Let’s require vaccinations and get cruising again
Today, more people are unemployed in the travel and hospitality industry than any other sector in the U.S. economy. That’s more than two million Americans still out of work since the pandemic started. It’s nearly 20% of our total national unemployment.
The good news is that there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel.
As a result of high-quality vaccines developed by some of America’s most ingenious companies and approved by the Federal Drug Administration, as well as the dedicated leadership of the Biden administration to rapidly accelerate vaccine distribution, the number of vaccinated Americans continues to rise rapidly. In fact, the U.S. vaccination rate is nearly five times faster than the world average.
All of these are positive signs that our country is poised to reopen businesses and travel again. We’ve already seen the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduce restrictions for vaccinated Americans who want to travel via road, rail or air. In addition, on April 19, the CDC said vaccines are working as intended and that so far, out of more than 84 million people who were fully vaccinated, less than 6,000 breakthrough cases have been reported. This means the probability of getting COVID-19 after being vaccinated is 0.007%, which is almost identical to the odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime.
We share the CDC’s view that vaccinations are the primary vehicle for Americans to get back to their everyday lives while containing the spread of the virus. We have worked tirelessly to ensure that our resumption of cruise operations is guided by science and prioritizes the health and safety of our passengers, crew and the communities we visit. Most importantly, because our return to service plan mandates that the entire population onboard our vessels be vaccinated, our plan significantly reduces the risk of outbreaks and severe COVID-19 cases. Mandatory vaccinations will be combined with our multi-layered, science-backed health and safety protocols, including universal testing, contactless food service, upgraded air filtration systems and enhanced medical facilities. These protocols were developed under the guidance of some of our nation’s top public health and scientific experts.
We have absolute confidence that our ships will be ready to safely operate this summer as our health and safety protocols far exceed anything that the CDC is currently requiring of other industries. With our vessels safely back in operation, we will restore hundreds of thousands of American jobs and generate billions of dollars in revenue in communities across Florida, California, Texas, New York, Alaska, Washington and Georgia, among other states. The cruise industry usually employs more than 420,000 Americans, many of whom are still out of work but desperately ready to return safely.
To make these jobs and economic activity a reality, we need help. We’re committing to requiring vaccinations for all guests and crew and we are working hard with CDC staff to safely reopen the industry. All we need is for senior leadership at the CDC and the Biden administration to work with us and the rest of the cruise industry to finalize an updated, science-based agreement that allows us to safely reopen.
Our primary responsibility will always be the safety and welfare of our guests and crew. Recognizing our shared responsibility to health and safety standards — by exceeding the mandated safety requirements set for other dining, entertainment, travel and tourism enterprises — we embrace these guidelines and view them as opportunities to strengthen public health measures and restore public confidence in our industry.
By working together and making decisions based upon sound science and best practices, we will jump-start our nation’s beleaguered economy, safely put hundreds of thousands of people back to work, revitalize communities along our coasts and gulf, and allow millions of Americans to enjoy vacationing again.