Cruise Lines International Halts All U.S. Cruises Through End of Year

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a statement on cruising the other day, it was met with tentative nods of approval by the industry.

It appeared that cruises would be able to take place in U.S. waters this year under certain conditions. But now Cruise Lines International Association says that's not the case.

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CLIA on Tuesday said its members have extended their voluntary suspension of cruise operations in the U.S. through December 31, 2020

CLIA additionally stated that its member cruise companies will use the rest of this year to get ready to implement new health and safety measures with help from the CDC and public health authorities.

"As we continue to plan for a gradual and highly controlled return of cruise operations in the U.S., CLIA members are committed to implementing stringent measures to address COVID-19 safety, including 100% testing of passengers and crew, expanded onboard medical capabilities and trial sailings, among many others," CLIA said in a statement.

"We share a common goal with the CDC to protect public health, which has been affirmed and reaffirmed consistently throughout the industry's response to the global pandemic. As we work to operationalize a path forward, our members have agreed to extend our existing suspension of U.S. operations through December 31.

"This action will provide additional time to align the industry's extensive preparation of health protocols with the implementation requirements under the CDC's Framework for Conditional Sailing and Initial Phase COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Protection of Crew," CLIA said.

"We recognize the devastating impact that the pandemic continues to have on the 421,000 Americans whose livelihoods are connected directly to cruise operations. We will work with urgency to advance a responsible return to cruising while maintaining a focus on effective, science-based measures to protect public health.

"When the CDC lifted its No-Sail Order last week, there was hope that lines might restart operations in December.However, the new protocols are proving highly complex, and cruise lines are taking their time to understand the detail and consider how they'd implement the finer points before committing to a restart."

CLIA represents 95% of ocean-going cruise capacity around the world.