COVID-19 test (except if required by a destination).

Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages has no precruise testing or vaccination requirements. Masks may be required at select times.

Windstar Cruises

Beginning June 1, 2023, Windstar will no longer require guests to be vaccinated. Crew will continue to be vaccinated. Masks are optional, with the line highly recommending guests wear masks in indoor public spaces. All guests fill out a health questionnaire on embarkation. A precruise COVID-19 test is not required unless you show symptoms.

This article was originally published in May 2022; it was most recently updated on April 19, 2023, with current information.

Cruise ship docks in San Francisco with multiple COVID cases aboard

The Ruby Princess ship returned to the U.S. after a 15-day Panama Canal cruise.

A Princess Cruises ship arrived in California Sunday with multiple passengers and crew members aboard who tested positive for COVID-19 .

The company's ship, the Ruby Princess, docked in San Francisco after a 15-day Panama Canal cruise.

MORE: More cruise ships under CDC investigation due to COVID cases

The cruise sailed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Cartagena, Columbia; Puerto Amador and Puntarenas, Panama; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, before arriving in San Francisco, a spokesperson for Princess Cruises told ABC News.

Everybody aboard the ship was fully vaccinated and had to provide proof of a negative COVID test before boarding.

The spokesperson would not disclose how many guests and staff tested positive but said all the cases were either mild or asymptomatic.

"As with all Princess itineraries, this cruise is operated as a vaccinated cruise, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guests and crew vaccination rates were at 100%," a statement read. "During the cruise we identified some positive COVID-19 cases amongst our guests and crew members. They were all asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic and were isolated and quarantined while monitored and cared for by our shipboard Medical team."

The cruise line said guests who tested positive and did not complete the isolation period by the time the ship docked would "either return home via private transportation or were provided with accommodations ashore to hotels coordinated in advance for isolation and quarantine."

Later on Sunday, the ship departed on its following voyage, a 15-day cruise to Hawaii, the spokesperson said.

The outbreak comes just two weeks after the CDC lowered the COVID-19 Travel Health Notice for cruise ships from Level 3, meaning "high" health risk, to Level 2, or "moderate" health risk.

During the height of the omicron wave, the CDC classified cruise ships as Level 4, the highest level and meaning "very high" health risk.

On the CDC's Cruise Ship Status Dashboard , it states the federal health agency has started an investigation of the Ruby Princess due to the number of reported cases and that the ship "remains under observation."

MORE: Cruise ship with COVID-19 infections has new passengers

The dashboard did not state how many cases were reported on the shop and the CDC did not return ABC News' request for comment.

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However, the ship was color-coded orange on the CDC dashboard, meaning at least 0.3% of total passengers and/or crew tested positive for the virus.

The San Francisco Health Department and the Port of San Francisco also did not respond to requests for comment.

This is the second time since the beginning of 2022 that the Ruby Princess has docked in San Francisco with COVD-infected passengers aboard.

In early January, the ship arrived in The Golden City from a 10-day Mexico cruise with 12 cases of COVID-19 among passengers.

MORE: 3rd Florida-based ship has outbreak, state cases hit record

The cases were found after a quarter of the passengers were randomly tested for the virus.

The cruise industry was badly hit when the COVID-19 pandemic first struck. Destinations closed ports to ships and passengers were not able to leave once for several days after ships docked.

Two of Princess Cruises' ships experienced some of the first known outbreaks. In February 2020, the Diamond Princess reported an outbreak as it docked in Yokohama, Japan.

A few weeks later, in March 2020, passengers tested positive on the Grand Princess ship as it traveled between California, Mexico and Hawaii.

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Collapsing passengers, CDC missteps and "public health malpractice": The story of the COVID flight from hell

By Sharyn Alfonsi

August 15, 2021 / 7:15 PM EDT / CBS News

In the early days of the COVID crisis, 235 Americans boarded the Costa Luminosa cruise ship headed for Europe. They left Fort Lauderdale on March 5, 2020. At that time, there were only about 200 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. 

But as they were crossing the Atlantic, word spread that three passengers who left the ship during port calls in the Caribbean tested positive for COVID. And one had died. As we first reported last fall, the flight back home had all the ingredients of a super-spreading event. 

This is the story of what happened next, and how the agency tasked with controlling such outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, knew about it and did not stop it.

By the time the Costa Luminosa was halfway across the Atlantic, passengers we spoke to say it seemed like everyone was coughing.

It was supposed to be a 20-day cruise from Florida to Italy. Bob and Sue Anderson were travelling to visit family in Europe.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Those early days in March, you know, COVID was starting. But you made a decision that you were gonna go on a cruise. 

Bob Anderson: We wanted to travel to see our granddaughter. We didn't really worry about it.

Sue Anderson: And it wasn't until we got on the ship and two or three days into the cruise where everything then blew up.

Sharyn Alfonsi: At what point did you start feeling sick?

Bob Anderson: Oh, probably a week into the trip. It was fatigue. I just didn't feel like doing anything. And then I got a tightness in the chest, lost my sense of taste, my sense of smell.

Sue Anderson: I told Bob, I said, "I feel like I'm in the petri dish of the COVID."

Kelly Edge had been traveling with her husband, Woody. He had been sick in bed for five days when everyone on board was ordered to quarantine in their cabins.

Kelly Edge: We are captive.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Captive.

Kelly Edge: You can't come in with a helicopter. We're in the middle of the ocean. And my husband's burning up.

Passengers began to call home asking for help from members of Congress, reporters and family.

Kelly Edge: There was a-- conversations from people from the-- the states that were contacting all government agencies. You know? They had very sick family members on the ship. And they knew that-- that they needed to get their family off ASAP.

The state department got involved and on day 13 of the cruise passengers learned they would be allowed off the ship in Marseille. France had just started a nationwide lockdown. The Americans had to gather in this ship lounge to be checked by French medics before they were allowed to board buses for the airport.

Kelly Edge: This is where, in my opinion, it became criminal.

Criminal, she says, because the  passengers, many in their 70s and showing symptoms of COVID, waited in the locked buses for five hours while paperwork was sorted out by U.S. diplomats.

It was midnight when they finally got on the jet hired by the cruise line.

Phone video from Jenny Catron on the plane: "So…as you can hear everybody's coughing..."

This is Jenny Catron. She hoped the worst was behind them as she settled into seat 26D.

Phone video from Jenny Catron on the plane: "Here we go. We are hoping that when we get back to the United States, that these people will be able to get some medical help… finally."

The jet took off for Atlanta at 2am. It wasn't lost on many that their destination, Atlanta, is the home of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Atlanta airport is also one of 20 quarantine stations the CDC has around the country to screen ill travellers.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Did you expect that when that plane landed in Atlanta, that you would be taken to quarantine?

Kelly Edge: 100%.

While at sea, passengers saw news reports about COVID outbreaks on other cruise ships including the Diamond Princess in Japan and the Grand Princess in California. In both cases the CDC ordered hundreds of those passengers to quarantine at U.S. military bases.

Sharyn Alfonsi: What was the scene on the plane like?

Bob Anderson:  Someone described it as a flight from hell.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Did it feel like that?

Bob Anderson: Yes. I kept looking at the man and woman to my left coughing, and coughing and coughing...

It became nine and half hours of misery. The Andersons were in row 32. Kelly and Woody Edge were in the middle of the plane.

Kelly Edge: And then it-- and then it happened. It was behind me about ten rows. And a man started to collapse. And his wife was, like, "Help. Help. Please help. We need a doctor."

Jenny Catron was several rows behind her. The experienced Red Cross volunteer who attended nursing school was already trying to help.

Jenny Catron: He was glowing. He had so much sweat-- he was pale, pale-ish green.

Sharyn Alfonsi: You didn't think, "Oh, my gosh: This guy might have COVID" right away?

Jenny Catron: I was pretty sure that at that point, that we all had COVID.

Kelly Edge noticed Jenny was on her own and got up to help too.

Kelly Edge: And then, on the other side of me to the right, and behind me about two rows, this man started going into some kind of respiratory distress. So, I say to Jenny, "I think you need to go for this man. I can-- what-- what's goin' on here, and I can do this." And she said, "Just-- just hold his hand… just reassure him." And all of a sudden, this man comes walkin' up. He's heading like he's going to the bathroom. And he just starts, like, a weeble-wobble. And he just hits his head on the wall. And he falls to the ground.

Sharyn Alfonsi: So, it's one, two, three, four.

Kelly Edge: They're going, like-- they're going, like, fast now. We're layin' them out--

Sharyn Alfonsi: In the aisles? Or?

