Three cruise experts – Travel Weekly news editor Johanna Jainchill, The Points Guy senior reporter Gene Sloan and Cruise Critic editor in chief Colleen McDaniel -- discuss some of the details of the CDC’s cruising framework, how cruise lines might approach safety protocols and when we might expect to see the first cruises depart from the U.S. 

NOTE: This episode was recorded on Nov. 5, two days before Sloan began a cruise on SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream I, his first cruise since the pandemic began and SeaDream’s first in the Caribbean after cruising in Europe during the summer. (The ship was able to sail both because it departed from Barbados, which falls outside of the CDC’s jurisdiction, and because it carries a maximum of 112 passengers, too small to be included in the Conditional Sailing Order requirements.) A few days ago, a Covid case was confirmed onboard, and the ship has returned to Barbados for testing and quarantine.   

FURTHER READING

Cruise restart pushed to February? Timing's not a surprise to some: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Cruise-restart-at-least-three-months-away 

The No Sail Order is lifted, but a cruise restart will take time: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/CDC-ban-lifted-but-cruise-restart-will-take-time 

Public support for cruising's return was overwhelming, CDC says: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Public-support-for-cruisings-return-was-overwhelming-CDC-says 

More passengers test positive for COVID on Caribbean cruise ship: https://thepointsguy.com/news/more-passengers-test-positive-for-covid-on-caribbean-cruise-ship/ 

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