Battle lines drawn to restart cruises
THE battle lines are being drawn in the debate to accelerate the restart of cruises from American ports. The industry is continuing its lobbying efforts and pushing the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention for action while US senators and representatives are introducing legislation, but in a surprise move, other senators are now calling on the CDC to maintain its position not risking a new health crisis.
CNBC is reporting that executives of the major cruise lines met earlier this week with the CDC and White House officials overseeing the COVID-19 response again asking the CDC to provide specific steps and a timeline to restart cruises from US ports.
According to CNBC, the executives were promoting the idea that cruise ships, similar to the efforts emerging in the UK and elsewhere, would require passengers to be fully vaccinated and that they would test everyone before and after the cruise for COVID-19.
A spokesperson for the industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association confirmed the meeting to CNBC.
They reported that the industry believed that the new administration was listening to their point of view, and they were confident that positive steps were being taken.
This came as the US senators representing Florida and Alaska proposed an act to restore summer cruise operations.
Their act would force the CDC to provide direction and repeal its current conditional order that has been preventing the cruise industry from moving forward with sailings from US ports.
A representative from Florida announced cosponsorship of the act in the US House of Representatives and late in the week a representative from Alabama became a co-sponsor.