Kelly Edge: In the like bulkheads. You know.

Sharyn Alfonsi:  Where are the flight attendants?

Kelly Edge:  In the back. They just didn't know what to do either, you know. They were very scared.

Jenny Catron: The captain comes out, and we start discussing whether or not to divert the flight, we still had another four hours to Atlanta. And if we had landed in Bermuda they could have still been sitting on the plane for another six hours where they debate whether or not they're gonna let people into the hospitals there.

So the flight continued to Atlanta. But when the plane carrying the sick and exhausted passengers landed at 6:43 in the morning, the doors stayed closed.

Kelly Edge: And then we finally hear from the pilot that, "Well, apparently nobody knew we were coming. Nobody was prepared."

Sharyn Alfonsi:  Does that make any sense?  Based on the calls you guys are making from the ship? You guys are waving flags, calling the media.

Kelly Edge:  The Atlanta news was there at the airport to meet us.

Channel 2, WSB, Atlanta: Lori, you know I can't even imagine what it must have been like to be on that plane…

So where was the help? 60 Minutes spoke with the State Department, Customs and Border Protection and the CDC on background. We were told the CDC knew the plane was coming, but didn't make plans to quarantine passengers. Instead the decision was made to treat them like any other Americans returning from Europe in March: by having them fill out a health questionnaire.

But about an hour before the plane was to touch down, the CDC's plan blew up.

Remember earlier, when we told you about those French medics who screened the passengers in the ship lounge? It turns out the French tested four Americans for COVID, and three were positive and on the plane.

That news surprised the CDC. They had to scramble together a team to go to the jet. Jenny Catron got sick of waiting.

Jenny Catron: And at that point I just get on the phone and I called 911.

Sharyn Alfonsi: You called 911 from the plane?

Jenny Catron: Yes.

Jenny Catron's 911 call

Operator: Atlanta Airport 911.

Jenny Catron: My name is Jennifer Catron. I am on a plane that we just came over from France. 

Operator: Hm-hm.

Jenny Catron: I have nine medical emergencies that I had to handle on this plane from France over to here …

Jenny Catron: We are waiting for the CDC because we have possible coronavirus cases on board …

Jenny Catron: I have people passing out…

Three more hours passed before the doors finally opened.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Who are the first people to board the plane?

Jenny Catron: There were two or three different girls. They said that they were from the CDC. They were dressed in plastic-- They're like, "Okay, well, we need these three people that had tested positive in Marseilles. So they get those three people off. And she goes, "Okay, now I need the people that have fevers and coughs." And the steward looks at 'em she goes, "Honey, they're all sick."

The three positive passengers were taken to a hotel. Everybody else went to a cargo building where they were checked by the CDC for fever and filled out a short questionnaire. Nobody was given a COVID test. And some passengers told us they saw people with symptoms get through.

Kelly Edge: There were people, get this, their temperature was too high, so the CDC had them sit in chairs and wait and see if it got lower.

Jenny Catron: So I'm trying really hard not to, like, second-guess. And I was so--

Sharyn Alfonsi: You're thinking, "This is the CDC. They've got this."

Jenny Catron: That's what I'm trying to tell myself.

Sharyn Alfonsi: "And it's in their hands now."

Jenny Catron: I'm trying to tell myself that.

Sharyn Alfonsi: But your mind is saying what?

Jenny Catron: "You're not doing it right."

Passengers were then loaded onto buses for a short drive to baggage claim. And that was that. They were all free to go wherever they wanted.

Kelly Edge: Like, half of it was the walking wounded and I watched them all leave.

Sharyn Alfonsi: This plane comes in, people are sick, they're fainting, they're coughing and then they're let into the main terminal of one of the busiest airports in America.

Bob Anderson: It was crazy.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Was it lost on anybody? Or were you guys kinda looking at each other like, "I can't believe they let us go?"

Bob Anderson: Exactly. Those are the exact feelings we had. Utter surprise and bewilderment.

Some passengers removed their masks. Others hit the food court. Within hours more than 200 of them, exposed to COVID or already sick with it, boarded commercial flights to 17 states and Canada. Including the Andersons.

Sue Anderson: We felt guilty. We had our masks. We had our gloves. And we sat down. And the seat next to me was empty. And I said, "Please don't let anybody sit next to me."

Bob Anderson tested positive for COVID after he flew home to Utah.  Kelly Edge's husband tested positive after he took a flight to Miami. Three people on the plane were put on ventilators days later. And two other passengers who flew home, Tom Sheehan who was in seat 24J and Herman Boehm who was in 10A, both died nine days later.

We wanted to know what the CDC was thinking, but they declined our request for an interview. We did obtain 160 pages of emails from the agency about the operation through the Freedom of Information Act, but all the sections about decision making were redacted. 

Sharyn Alfonsi: How does this happen?

Dr. Ali Khan: Undoubtedly you know I would say this sort of constitutes public health malpractice. That you have individuals who you know are exposed, potentially multiple people infected within that group, and then you put 'em in the busiest airport in the world.

Dr. Ali Khan is the dean of the University of Nebraska school of public health. He is a former director of the CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Should any of those passengers been allowed to get on commercial flights at that point?

Dr. Ali Khan: So those individuals definitely should have stayed in Atlanta and been appropriately isolated or quarantined based on their circumstances.

Sharyn Alfonsi: We knew enough at that point to know that was a bad decision.

Dr. Ali Khan: Oh no, not only did we know enough at that point, we had already acted on that knowledge multiple times. We know that what was the right thing to do was with the Grand Princess and other cruise ships, that those individuals need to get off the ship, needed to be monitored separately-- in quarantine before they could go out and about their way.

The cruise line would not share the passenger list with us, but we were able to track down 64 of the Americans. And of those 64, 45 of them told us they tested positive for COVID soon after coming home.

Dr. Ali Khan: This is what the agency plans for day in and day out on how to do this. I mean, this should've been second nature of how to make this happen.

The CDC alerted state health departments, but some passengers told us their states never followed up with them and didn't do any contact tracing. The lack of a unified response means nobody knows exactly how many passengers from that flight from hell brought home the coronavirus. Or how many unsuspecting people they infected with COVID along the way.

Produced by Guy Campanile. Associate producer, Lucy Hatcher. Field producer, Sabina Castelfranco. Broadcast associates, Mabel Kabani and Elizabeth Germino.

Sharyl Alfonsi is an award-winning correspondent for 60 Minutes.

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• 26 March 2020

What the cruise-ship outbreaks reveal about COVID-19

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When COVID-19 was detected among passengers on the cruise ship Diamond Princess , the vessel offered a rare opportunity to understand features of the new coronavirus that are hard to investigate in the wider population. Some of the first studies from the ship — where some 700 people were infected — have revealed how easily the virus spreads, provided estimates of the disease’s severity and allowed researchers to investigate the share of infections with no symptoms.

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Grand Princess cruise ship had COVID-19, gastroenteritis outbreaks on previous voyage before coming to Adelaide

A cruise liner that had been dealing with cases of COVID-19 and gastroenteritis has arrived in Adelaide.

Key points:

• The Grand Princess cruise ship has arrived in Adelaide
• SA Health says the cruise ship had dealt with an outbreak of COVID-19 and gastro
• It says the number of cases for both illnesses have reduced after a deep clean of the ship in Melbourne

In a statement the ship's operator Princess Cruises said the Grand Princess arrived in Outer Harbour in Adelaide's north-western suburbs Monday  morning on day two of a four-day round trip from Melbourne.

"On the previous voyage (a 14-days round trip cruise from Melbourne to Queensland) a number of people reported to the Medical Centre with symptoms of respiratory illness and acute gastrointestinal illness," it said.

"While most guests were unaffected by illness on that voyage, we proactively launched a comprehensive disinfection program, developed in coordination with international health authorities to prevent further spread."

"In an abundance of caution, there will be another disinfection program carried out on board the ship in Adelaide today before Grand Princess returns to Melbourne on Wednesday 15 November."

The cruise operator said there is no current "dual outbreak" of illness on the ship.

"While we do not provide numbers of unwell guests we can say that the number of guests with symptoms are in the single digits," it said.

"Some guests have disembarked in Adelaide today after completing their holiday."

SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said there were five cases of gastro on board the ship when it arrived, and eight cases of "COVID-like infection".

The health department said it had been informed by the ship's doctor that "the outbreaks have been declared over and the few remaining cases are consistent with numbers you would expect on any cruise".

"The ship docked in Melbourne on Saturday to undergo a clean, with all passengers off while this was undertaken," SA Health said.

