Health & Fitness
Cruise Lines Cancel Cruises For 30 Days Due To Coronavirus Fears
More than 50 cruise lines have suspended operations to and from U.S. ports for 30 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.
TAMPA, FL — Just as the peak season for cruise trips gets underway, more than 50 cruise lines have suspended operations to and from U.S. ports for 30 days due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, the trade organization for the global cruise industry.
“CLIA cruise line members are voluntarily and temporarily suspending operations from the U.S. as we work to address this public health crisis,” said Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of the association. “This is an unprecedented situation. Our industry has taken responsibility for protecting public health for more than 50 years, working under the guidance of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and prides itself on its ability to deliver exceptional vacation experiences for guests, as well as meaningful employment opportunities for crew. This has been a challenging time, but we hope that this decision will enable us to focus on the future and a return to normal as soon as possible.”
Port Tampa Bay, the largest port in Florida, issued a statement supporting the decision of the cruise lines, saying, "The decision was made in the interest of public safety."
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Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International sail to and from Port Tampa Bay.
"Guests who are booked on cruise itineraries which will be impacted by this decision are encouraged to contact their travel advisers or reach out to their cruise lines directly," said the Tampa Port Authority in a news release.
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Florida has more ports with cruise line terminals than any other state. More than 1,200 cruises depart from Port Tampa Bay, PortMiami, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and Port of Jacksonville each year, including the world's three largest cruise lines: Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.
According to CLIA, the cruise industry contributes $53 billion to the U.S. economy each year and supports 421,000 American jobs.
In Florida, the cruise industry contributed $9 billion to Florida’s economy, up 6.4 percent from 2016. Florida is the No. 1 state in the country for cruises, generating 154,646 jobs and $7.69 billion in wages, according to a 2018 study by CLIA.
About 60 percent of North America's 14.2 million passengers in 2018, the last year a study was done, board through PortMiami, nicknamed Cruise Capital of the World, and Port Everglades.
Carnival, the world's largest cruise line, said it will pause operations for a month, effective immediately, canceling cruises from March 14 to April 10 across its North American fleet of ships. All ships currently at sea will continue their itineraries and return to their home ports as scheduled, according to the company’s news release.
Although Carnival has not had a diagnosed case of coronavirus aboard its fleet, its sister cruise line, Princess Cruises, had two ships quarantined with multiple travelers diagnosed.
"We realize this situation is bigger than the cruise industry and we will continue to do our part to support public officials to manage and contain this unprecedented public health challenge," said Carnival Cruises.
Norwegian said it has suspended all voyages of its Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands embarking between March 13 and April 10.
"As I have said many times before, the health, safety and well-being of our guests and crew is our highest priority," said Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Harry Sommer. "While we have not had any confirmed cases across our 17-ship fleet and are taking this measure in an abundance of caution, we felt it necessary to do our part. Working closely and in partnership with local, state, federal and global agencies, we are committed to taking all appropriate steps and actions to combat the spread of COVID-19."
As of midnight Friday, Royal Caribbean has canceled departures from United States ports for 30 days. Cruise ships that have already sailed will continue their scheduled itineraries.
“We are reaching out to our guests to help them work through this disruption to their vacations, and we are truly sorry for their inconvenience,” Royal Caribbean said in a news release. “We are also communicating with our crew to work out the issues this decision presents for them. We know this adds great stress to our guests, employees and crew, and we are working to minimize the disruption.”
Among the Florida cruise lines following their example are Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, Disney,Princess, MSC Cruises, Viking and Holland America.
“We do not take this decision lightly, and we want the traveling public to know in no uncertain terms the commitment of this industry to putting people first," said Adam Goldstein, CLIA global chairman. "During this time, we will continue to work with the CDC and others to prepare for resumption of sailings when it is appropriate. We know the travel industry is a huge economic engine for the United States and when our ships once again sail, our industry will be a significant contributor to fueling the economic recovery.”
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