NEWS UPDATE: 92 Ships in the US with COVID | NCL Cancels Australia | Is this 2020 all Over Again?

Join my private Facebook group for cruise deals, tips and advice - the more members we have, the better we’ll get! www.facebook.com/groups/CTGdeals Head to my website for great cruise and travel deals: www.thecruiseandtravelguy.com.au Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: www.facebook.comn/thecruiseandtravelguy www.instragram.com/thecruiseandtravelguy An explosion of cases linked to the new variant of the virus has been the cause of much concern the world over. As countries contend with rising case numbers, outside of the medical field, holidays and travel have once again born the brunt of the immediate impact of shifting rules, regulations and health agency recommendations. This was best demonstrated when the US CDC announced at the end of December that all US residents, whether vaccinated or not, should avoid travel on cruise ships. The organisation cited the increased risk of virus spread onboard with a documented rise in the number of shipboard cases. In response, a statement from CLIA read: “No setting can be immune from this virus—however, it is also the case that cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land.” Norwegian Cruise Lines has pushed back the restart date for a number of their ships, as well as cancelling other cruises just days out from their embarkation date. This includes the cancellation of Norwegian Spirit’s Australian season which was due to begin in Autumn. In Brazil, both Costa Cruises and MSC have voluntarily suspended a number of planned voyages through to the end of January, with CLIA claiming that inconsistent health guidance from authorities including renewed guidance from the local government that travellers should avoid cruising, has undermined the approvals provided to the industry to begin sailing in the first place. News also broke that Hong Kong has brought in a raft of restrictions including a ban on cruising for the next two weeks, resulting in the suspension of planned cruises onboard Spectrum of the Seas and World Dream. In the US, according to the CDC, all 92 cruise ships that are operating in the region with passengers onboard have, through their regular screening and testing, identified positive cases. Despite this, most cruise lines have continued to operate their scheduled voyages, skipping ports if and when necessary but otherwise continuing with their journeys. By all accounts, the majority of passengers know what they’re doing by booking a cruise and for the most part are enjoying their time onboard. In many ways it feels like the new year has sent us back in time, and looking around the world it’s obvious that there is a lot of confusion about where to go from here. Specifically in Australia, we have done what was asked of us, we are a heavily vaccinated population now moving into the booster shot stage. At what point are people allowed to accept the risks of cruising or any other travel or activity for themselves and get on with life? Unfortunately I believe it’s the answer to that question that will determine when cruising is allowed to return to our shores. Thanks for watching and see you soon!