The Grand Princess has a capacity of 4,000, including crew members. 

'Vomit smells everywhere'

Passenger Jody, who was on board with 10 other family members including her eight-year-old daughter, said she had been desperately trying to get her overflowing toilet fixed.

She said staff had  told her the issue had been resolved but water was still leaking from the wall behind the toilet.

"We've got towels everywhere ... the room has a funky smell with the toilet overflowing," she said.

She said she and her child have not been sick, but were worried about being exposed to the virus.

"There are vomit smells everywhere," she said.

"Someone threw up in the elevator and it still smells."

The ABC spoke with Jody this morning while the ship was docked in Adelaide and she was waiting to disembark.

Passenger Diana McElligott, who was on the cruise ship for 18 days, said she was not informed about COVID-19 cases on board.

"We weren't told to wear masks, we were told to be vigilant with washing and stuff like that but never heard anything about the COVID," she said.

"They should have told us if there was [cases] on board.

"Not a lot of staff were wearing masks, only in the dining room."

Ill guests disembarked separately

Premier Peter Malinauskas said "the bulk of the illnesses" happened before the ship arrived at Melbourne on the weekend.

"When that cruise ship got to Melbourne, it was disembarked and given a thorough and deep clean. Essentially people who got back onto that cruise ship were effectively new passengers," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

"0.6 per cent of the people on the cruise ship suffered gastro."

He said people who were ill disembarked the ship separately when they got to Adelaide while those with symptoms are told to stay on the boat and not go on tours.

Anne, who cancelled her cruise trip due to injuries, told ABC Radio Adelaide her friends have been sick with both COVID-19 and norovirus on board the Grand Princess, and have been quarantined in their cabins for most of their holiday.

"They said it's been quite horrendous, they've been overrun with cases in the medical centre, a lot of people have been on drips," she said.

"They've been sick since November 1, just after they got on, and they're still sick now, so they went from one disease to the next."

She said her friends on board wore masks and sanitised regularly, but still felt ill.

Passenger David Weeder, who had been travelling with his wife for 19 days, said crew on the ship kept the passengers informed about the outbreaks.

"I had a few incidents, I think it was lucky we escaped without anything, it's just something that goes around," he said.

Tour Guides Association president told ABC Radio Adelaide that passengers disembarking in Adelaide are expected to join tours visiting Hahndorf and wineries in the Barossa Valley.

He said he would take precautionary measures like wearing masks and using sanitisers while travelling with visitors from the ship.

"I'm hoping there's some kind of checking process before passengers get actually on a tour," he said. 

Company handled outbreak 'extremely well', says health boss

SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the health department had stayed in contact with Princess Cruises, and commented the company had done "extremely well" amid "some challenges".

"I commend the company, they have very good infection protection and control mechanisms in place and protocols to deal with outbreaks," Professor Spurrier said.

"Those outbreaks came down very quickly."

Professor Spurrier's comments came amid a push for older people, particularly those in residential aged care, and immunocompromised people to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters, with the state recording a nearly 50 per cent rise in cases in just a week.

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Guidance for Cruise Ships on Management of Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) due to Viral Infection

CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance has been updated. The content of this page will be updated soon.

Describing and Defining Passengers and Crew with Acute Viral Respiratory Illness (ARI)

Reducing the spread of viral respiratory infections, vaccination of crew and passengers, managing passengers or crew with ari upon disembarkation, medical evaluation and management, diagnostic tests for acute viral respiratory illness (ari), respiratory and hand hygiene, outbreak control, infection prevention and control.

• Additional Resources

Attribution Statement

Outbreaks of influenza, COVID-19, r espiratory syncytial virus (RSV) , and other viral respiratory infections can occur at any time of the year among cruise ship passengers and crew members. Many cruise ship travelers are older adults or have underlying medical conditions that put them at increased risk of complications from these respiratory virus infections. Early detection, prevention, and control of such acute viral respiratory infections are important, not only to protect the health of passengers and crew members on cruise ships, but also to avoid spread of these viruses into communities.

This document provides guidance for cruise ships originating from or stopping in the United States to help prevent, diagnose, and medically manage acute respiratory illness (ARI) caused by SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza virus, or RSV. This guidance to cruise ship clinics will be updated as needed. CDC recognizes that cruise ships travel worldwide, necessitating awareness of, and responsiveness to, local jurisdictional requirements. Cruise ship management and medical staff need to be flexible in identifying and caring for people with ARI. The healthcare provider’s assessment of a patient’s clinical presentation and underlying risk factors is always an essential part of decisions about the need for further medical evaluation, testing, and treatment.

This document also provides guidance for preventing spread of ARI during and after a voyage, including personal protective measures for passengers and crew members and control of outbreaks.

Signs and symptoms of ARIs can include acute onset of some or all of the following:

• fever or feeling feverish
• nasal congestion
• sore throat
• shortness of breath
• difficulty breathing
• muscle or body aches
• fatigue (tiredness)
• loss of taste or smell

For cruise ship surveillance purposes, CDC defines ARI as an illness of presumed viral etiology with at least two of the following symptoms : fever/feverishness, cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, or sore throat and excluding:

• Confirmed acute respiratory infection diagnoses other than COVID-19 [1] , influenza [2] , or RSV [3] (e.g., Streptococcal pharyngitis, Epstein-Barr virus infection), *
• Diagnoses of bacterial pneumonia: either clinical or test-positive (e.g., by urine Legionella antigen, urine Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen), and
• Non-infectious conditions as determined by the ship’s physician (e.g., allergies)

Fever (a temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or higher) will not always be present in people with influenza, COVID-19, or RSV. Cruise ship medical personnel should consider someone as having a fever if the sick person feels warm to the touch, gives a history of feeling feverish, or has an actual measured temperature of 100°F (37.8°C) or higher.

*Other respiratory viruses—for which point-of-care diagnostic tests are not available—may also cause ARI (e.g., rhinovirus, adenovirus, enterovirus, human parainfluenza viruses, human metapneumoviruses).

[1] Confirmed COVID-19 means laboratory confirmation for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by viral test.

[2] Confirmed influenza means laboratory confirmation for influenza A or B by viral test.

[3] Confirmed RSV means laboratory confirmation for RSV by viral test.

Commercial maritime travel is characterized by the movement of large numbers of people in enclosed and semi-enclosed settings. Like other close-contact environments, these settings can facilitate the transmission of respiratory viruses from person to person through droplets and small particles or potentially through contact with contaminated surfaces.

CDC recommends that efforts to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses on cruise ships focus on encouraging crew members and passengers:

• 6 months and older to get vaccinated annually for influenza
• 6 months and older to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines
• who are 60 years and above  to discuss and consider RSV vaccination  with their healthcare provider
• To follow recommendations for babies and young children  and if applicable, to receive monoclonal antibody products to prevent severe RSV
• To avoid contact with ill people prior to scheduled cruising
• To postpone travel if sick with an acute respiratory illness (passengers)
• To take steps to protect themselves and others while traveling
• To consider wearing a mask  in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor areas.

Cruise ship management should include:

• Encouraging good respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
• Early identification and isolation of crew members and passengers with ARI
• Use of antiviral medications for treatment of people with suspected or confirmed influenza or COVID-19 with severe or complicated illness, or at increased risk of severe illness or complications
• Use of antiviral chemoprophylaxis for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) or during influenza outbreaks, if indicated, for people at increased risk of complications

All passengers and crew are also recommended to be up to date with all routine vaccines .

Influenza : CDC recommends that all people 6 months of age and older be vaccinated each year with the influenza vaccine. Crew members should be vaccinated yearly. Vaccination of passengers, especially those at high risk for influenza complications, is recommended at least 2 weeks before cruise ship travel, if influenza vaccine is available and the person has not already been vaccinated with the current year’s vaccine. For more information on influenza vaccine recommendations, see Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Resources for Health Professionals .

COVID-19: CDC recommends that all people 6 months of age and older be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. In addition to the protection COVID-19 vaccines provide to individual travelers in preventing severe illness or death from COVID-19, having a high proportion of travelers on board who are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines reduces the likelihood that cruise ships’ medical centers will be overwhelmed by cases of COVID-19. For more information on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, see COVID-19 Vaccination Clinical and Professional Resources .

RSV : CDC recommends adult travelers ages 60 years and older discuss RSV vaccination with their healthcare provider prior to cruise travel. These new vaccines—which are the first ones licensed in the U.S. to protect against RSV—have been available since the fall of 2023. Babies and young children should follow recommendations and if applicable, receive monoclonal antibody products to prevent severe RSV. For more information, see For Healthcare Professionals: RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) .

