• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home  >  Cruise  >  Cruise Ban Lifted, But You (Probably) Can’t Sail
Cruise

Cruise Ban Lifted, But You (Probably) Can’t Sail

Kyle Stewart Posted onNovember 1, 2020September 12, 2021 3 Comments
My dear readers, some links on this site pay us referral fees for sending business and sales. We value your time and money and will not waste it. For our complete advertising policy, click here. The content on this page is not provided by any companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone.

The US regulatory bodies have lifted a ban on cruising to and from US ports. But you still (probably) can’t sail.


If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com.


If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today.

Cruise passengers
Cruise passengers

The United States Lifted “No Sail” Order

The CDC has lifted its No Sail order set by the CDC earlier this year due to COIVD-19. The order was particularly important at the time because some of the first cases of mass infection took place on ships. The Diamond Princess passengers visiting Asian ports spent nearly a month at sea once a large outbreak was detected.

Cruise ships were not designed to be particularly robust when faced with contagious viruses or diseases. In fact, the prior year the norovirus had been an issue as well. Close quarters, stops at foreign ports, many touchpoints, and common serving areas are all elements that would pose a threat to social distancing and the health and safety requirements most businesses and transport providers have adopted.

There Are Cruise Ships Sailing

As part of the conditional lifting of the No Sail order, there are two ways to get on a cruise ship from the US in 2020. The first is fairly straight forward. Norwegian is offering a five-night departure from Miami to Key West and three stops in the Bahamas before returning home. Interested cruisers might want to book through a travel agency to ensure they are able to navigate the waters through the conditional period.

The other way to get on a ship is a bit less straight forward, but also, more interesting.

“Later phases involve “mock voyages,” with volunteers playing the role of passengers to test virus mitigation strategies on trips. Once ships have met certain requirements, they will be certified to begin operations with real passengers.” – Forrest Brown and Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN

My estimate, which is pure conjecture, is that the ships (and government agencies) will want to demonstrate a variety of passenger types and scenarios. This will have to include those who have been infected with COVID-19 in the past and have the antibodies, those who have neither the antibodies nor have tested positive in the past, and… again, conjecture… someone infected with the virus. My theory is that to prove ships have truly mitigated the risk, they have to present that there was a risk in the first place.

It’s also possible that ships move to a modified version of the “Hawaii” model in which all passengers must test negative prior to embarkation – no quarantine waivers permitted. This would demonstrate a way of moving forward that seems inline (if not lockstep) with some countries/states and United’s latest move.

Even After Passengers Are Allowed Back, Limitations in Place

There are limitations that will remain in place once passengers are allowed to hit the high seas again. Cruise lines are clearly not confident in passengers returning in November, there are no scheduled departures. Even in December, I found just one opportunity to sail. Adding back inventory will take time. Crews will need to reposition at ports, ships will need to come out of storage, the new COVID-19 measures installed, training – it won’t be fast.

Even if cruise lines had already moved ships and crews back into place and installed the measures while shut down, they wouldn’t be able to sell tickets without knowing when they could depart. As such, it’s unlikely we will see more than the single cruise listed and those “mock voyages” the CDC outlined.

Once cruising resumes (January has plenty of dates available), capacity constraints may be an issue. Right now, there are plenty of incentives to get paying customers back on ships. But if there is pent up demand (Allegiant saw a glimpse of this when COVID-19 numbers dropped and restrictions briefly lifted in June), those sailings may sell out quickly. Cautious cruise lines, though in desperate need of cash, may exercise restraint in adding back ships and crews only to have a new No Sail order placed on them if virus numbers rise again.

Conclusion

Lifting the No Sail order is welcome progress. Changes that the cruise lines have proposed/implemented must have been substantial enough to warrant the CDC lifting its order (though still not recommending leisure cruising.) I agree with the testing model of mock cruises and also agree that capacity limitations should be in place. Adding safety measures should help as will more caution exercised by crews and travelers.

What do you think? Will you sail soon? Is there a metric or condition that would need to be met before you feel comfortable sailing again? 

Previous Article Disney May Discontinue Annual Passes, Three Data Points
Next Article Woman Shot With Stun Gun During Nasty Brawl On Spirit Airlines

About Author

Kyle Stewart

Kyle is a freelance travel writer with contributions to Time, the Washington Post, MSNBC, Yahoo!, Reuters, Huffington Post, MapHappy, Live And Lets Fly and many other media outlets. He is also co-founder of Scottandthomas.com, a travel agency that delivers "Travel Personalized." He focuses on using miles and points to provide a premium experience for his wife and daughter. Email: sherpa@thetripsherpa.com

Follow us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Related Posts

  • margaritaville cruise

    Unlimited Margaritaville Cruise Offer Great For Some

    April 2, 2023
  • Victoria cruises majestic

    Another Cruise Ship Leasing “Condos”, More Absurd Than Last

    February 26, 2023
  • zanzibar

    2023: Destinations, Trips, Experiences I Am Excited About

    January 1, 2023

3 Comments

  1. Kenneth Reply
    November 1, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    Since my first passenger ship voyage (Le Havre to New York aboard the FRANCE in 1971) I’ve sailed aboard more than 80 ships. I love being at sea. But until there’s a vaccine and I’m convinced it’s safe to take a cruise, I’m not going anywhere. I think it will be 2022 before cruise lines are up and running again. Those cruise lines that survive that is…

  2. AlohaDaveKennedy Reply
    November 1, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    Until an effective vaccine is developed the only cruising I’ll see is the ducks cruising on my pond. Already had my pandemic cruise experience earlier this year stuck at sea off the coast of Africa on an uninfected ship skirting a bunch of infected countries. Wish you have better luck with rapid testing for travel than the White House had.

    • Kenneth Reply
      November 2, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      I had a “pandemic cruise experience” as well. On March 13th I was aboard a cruise ship in Dubai, having flown-in to take a long-anticipated, two-week cruise through the Suez Canal to Athens. Before the ship had even left the pier, we were informed over the PA system that the cruise had been cancelled. This announcement came just as we’d finished unpacking…

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for June

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • Spirit Airlines Feisty Senior Citizen
    Feisty Senior Citizen Puts Drunk Spirit Airlines Passenger In Her Place June 2, 2023
  • British Airways Fine
    Justified: British Airways Slapped With $1.1 Million Fine From US Government June 2, 2023
  • United Airlines Worldwide Devaluation
    United Airlines MileagePlus Devaluation Spreads Worldwide June 2, 2023
  • American Airlines Flagship First A321
    The Dismal State Of American Airlines Flagship First Class June 1, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • American Airlines Pins Cockpit Door
    American Airlines First Class Passenger So Angry Over Meal Choices He Pins Flight Attendant To Cockpit Door May 11, 2023
  • Cursing Fight United Airlines
    “Don’t You Ever Tell Me To Speak English!” (Fight Breaks Out On My United Airlines Flight) May 17, 2023
  • Missed VDB United Airlines
    My Foolish $1,000 Airport Lounge Visit May 16, 2023
  • Spirit Airlines Flight Leaves Early
    Spirit Airlines Passengers Enraged After Flight Leaves Early May 8, 2023

Archives

June 2023
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« May    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

A lovely stay at the @fsdoha, one of the best hote A lovely stay at the @fsdoha, one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in.
A fabulous flight onboard @qatarairways on the A35 A fabulous flight onboard @qatarairways on the A350-1000 in Qsuite Business Class from DFW-DOH. Qatar offers the best all-around business class product in the world with a spacious suite, plenty of privacy, excellent service, and superb cuisine.
The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

Privacy Policy

© Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.