ASTA urges government to immediately lift cruise ban

Sunday, 24 Mar, 2021 0

The American Society of Travel Advisors is calling on the CDC to immediately to lift cruise restrictions and allow cruise lines to resume sailing from the US.

ASTA President & CEO Zane Kerby called for a 1 July date for cruising to restart.

"With the observance of proper masking and social distancing protocols, nearly every other form of human activity has been cleared for resumption, including dining in restaurants, attending movies and sporting events, overnight hotel stays and traveling by air," Kerby said.

The curbs on cruising are ‘unwarranted’ especially with vaccinations on the rise, Kerby says.

‘We fully expect Americans ready to cruise will now begin their journeys by flying to the Caribbean instead of directly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale,’ Kerby said.

The prolonged cruise suspension has forced cruise lines to seek ports in the Caribbean to restart their operations. This in turn leads to lost economic impact that would normally go to South Florida economies as well as other port cities such as Seattle and Galveston..

"The CDC’s continued inaction in removing cruise restrictions imperils livelihoods and communities in South Florida, up to now the de facto cruise capital of the world, and far beyond. It is a shame that the CDC’s inflexibility has brought us to this point."

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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