Pre-embarkation COVID-19 Testing

To reduce the likelihood of onboard transmission of SARS-CoV-2, pre-embarkation testing is recommended for all passengers, including those on back-to-back sailings [4] . Completion of testing closer to the time of embarkation (within 1 to 2 days) maximizes the benefit of preventing introduction of infectious persons onboard. Ships that choose to use COVID-19 antigen tests should follow FDA guidance .

[4] Back-to-back sailing refers to passengers who stay on board for two or more voyages.

Viral ARI Screening Procedures for Embarking Passengers

Cruise ship operators should consider screening embarking passengers for viral ARI symptoms, a history of a positive COVID-19 viral test within the 10 days before embarkation, and a history of exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the 10 days before embarkation.

Cruise ship operators should consider performing viral testing (e.g., COVID-19, influenza, RSV) for passengers with ARI before they embark. Ships that choose to use COVID-19 antigen tests should follow FDA guidance .

Cruise ship operators should consider denying boarding for passengers who test positive for infectious viral etiologies during pre-embarkation screening, as well as those who tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days before embarkation. If boarding is permitted, see guidance for isolation and other measures provided below .

If the cruise ship operator chooses to test for other infectious etiologies and testing identifies an alternate etiology (e.g., Legionella , Epstein-Barr virus, Streptococcal pharyngitis) through laboratory testing, routine infection control precautions specific to the diagnosis should be followed.

For asymptomatic passengers who have a known COVID-19 close-contact exposure within the 10 days before embarkation, considerations for allowing boarding can include:

• being up to date with COVID-19 vaccines,
• having a negative result on a COVID-19 viral test conducted on the day of boarding, or
• having documentation of recent recovery [5]  from COVID-19

People who are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines are less likely to have severe outcomes if they develop COVID-19 after boarding. Testing is generally not recommended for asymptomatic people who recovered from COVID-19 in the past 30 days. If exposed passengers are allowed to board, see information below regarding recommendations for management onboard .

[5] Documentation of recent recovery from COVID-19 can include the following:

• Paper or electronic copies (including documentation of at-home antigen results) of their previous positive viral test result dated no less than 10 days and no more than 30 days before date of embarkation
• A positive test result dated less than 10 days before embarkation accompanied by a signed letter from a licensed healthcare provider indicating symptom onset more than 10 days before the voyage

Managing Cruise Travelers with ARI and Contacts while on Board

Travelers with ARI who board, as well as those who become sick with ARI onboard, should be identified and tested as soon as possible to minimize transmission of respiratory viruses. The table below provides disease-specific recommendations for persons on board with COVID-19, influenza, or RSV and those exposed (i.e., contacts).

§ The day of last exposure to a case is counted as day 0. Additional testing prior to day 6 can identify new cases earlier. Cruise ship operators may consider this strategy in situations where exposures may have occurred in crowded settings, if unsure of the date of exposure, or if there is difficulty identifying index cases, as often occurs in the cruise ship environment.

^ Individual should properly wear a respirator or well-fitting mask  at all times when outside of cabin indoors until 10 days after the last close contact with someone with COVID-19 (the date of last exposure to a case is considered day 0). During this time, these individuals should have in-cabin dining (with food trays placed and collected outside of cabins) and also wear a respirator or well-fitting mask inside their cabin if any other person (such as a crew cleaning staff) enters the cabin.

† Contacts with high risk of influenza complications should be identified in order to offer post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

Crew members with ARI, even if mild, should take the following additional steps—regardless of their COVID-19, influenza, or RSV vaccination status:

• Notify their supervisors.
• Report to the medical center for evaluation and testing, if indicated, according to shipboard protocols.
• Continue to practice respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette, and hand hygiene after returning to work, because respiratory viruses may be shed after the isolation period ends.

Disembarking cruise ship passengers or crew members who have ARI should continue to take recommended precautions after disembarkation. If a passenger or crew member with viral ARI is taken to a healthcare facility off the ship, the facility should be informed before arrival. Medical transport providers should also be notified in advance.

Medical centers on cruise ships can vary widely depending on ship size, itinerary, length of cruise, and passenger demographics.

• Cruise ship medical centers are recommended to follow the operational guidelines  published by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) as well as disease-specific clinical guidelines (see links provided at the bottom of this section).
• PPE should include surgical masks and NIOSH Approved® N95® filtering facepiece respirators or higher, eye protection such as goggles or disposable face shields that cover the front and sides of the face, and disposable medical gloves and gowns.
• Antiviral agents and other therapeutics for COVID-19 , influenza , and RSV (if commercially available), and other antimicrobial medications
• Antipyretics (e.g., acetaminophen and ibuprofen), oral and intravenous steroids, supplemental oxygen
• Onboard capacity to conduct viral tests for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, and RSV, as well as other infections that may be in the differential diagnosis (e.g., group A Streptococcus , Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella )
• Medical center staff should adhere to standard and transmission-based precautions when healthcare personnel are caring for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, influenza, RSV, or other communicable diseases.

For more information, read updated resources for clinicians and guidance on the medical evaluation and management of people with COVID-19 , influenza , or RSV  are available on CDC’s websites.

Respiratory specimens for ARI testing should be collected immediately upon illness onset, with the understanding that repeat testing may be indicated based on the viral etiology or state of the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, molecular tests are recommended over antigen tests because of their greater sensitivity; multiplex assays are available that can detect SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B, and RSV.

Healthcare providers should understand the advantages and limitations of rapid diagnostic tests, and proper interpretation of negative results of any antigen diagnostic tests. Rapid antigen diagnostic tests have a lower sensitivity compared with RT-PCR, and false negative results can occur frequently. In symptomatic persons, negative rapid antigen diagnostic test results do not exclude a diagnosis of COVID-19, influenza, or RSV; clinical diagnosis of these illnesses should be considered; however, positive test results are useful to establish a viral etiology and to provide evidence of infection in passengers and crew members aboard ships.

People with ARI should be advised of the importance of covering coughs and sneezes and keeping hands clean because respiratory viruses may be shed after the isolation period ends.

Cruise operators should ensure passengers and crew have access to well-stocked hygiene stations with soap and water and/or hand sanitizer, tissues, paper towels, and trash receptacles.

Respirators or well-fitting masks should be readily available and symptomatic passengers and crew should be encouraged to use them if they have to be outside their cabins.

Passengers and crew members should be reminded to wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, they can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Used tissues should be disposed of immediately in a disposable container (e.g., plastic bag) or a washable trash can.

For more information on respiratory hygiene, see Coughing and Sneezing .

A combination of measures can be implemented to control ARI outbreaks, including isolation of infected people, increased infection prevention and control efforts, antiviral chemoprophylaxis of influenza-exposed people, crew member and passenger notifications, and active surveillance for new cases.

Recommendations when a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 2% ‡

• Provide all crew members with respirators or well-fitting masks and provide crew with information on how to properly wear, take off , and clean (if reusable)
• Minimize the number of crew members sharing a cabin or bathroom to the extent possible.
• Instruct crew members to remain in cabins as much as possible during non-working hours.
• Cancel nonessential face-to-face employee meetings as well as group events (such as employee trainings) and social gatherings.
• Close all crew bars, gyms, and other group settings.
• Close indoor crew smoking areas.
• Maximize the introduction of outdoor air and adjust HVAC systems to increase total airflow to occupied spaces. For additional information on ventilation, see Ventilation in Buildings
• Maximize air circulation in crew outdoor smoking areas.
• Expedite contact tracing (including the use of wearable technology, recall surveys, and the onboarding of additional public health staff).
• Consider serial viral (antigen or NAAT) screening testing of crew every 3–5 days. The onboarding of additional laboratorians may be needed to facilitate the testing process.
• If an influenza outbreak, antiviral chemoprophylaxis  can be considered for prevention of influenza in exposed people depending on their risk for complications, or could be given to all contacts on a cruise ship when the threshold is met or exceeded.

Recommendations when a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 3% ‡

• Provide all passengers with respirators or well-fitting masks and provide crew with information on how to properly wear, take off , and clean (if reusable)
• Position posters educating passengers on how to properly wear respirators or well-fitting masks  in high traffic areas throughout the ship.
• Eliminate self-serve dining options at all crew and officer messes.
• Reduce the dining cohort size for crew, and shorten dining times to avoid crowding.
• Send written notification to passengers on the current, previous, and subsequent voyages informing them of the ARI conditions and measures being taken to reduce transmission on board.
• Cancel crew shore leave.
• Implement a “working quarantine” policy for all crew (i.e., crew perform job duties then return to cabin).
• Require use of respirators or well-fitting masks and provide crew with information on how to properly wear, take off , and clean (if reusable)
• Test all passengers for COVID-19 prior to the end of the voyage, regardless of their vaccination status. Advise those who test positive or have known exposure to follow guidance following disembarkation .

