CLIA and ASTA respond to CDC elevated warning level for cruise travel

(Updated: January 5, 2022)

ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby released a statement today, calling the CDC guidance to avoid cruising a “knee-jerk reaction”. In his statement, he said "If the average cruise ship were a U.S. state, it would be the safest in the country – by far." Read his full statement here:

 

CLIA Statement Regarding CDC Elevating to Level 4 Warning Against Cruise Travel (30 December 2021):

The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard—far fewer than on land—and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore. 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.

While we are disappointed and disagree with the decision to single out the cruise industry—an industry that continues to go above and beyond compared to other sectors—CLIA and our ocean-going cruise line members remain committed to working collaboratively with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety.