Stressing ‘the pandemic isn’t over,’ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the conditional sailing order for cruise ships to at least January 15, 2022.
The agency issued the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order in late October which requires cruise lines to test crew members. meet vaccination rates for crew and passengers, and manage various other shipboard health protocols.
"After the expiration of this temporary extension, CDC intends to transition to a voluntary program, in coordination with the cruise ship operators and other stakeholders, to assist the cruise industry to detect, mitigate, and control the spread of Covid-19 onboard cruise ships," the CDC said.
The CDC says there are currently 47 cruise ships sailing with passengers in US waters which follow the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order guidance.