‡ Sources of data should include medical center records and other established surveillance systems for passengers and crew (e.g., employee illness reports).

Considerations for Suspending Passenger Operations

In some circumstances, additional public health precautions, such as returning to port immediately or delaying the next voyage, may be considered to help ensure the health and safety of onboard travelers or newly arriving travelers.

A ship should consider suspending operations based on the following factors:

• 15% or more of the passengers have met ARI criteria; or
• 15% or more of the crew have met ARI criteria; or
• 15% or more of total travelers have met ARI criteria. [6]
• Shortages of supplemental oxygen or other medical supplies related to management of patients with ARI, or
• 3 or more deaths due to ARI in passengers and/or crew during a voyage.
• Evaluate symptomatic travelers and their close contacts,
• Conduct diagnostic and screening testing of travelers,
• Conduct routine medical checks of travelers in isolation, or
• Conduct contact tracing of close contacts, if applicable
• Testing equipment,
• Antipyretics (fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen),
• Antivirals and other therapeutics for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV (if commercially available),
• Oral and intravenous steroids, or
• Supplemental oxygen
• Inadequate onboard capacity to fulfill minimum safe manning or minimal operational services, including but not limited to housekeeping and food and beverage services
• A novel respiratory virus or SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern or a new or emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant with potential for increased severity or transmissibility identified among cases on board

[6] These thresholds are subject to change based on the characteristics of the dominant COVID-19 variant or a novel respiratory virus in the United States or elsewhere.

CDC requests that cruise ships submit a cumulative ARI report (even if no ARI cases have occurred) preferably within 24 hours before arrival in the U.S. [7] , and sooner if a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 3% [8] . These reports are requested by completing the Cruise Ship Cumulative Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) Reporting Form. Access to the online reporting form has been provided to cruise lines by CDC. Cruise lines that do not have access may contact CDC (email [email protected] ).

In addition, CDC emphasizes that any deaths—including those caused by or suspected to be associated with influenza, COVID-19, RSV, or ARI—that occur aboard a cruise ship destined for a US port must be reported to CDC immediately. Report ARI deaths by submitting an individual  Maritime Conveyance Illness or Death Investigation Form [PDF – 4 pages] for each death.

Vessel captains may request assistance from CDC to evaluate or control ARI outbreaks as needed. If the ship will not be arriving imminently at a U.S. seaport, CDC maritime staff will provide guidance to cruise ship officials regarding management and isolation of infected people and recommendations for other passengers and crew members. CDC staff may also help with disease control and containment measures, passenger and crew notification, surveillance activities, communicating with local public health authorities, obtaining and testing laboratory specimens, and provide additional guidance as needed.

[7] For international voyages with >1 U.S. port (e.g., Canada to multiple Alaskan ports), please submit report to CDC within 24 hours before arrival in the final U.S. port.

[8] For international voyages with >15 days prior to arrival in the U.S., the time period for calculating this attack rate begins at day 15 prior to arrival at a U.S. port.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) are critical to reducing the spread of ARI. Each cruise ship should maintain a written  Infection Prevention and Control Plan (IPCP)  that details standard procedures and policies to specifically address infection control and cleaning/disinfection procedures to reduce the spread of ARI.

To reduce the spread of ARI, cruise ship operators should include the following as part of a written IPCP:

• Duties and responsibilities of each department and their staff for all passenger and crew public areas
• A graduated approach for escalating infection prevention and control measures in response to ARI cluster or outbreaks during a voyage with action steps and criteria for implementation
• Procedures for informing passengers and crew members that a threshold of ARI has been met or exceeded, and of any recommended or required measures to prevent spread of infection
• Crew members entering cabins or other areas where people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are should be limited, and crew should wear an NIOSH Approved® N95® filtering facepiece respirator or higher in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Respiratory Protection standard   (29 CFR 1910.134 )
• Disinfectant products or systems used, including the surfaces or items the disinfectants will be applied to, concentrations, and required contact times
• Safety data sheets (SDSs)
• PPE recommendations for crew, which may include surgical masks or NIOSH Approved® N95® filtering facepiece respirators or higher, eye protection such as goggles or disposable face shields that cover the front and sides of the face, and disposable medical gloves and gowns in addition to those recommended by the disinfectant manufacturer in the SDS; for information on health hazards related to disinfectants used against viruses, see Hazard Communication for Disinfectants Used Against Viruses .
• Health and safety procedures to minimize respiratory and dermal exposures to both passengers and crew, when recommended
• Graduated procedures for returning the vessel to normal operating conditions after a threshold of ARI has been met, including de-escalation of cleaning and disinfection protocols

Frequent, routine cleaning and disinfection of commonly touched surfaces with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant is recommended. For COVID-19, EPA-registered disinfectant  effective against coronaviruses is strongly recommended.

• Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19
• COVID-19 Treatments and Medications
• Seasonal Influenza Prevention
• Seasonal Influenza Treatment: What You Need to Know
• Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for controlling institutional influenza outbreaks
• Symptoms and Care of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
• RSV transmission
• Preventing RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

N95 and NIOSH Approved are certification marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) registered in the United States and several international jurisdictions.

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Cruise Passenger Dies From Covid, Testing Industry Plans

The passenger and 26 crew members aboard the Carnival Vista tested positive for the coronavirus and the passenger later died. The company says its protocols successfully stopped further spread.

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By Ceylan Yeginsu

As the highly contagious Delta variant surges across the world, the health and safety protocols established for cruise ships are being put to the test. Over two weeks in late July and early August, 27 coronavirus infections were identified aboard the Carnival Vista cruise ship sailing out of Galveston, Texas.

One of those infected, a passenger, later died.

It was the highest number of cases aboard a ship reported since June, when cruises restarted in the Caribbean and United States, and the first death.

The passenger and 26 crew members were immediately isolated after testing positive for the virus. Contact tracing and further testing was conducted, with no new cases reported by Aug. 11, when the ship arrived at the port of Belize City on the northeastern coast of Central America, Carnival said.

Though the ship sailed out of Texas, which bans businesses from requiring vaccinations , more than 96 percent of passengers were vaccinated and all but one crew member was fully vaccinated, according to the Belize tourism board.

Most infected crew members were either asymptomatic or experienced mild symptoms of the virus, but Marilyn Tackett, a 77-year-old passenger from Oklahoma, was admitted to the hospital in Belize and put on a ventilator after experiencing respiratory complications. Days later, she was evacuated to a hospital in Tulsa where she received treatment, but on Aug. 14 her condition worsened, and she died, according to a statement issued by her family on a crowdfunding page set up to help pay for her care.

Ms. Tackett’s family declined to comment on the incident.

“We are very sorry to hear about the death of a guest who sailed on Carnival Vista,” the Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement. The cruise line said that it was highly unlikely Ms. Tackett contracted the coronavirus aboard the ship, which left Galveston on July 31, and that she had received expert medical care onboard before being evacuated.

The cruise line did not test vaccinated passengers before they embarked for the cruise.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new advisory, warning people with increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19 to avoid travel on cruise ships, irrespective of their vaccination status.

Carnival is not the only cruise line to have seen an uptick in cases. Earlier this month, Royal Caribbean had six guests test positive onboard its Adventure of the Seas ship.

The companies have responded to the recent increase in cases by introducing pre-departure testing requirements for all passengers. Carnival also added a mask mandate on Aug. 7 for all vaccinated and unvaccinated guests in indoor areas and banned smoking in the casino.

“The protocols are designed to flex up and adapt,” said Chris Chiames, the chief communications officer for Carnival Cruise Line, in a telephone interview. “That’s what they’ve done here in the context of their desire to mitigate and minimize the threat of Covid, which is everywhere, unfortunately, and it’s going to remain everywhere for a long time.”

“We never suggested our ships would be Covid free,” he continued. “But we designed our protocols to meet and exceed the guidelines of the C.D.C. and we will continue to be vigilant while continuing to focus on giving our guests a great vacation.”

Michael Bayley, the chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean, said the cruise line was typically seeing one or two positive cases out of more than 1,000 guests a week per ship. More than 90 percent of passengers are vaccinated, he said, and because of preboarding testing requirements two to 10 guests are prevented from boarding ships each week because they test positive.

