CDC lowers cruise ship advisory to Level 2
The new advisory now recommends that cruise ship passengers get fully vaccinated before departure, and unvaccinated passengers should continue to avoid cruising entirely
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has further downloaded its Covid health risk advisory for cruise ships to Level 2 – Moderate Risk.
Under the new recommendations, the CDC advises that travellers get fully vaccinated before departure, arguing that it is ‘still the best way to protect yourself from severe disease, slow the spread of Covid-19, and reduce the number of new variants’.
The agency also stated that ‘cruise travel should be avoided for those who are not up to date with Covid-19 vaccines and are at increased risk for severe illness from Covid-19.’
Travellers were also warned that ‘the level may change as the Covid-19 pandemic evolves’ and might be different by the time of the cruise.
It comes less than a month after the CDC downgraded its health advisory to a Level 3 health notice, and reflects a decline in US Covid cases since the last peak in mid-January.
CDC guidelines for cruise ship operators are now voluntary following the expiry of the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order on 15 January.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor for Voyageur Group, joining in 2021. He writes for both ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision and air medical transportation. He also serves as Title Editor of the Assistance & Repatriation Reviews. Oliver holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University, as well as a BA in English with Creative Writing from Falmouth University.