For the first time during the pandemic, cruising is back in the US. American Cruise Lines’ Independence sailed last March 13 from Amelia Island Jacksonville, Florida. It’s an 8-day cruise with 100 passengers scheduled to arrive in Charleston.
Another American Cruise Lines ship, the American Jazz is sailing on March 21 from New Orleans to Memphis.
On March 15, American Queen Steamboat Company’s American Duchess is also going to sail. It is sailing from New Orleans to Memphis. In addition to this, American Countess is also good to go this month. It is taking passengers from Memphis to New Orleans on March 28.
Fewer Than 250 People
Cruise companies are back since these ships only accommodate less than 250 people. This makes it possible for ships to meet the protocols set by the CDC. Aside from reduced capacity, there are also health protocols in place. Companies are requiring negative COVID19 test results for the passengers.
We can expect more US-based cruise companies to restart operations from April onwards. American Cruise Lines is expected to operate in Alaska and New England. This is going to be the most likely scenario since Canada banned cruising in its territory.
March 13 marked the first year since CDC issued its no-sail order. The no-sail order ended in October 2020. Despite the COVID19 vaccine rollout, we can still consider the cruise industry in limbo. Though we are slowly seeing US ships sail again despite with lower number of passengers, the majority of cruise lines worldwide still stopped their operations. In Europe, the second wave of COVID19 forced officials to cancel voyages.
There were also questions regarding the reliability of the COVID19 tests. 7 of the 112 passengers of the SeaDream 1 cruise tested positive for COVID19 while on board.
According to Roger Frizzell, spokesman for Carnival Corporations, they don’t have dates in the US yet. He also said that the cruise company will be taking a “staggered approach” when it comes to returning their operations. Frizell mentioned that they are still waiting for the “technical specifications from the CDC”.