But, Mr. Bayley said in a candid Facebook post addressing the current coronavirus situation, “Testing captures status at a point of time and if the guest is incubating infection, then the test will miss it.” The vaccinated guests who test positive typically are asymptomatic, he said in the post.

Some cruise lines say passengers have canceled amid concerns about the risks of the Delta variant, but many sailings are fully booked through the rest of year because of pent-up demand.

Many cruise enthusiasts with upcoming trips believe that cruise ships are one of the safest ways to travel during the pandemic because of the high percentage of vaccinated passengers and crew, added testing requirements and stringent health and safety measures enforced on board.

“It’s very comforting boarding a cruise ship knowing that most people are vaccinated and everyone is tested,” said Aidan Alexander, 62, an avid cruiser from Florida who has eight sailings booked through 2022. “When you get on a plane or stay in a hotel you don’t know anyone’s vaccination or Covid status and that makes it very difficult to relax and unwind.”

John Ioannidis, an epidemiology professor at Stanford University, disputes that notion. In an airport, on a plane or in a hotel, he said, “you only get exposed for a few hours, whereas on a cruise ship you could get exposed for many days and weeks. It’s a kind of cumulative exposure.”

But he said the health and safety protocols implemented by cruise companies will likely avert the major disasters and deaths that were seen in the initial stages of the pandemic last year.

“I think that it’s fair to say that it’s likely that the outbreaks will not be left to grow to the same extent as they did in the outbreaks in the first wave of the pandemic,” he said.

Christina Perez, 56, a passenger who was on board the Carnival Vista when the virus cases were identified earlier this month, said the cruise line dealt with the situation well and she felt safe throughout her trip.

“It was still an amazing vacation. The crew took great care of us and kept us informed and managed to contain the situation very quickly,” Ms. Perez said in a telephone interview.

“I think it’s getting risker to travel now with the new variants, even on cruises, but at least if there is an outbreak on a cruise ship there is a plan and you know you’ll be taken care of,” she said.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

Ceylan Yeginsu is a London-based reporter. She joined The Times in 2013, and was previously a correspondent in Turkey covering politics, the migrant crisis, the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

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Coronavirus Updates

The coronavirus crisis, covid-19 outbreaks hit 3 cruise ships as florida breaks record for new cases.

The Associated Press

Employees of Nomi Health check in a long line of people for COVID-19 tests on Tuesday in North Miami, Fla. Marta Lavandier/AP hide caption

Employees of Nomi Health check in a long line of people for COVID-19 tests on Tuesday in North Miami, Fla.

MIAMI — A COVID-19 outbreak took place on a South Florida-based cruise ship for the third time this week, as the number of coronavirus cases in Florida hit its highest level since the start of the pandemic.

An undisclosed number of passengers and crew aboard the Carnival Freedom cruise caught the virus so the ship was denied entry to Bonaire and Aruba, Carnival said in a statement.

Thousands more flights canceled on Christmas Day, putting a damper on holiday travel

The ship has 2,497 passengers and 1,112 crew members and was scheduled to return to Miami on Sunday following an 8-day cruise. Passengers were required to be vaccinated and they were tested before leaving last Saturday, according to Carnival.

"Carnival Freedom is following all protocols and has a small number on board who are in isolation due to a positive COVID test," the statement said. "Our protocols anticipate this possibility and we implement them as necessary to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew."

48 tested positive for COVID-19 on Royal Caribbean cruise ship docking in Miami

Ashley Peterson, a passenger on the ship, tweeted a photo of a Dec. 22 letter from the ship's captain apologizing for being unable to make stops in Aruba and Bonaire. The letter said passengers would get $100 per room in onboard credit, as well refunds for planned excursions.

It was the third outbreak this week affecting cruise ships operated by Carnival and Royal Caribbean departing Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Meanwhile, Florida had 31,758 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, breaking a record for the most cases in a single day since the start of the pandemic in the U.S. in March 2020, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over a dozen COVID cases were found on a cruise ship that docked in New Orleans

The new record was driven by the spread of the new omicron variant through the Sunshine State.

The previous single-day highest number of cases was in last August, during the height of the delta variant wave in Florida, when 27,802 cases were reported.

• cruise ships

These are the cruise ships with the best — and worst — sanitation scores so far this year

• The CDC randomly inspects cruise ships to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses. 
• The agency has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships this year.
• These are the cruise ships with the best and worst sanitation report cards in 2023 so far.

There's nothing like a stomach virus to ruin your vacation, as hundreds of cruise ship passengers have unfortunately learned this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far in 2023. The last time the industry's yearly gastrointestinal illness outbreak total was that high was back in 2016 — and it's only July.

For the agency to report a cruise-ship outbreak, 3% or more of passengers or crew members must report symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, such as vomiting and diarrhea, to the ship's medical staff. During the most recent outbreak, a 14-day cruise aboard the Viking Neptune in June, slightly over 13% of passengers (110 of 838) reported being ill with predominant symptoms of abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

The nasty stomach bug isn't just a cruise-ship problem, though. Norovirus cases have spiked across the United States this year, which some experts say is the result of ending COVID-19 restrictions .

"People often associate cruise ships with acute gastrointestinal illnesses such as norovirus, but acute gastrointestinal illness is relatively infrequent on cruise ships," the CDC says on its website. "Health officials track illness on cruise ships. So outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land."

To try to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses at sea, the CDC randomly inspects cruise ships and scores them on a scale of 0 to 100 through the Vessel Sanitation Program . Inspection scores of 85 and lower are considered "not satisfactory" by the agency.

Related stories

Most vessels have received scores in the high 90s — only one cruise ship, the MSC Seaside, has failed the CDC's sanitation inspection so far this year. The vessel received an unusually low score of 67 , nearly 20 points below the agency's passing grade.

An MSC Cruises representative told Insider at the time that the cruise line had launched an internal investigation based on the inspector's concerns and taken immediate corrective actions.

"MSC Cruises rigorously adheres to health protocols, and the results of this inspection do not reflect the brand's high standards," the person added.

In the past 10 years, only three other cruise ships have received sanitation scores below 70, CDC records show. Violations can include something as small as not posting a raw-eggs advisory on the omelet station or a single fly hovering in a food area. But before going on your next cruise adventure, it doesn't hurt to check out the ship's most recent sanitation rating.

These are the cruise ships with the highest and lowest sanitation scores so far this year:

The 15 cruise ships with perfect scores of 100

The 15 cruise ships with scores below a 95.

Correction: July 17, 2023 — An earlier version of this story included a photo caption that misstated how many passengers and crew members aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam reported being ill during a May voyage. It was 284 people, not 539.

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Norovirus outbreaks linked to 2 cruise ships with over 150 infected

A total of 161 passengers have reported falling ill during voyages on princess cruises' sapphire princess and royal caribbean international's radiance of the seas.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating two seemingly separate outbreaks of Norovirus linked to U.S. cruise ships.

Cases have been linked to Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess and Royal Caribbean International's Radiance of the Seas.

The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) is tracking the "very contagious" outbreaks following reports of passengers in distress .

CARNIVAL FREEDOM PASSENGER ONBOARD DURING FIRE RECOUNTS 'DANGEROUS, TERRIFYING' EXPERIENCE

The Radiance of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, is pictured docked at a port in Seward, Alaska. (iStock)

Approximately 67 out of 1,993 passengers on the Radiance of the Seas reported falling ill during its voyage from Tampa to Los Angeles between Apr. 8 and 22. An additional two crew members also reported illness . 

The predominant symptoms reported from those affected by the Norovirus were diarrhea and vomiting.

WORRIED THE CRUISE SHIP WILL LEAVE WITHOUT YOU? KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND

A view of the sign at the Center for Disease Control headquarters is seen in Atlanta, Georgia. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Approximately 94 of 2,532 passengers on the Sapphire Princess reported similar symptoms during its voyage from Los Angeles into the South Pacific that began Apr. 5 and is scheduled to conclude on May 7.

An additional 20 members of the 1,066 crew reported symptoms as well.

Fox Business reached out to both Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International for comment on the situation but did not receive a response.

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This photo shows the Sapphire Princess cruise ship, operated by Princess Cruises, docked at the Marina Cruise center in Singapore. (ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can get infected and sick with Norovirus," the CDC states on its website. "Norovirus is sometimes called the 'stomach flu' or 'stomach bug.' However, norovirus illness is not related to the flu, which is caused by influenza virus."

