If you’re hoping to take a cruise in the not so distant future it’s going to be a little tougher to step aboard.
Lonely Planet reports that “major cruise lines now require negative COVID-19 tests for all passengers.”
All of the major cruise lines have an agreement in place with regulations that will require all passengers to show that they don’t have COVID- 19. This will supposedly help show that large cruise lines can sail safely.
Lonely Planet says that “a statement was recently shared by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruise agency association, stating that all of its members worldwide have agreed to conduct 100% testing of passengers and crews on all ships with the capacity to carry 250 people or more, with a negative test being required for embarkation.”
Some very well known cruise lines are members of the CLIA, including Carnival, MSC and Royal Caribbean.
Considering that I am not a fan of cruises, I’ll pass on this opportunity.
Regardless of the mandatory testing, many countries around the world still advise against cruising. Also, tests might come back negative but it’s still possible that some who have been exposed to COVID-19 may not be detectable yet.
Find out more from Lonely Planet here.
AlohaDaveKennedy- Thanks, fixed it to say CLIA.
Chris- Good point.
It’s actually “CLIA” seems odd the Lonely Planet messed this up. Regardless the testing is no different than what many countries require. I love cruising and am a CLIA member due to my ties to the travel industry. This testing isn’t a deal-breaker for most people but the mask requirement is the major turnoff for most people I talk with. Also, the cruise lines are using the new health standards to prevent people from going ashore without paying them for excursions and the price of cruises is going up due to all the rebookings, fewer ships, and financial stress. I think 2021 will be a tough year for the cruise lines. Some may not survive. The ones that do survive will have too much debt and will be controlled by outsiders. MSC might be an exception since their parent is strong.
No cruises for me until there is a vaccine. Donald Trump could not keep COVID 19 out of the White House no matter how many rapid tests were given and Kamala Harris could not keep COVID 19 out of her staff no matter how many masks were worn. But it you like to gamble with your health sail away.
99.97% survival rate. I’ll take that chance. You’ve got a better chance of being killed by a swarm of bees.