One of the biggest health risks posed by Norovirus infection is dehydration — the CDC recommends those infected drink plenty of liquids to aid recovering.

The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program requires cruise lines to report and document cases of illness on their ships in order to facilitate coordinated responses in case of emergency.

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Elderly american couple stranded in spain after norwegian cruise ship left without them.

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They missed the boat — literally.

An elderly American couple was left behind by Norwegian Cruise Line in Spain this week after they returned late to the ship and the vessel refused to wait for them — despite it routinely departing behind schedule during the voyage.

“I am a very experienced traveler and have probably been on as many as 30 cruises during my lifetime,” Salt Lake City resident Richard Gordon, 84, told CNN .

“Never before have we ever missed catching a ship on time at a port. So we are not someone who abuses the system.”

Gordon and his wife Claudene, 81, had gone on an independently booked excursion to view the city of Grenada while their ship, Viva, was docked in Motril on Monday. Due to a rainstorm, they ran late for the 5:30 p.m. all-aboard time ahead of a scheduled 6 p.m. departure.

At 5:45 p.m. the Gordons, who were taking the cruise to celebrate Richard’s 85th birthday this week, notified a relative on board that they were running late but were nearby.

The family member was told that the Viva had to leave on time and would not wait. By the time the octogenarians arrived at 6:10 p.m., the boat had left the harbor, Gordon told the outlet.

“Our cruise began in Lisbon and we departed from Lisbon about one and a half hours after the scheduled departure at 4 p.m.,” he claimed.

“Then the next night or two, at least a half-hour late from the dock, so it is clear that they do not always leave on the exact moment scheduled.”

When the Viva set sail, the Gordons were left without their medication, eyeglasses and spare hearing aid batteries, which were on board.

Back in Salt Lake City, their daughter Marilee Baker, stayed up into the wee hours of the morning trying to book her parents a flight to Palma de Mallorca, where the boat was making its next call Wednesday morning, according to CNN.

The Gordons claim Norwegian didn’t make first contact with them until late Tuesday, and by the time they got to Mallorca, they were met with a luxury taxi service to bring them to the Viva.

“They picked us up at the hotel in a beautiful black BMW limousine to take us to the ship. There we were met by the head of ship services who escorted us inside the ship to meet the general manager of the ship, then they escorted us to breakfast, then they escorted us to our cabin,” Gordon told CNN, adding the boat blamed the Motril harbormaster, who they said was supposed to organize travel with the couple.

Despite their reception, Gordon said the boat’s failure to communicate with them left a sour taste in their mouth.

“The ship had not contacted us directly for two days so that doesn’t speak so well for them,” he said.

Norwegian Cruise Line disputed the couple’s account of what happened, telling The Post they were a full hour behind the 5:30 p.m. all-aboard time, and that it tried numerous times without success to contact the couple after they were left behind.

“After several attempts to contact these guests with the phone numbers provided, as well as trying to phone their emergency contact, we were unable to speak to them directly. However, we worked closely with the local port agents to make arrangements for the guests to rejoin the vessel,” a Norwegian Cruise Lines spokesperson said.

“It is important to note that a delayed departure has the potential to impact the ship’s ability to deliver its planned itinerary and thus influence the experience for all guests onboard. While this was a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time.”  

The Gordons are the second set of passengers to complain about being left behind by Norwegian Cruise Lines in just a month.

Earlier in April, nine passengers — including six Americans — missed their boat in Africa and were left to fend for themselves to catch up with the boat in Senegal.

The passengers — including a paraplegic person and an elderly man with a heart condition — were left stranded on the island without any belongings like money, medicine and necessary travel documents.

Norwegian reimbursed some costs they endured while trying to make it back onto the ship, the cruise line said .

Though not waiting for passengers late by their own doing is a common procedure on cruise ships , Norwegian has faced scrutiny in recent weeks after one of the passengers left behind in Africa had recently suffered a stroke and was sent to the hospital when the ship departed.

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• Stranded cruise passengers from Utah race to catch up with their ship

By Maureen O'Hare, CNN | Posted - May 2, 2024 at 6:18 a.m.

A utah couple – ages 84 and 81 – were left behind by the cruise line in spain. (roman belogorodov, alamy).

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

ATLANTA — A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a Utah couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.

Salt Lake City couple Richard and Claudene Gordon were on a Mediterranean cruise aboard Norwegian Viva with family and friends and looking forward to celebrating Richard Gordon's 85th birthday later this week.

While the ship was docked in Motril, Spain, on Monday, the pair went to tour the historic city of Granada by themselves, an excursion not organized by the cruise line. On their return, their bus was delayed for an hour by a rain storm, Richard Gordon told CNN by phone.

"I am a very experienced traveler and have probably been on as many as 30 cruises during my lifetime," Gordon said. "Never before have we ever missed catching a ship on time at a port. So we are not someone who abuses the system."

The pair missed the ship's all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6 p.m. Gordon said that at around 5:45 p.m. he spoke to a relative on board who raised the alarm that they were nearby and running late, but the relative was told by Norwegian Cruise Line staff that as the ship needed to sail on time, nothing could be done.

According to the Gordons, they arrived at the dock by taxi at 6:10 p.m., while the ship sailed away with Claudene Gordon's medication, Richard Gordon's eyeglasses and both their spare hearing aid batteries and phone chargers on board.

"Our cruise began in Lisbon and we departed from Lisbon about one and a half hours after the scheduled departure at 4:00 p.m.," Richard Gordon told CNN. "Then the next night or two, at least a half-hour late from the dock, so it is clear that they do not always leave on the exact moment scheduled."

"They looked around and they looked around and no one was there," Marilee Barker, the couple's Utah-based daughter, told CNN by phone. They got a taxi to the police station where "the policeman helped them call back to the dock. And they said, 'There's nothing we can do.'"

The couple says they received no further assistance from Norwegian Cruise Line at that point, from the ship or on land.

No medication, no hearing aid batteries

"Luckily my dad has traveled, but he's still 85," Barker said. As the Norwegian Viva wouldn't be docking again until Tuesday on the island of Ibiza, "They took a bus up to Granada and found a cute, cheap little B&B."

Meanwhile, Barker says she and her husband were up to 3 a.m. finding flights and a hotel, eventually getting them on a plane to Palma de Mallorca, where their ship would be docking at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

Claudene Gordon texted her daughter late Tuesday afternoon Spanish time to say that Norwegian Cruise Line had made contact with them for the first time since the incident and had offered them a taxi from their Palma hotel in the morning to reunite them with their boat.

"We really received the royal treatment today," Claudene Gordon told CNN after being reunited with the ship on Wednesday morning, two days they disembarked at Montril.

"They picked us up at the hotel in a beautiful black BMW limousine to take us to the ship. There we were met by the head of ship services who escorted us inside the ship to meet the general manager of the ship, then they escorted us to breakfast, then they escorted us to our cabin," she said.

"We simply told them that we were abandoned at the dock with no one to meet us or tell us where to go, and they said they have already complained about the harbor master who was supposed to take care of things for them. But of course, the ship had not contacted us directly for two days so that doesn't speak so well for them," Claudene Gordon said.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it disputed the time of the couple's arrival at the pier. "The two guests who went ashore independently arrived at the pier approximately an hour late and missed the all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6:00 p.m.," a spokesperson said via email.

"A cruise ship follows a set itinerary with designated arrival and departure times. Itineraries are carefully coordinated and planned out well in advance of each voyage to ensure that all of our guests have the experience they are expecting," the spokesperson said. While there is a small window of time where late guests can be accommodated, the spokesperson added, the Gordons arrived outside of this.

"After several attempts to contact these guests with the phone numbers provided, as well as trying to phone their emergency contact, we were unable to speak to them directly. However, we worked closely with the local port agents to make arrangements for the guests to rejoin the vessel."

The spokesperson said that, prior to the hotel pickup on Wednesday morning, the cruise line had coordinated an airport pick-up for the Gordons at Palma de Mallorca the evening before but were still unable to contact the couple by phone.

In a similar incident last month, eight passengers were late getting back to their Norwegian Cruise Line ship on the African island nation of São Tomé on March 27. They then struggled for days to catch up with their ship as it made its way up the western coast of Africa.

In that case, Norwegian Cruise Line emphasized that the delayed guests were on a private tour that was not organized by the cruise line.

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Southeast  | Tourism

With an unexpected ship, Thursday will be Sitka’s biggest day of the summer cruise season

May 2, 2024 by Robert Woolsey, KCAW - Sitka

There will be three ships in port on Thursday in Sitka — rather than two — with a total passenger capacity of 9,300.

The latecomer is the Nieuw Amsterdam, which notified Sitka’s port director about a week ago that it was making an unscheduled call. Combined, the three ships have several thousand crew, many of whom catch a shuttle for the seven-mile ride into town. That could raise the actual number of visitors into five figures.

Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz apologized for what is likely to be a wild start to the visitor season.

“So the goal going forward is to not have 9,000,” he said. “A week ago, it wasn’t. This port call was added very late in the agenda. So Thursday will be busy. What a way to kick off the season.”

Eisenbeisz made the announcement at an informal meeting between Sitka’s two governments, which happens a couple of times a year.

Sitka officials at the meeting were wary of a possible citizen initiative that would limit summertime cruise visitation to less than half of last year’s record season. The mayor cautioned the Tribal Council that recent efforts by city hall to establish a Parks & Recreation program, assume responsibility for maintenance of the schools and the Performing Arts Center, and to take over management of the school swimming pool, would all be jeopardized by limiting cruise ship calls.

Eisenbeisz described a simple trade-off: increased tourism or local amenities.

“I think that’s a choice that community can make,” he said. “The other side of not having buses on your streets, is not having a parks & rec program too.”

Tribal Council member Lillian Feldpausch, however, thought the argument was overstated.

“What is it going to take to be able to run at minimum some of these programs?” she asked. “Because that’s kind of like holding people hostage to say, ‘You don’t have these, you know, we don’t get the funding for these, say goodbye.’

Eisenbeisz said it was not his intention to hold anyone hostage, and that more work needed to be done on tourism. Rather than impose a season limit, he believed Sitka could better manage a daily limit, and one day a week with no ships at all.

Municipal administrator John Leach said the city was investigating a regional strategy to manage cruise traffic, because if Sitka enforced a day with no ships, the cruise lines would go to other towns, and possibly increase congestion there. He wanted a solution that didn’t involve the courts or a ballot initiative.

“Because when it goes to the ballot box, there’s, there’s legal implications on either side pro or against,” he said, ” and it’s going to affect another community.”

As for the cruise passengers, no one disputes that their arrival will be both an economic and culinary boost. A new food truck offering Hawaiian doughnuts is parked downtown, along with another specializing in Cuban food.

“Welcome back to all the food trucks as well,” the mayor said. “I’m pretty excited about that.”

KCAW - Sitka

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Ambitious 20-year plan for downtown Juneau heads to Assembly

April 29, 2024

Blueprint Downtown is an effort to lay the foundation for downtown Juneau's future.

Capital Transit temporarily suspends 2 routes amid worker shortage

April 15, 2024

Bus routes 5 and 6 will stop running on April 22.

Advocates want to ban large cruise ships from visiting Juneau on Saturdays, starting next season

April 10, 2024

A group has filed a proposed ballot initiative that would ban all cruise ships that carry 250 or more passengers from visiting Juneau on Saturdays and the Fourth of July. 

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Carnival Cruise Line promises loyalty program changes

C ruise line loyalty programs drive repeat business and even a tiny change can outrage passengers. Royal Caribbean, for example, has to limit access to its Crown Lounges on select sailings when too many top-tier customers are onboard.

In most cases, you can't expand the lounge so on a President's Cruise, a special casino cruise, or a Transatlantic sailing, the cruise line has to limit access. That change only happens rarely and while people don't like not getting a perk they have earned, most are understanding.

Related: Why Carnival, Royal Caribbean don't offer key entertainment option

Permanent changes, however, can lead to passengers losing cherished benefits even if they gain others. Celebrity Cruises, a Royal Caribbean-owned brand, still shows on its website that certain higher levels of its casino loyalty program get access to its suite lounge. The problem is they don't and haven't for many years, but people who earn those levels and see the perk on the list are quite reasonably upset.

While Royal Caribbean has hinted at changes to its Crown & Anchor loyalty program, Carnival has shared that it's currently reevaluating its own. That means changes are coming, but before they do, the cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, both slapped back at some of his Facebook followers, and promised he would address their concerns.

Carnival made a loyalty pin change

Every cruise line's loyalty program has different tiers. Carnival's VIFP loyalty program starts at Blue on your first sailing and Red after that. At Gold passengers get a free bottle of water in their cabin.

You move up in tiers by sailing with points being awarded for nights cruised. Unlike Royal Caribbean's program, which offers more points for solo cruisers and suite passengers, Carnival's is one point per night no matter what.

The higher levels of the VIFP program, Gold and Platinum, come with a perk that many passengers like, a custom pin on each cruise. Those pins are "redeemable at the Photo Gallery no later than two days before the end of the cruise," Carnival shares on its website.

That's where some passengers took issue with the cruise line and Heald explained the policy.

"Before I open my eye pad on the plane to watch some downloaded episodes of 'Little House on Cleveland Prairie' and nibble on my $9 airport sandwich which has some pink meat in it I would like to say a little something to our fabulous Diamond and Platinum guests," he wrote. "The reason we ask Diamond and Platinum guests to collect their gift and pin from the Pixels gallery is because we have, in the past, found that people sometimes leave the pin and gift in the cabin. Plus it is what we have done since Covid."

Heald, it should be noted, never directly mentions brand names and is playful when he talks about what hotel he's staying in or, in this case, his tablet. He did push back on one charge.

"It is not a 'slap in the face for your loyal guests' to have to collect them rather than have them delivered. I read these comments now and then and the hostility behind the words posted is quite astonishing," he added.

Heald will ask the "beards"

The brand ambassador jointly calls Carnival's executives the "beards." It's meant as a term of endearment as the brand is led by its unbearded President Christine Duffy. Heald did promise to share the passenger feedback with his bosses, but stopped short of promising a change.

"Let’s see what we do when we announce the new loyalty program by the end of this year and I will ask if we can return to delivering anything we offer. No promises but I will try," he posted.

Nearly 2,000 people commented on Heald's post. Most were supportive.

"It’s all about perspective. When my sister in law got her status, I went with her and took pictures of her picking up her gift. We had fun with it. Just have fun, people. It is the fun ship," Melissa Dodd wrote.

Beth McDonald had a similary practical take on having to pick up the pin.

"I have no problem going to Pixels and getting my pin and gift. You probably walk by there several times a day. I love collecting my pins! I have found many uses for the gifts I get," she wrote. 

Some of Heald's followers understand both points of view.

"It's not a big deal to pick these things up. It was just more special to walk into your cabin and see them waiting for you," posted Florence Thomsen Hobson.

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"I can’t lie, I liked having it delivered but I also keep every pin and gift. So, I understand why the change was made, for Covid protocols and for eliminating waste. Besides, having to go get it gives me an excuse to leave the casino," added Laura K. Holiday.

Royal Caribbean Postpones Radiance of the Seas Departure

• April 27, 2024

The current cruise of Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas will depart from Vancouver later than scheduled.

Currently kicking off its summer program in Alaska, the 2001-built vessel suffered a technical issue earlier this month .

As a result, the sailing originally scheduled to leave from the Canadian homeport on April 26, 2024, had to be postponed, Royal Caribbean said in statement sent to guests onboard.

According to the letter, the Radiance of the Seas is currently scheduled to sail from Vancouver on April 28, 2024.

“While repairs for the technical issue that we encountered on our previous sailing are still underway, we discovered that we’re going to need some extra time to get the ship in tip-top shape for you,” said Royal Caribbean International.

Although boarding took place as planned on April 26, 2024, the Radiance of the Seas will remain docked in Vancouver through Sunday afternoon.

Due to U.S. Customs and Border Protection restrictions, passengers will not be allowed to leave the ship, the company added.

“We’re terribly sorry for this last-minute change. We understand this news is disappointing, but we hope you’ll enjoy the alternate itinerary planned,” Royal Caribbean said.

Offering a seven-night cruise to Alaska, the Radiance of the Seas is now set to visit Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan.

A previously scheduled visit to Juneau had to be cancelled due to the delayed departure from Vancouver.

To make up for the changes, Royal Caribbean International is providing a refund of two days of the paid cruise fare in the form of onboard credit.

The company is also providing a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) in the value of two days of the paid cruise fare, in addition to complimentary drinks for all guests on April 26 and April 27, 2024.

Passengers with pre-paid shore excursions in Juneau will be refunded, while guests who purchased drink packages will also receive a pro-rated refund.

A similar situation took place earlier this month with a different Royal Caribbean ship in Australia. Also facing technical issues , the Brilliance of the Seas saw one of its cruises depart three days later due to onboard repairs.

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