JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel health notice Thursday recommending people avoid cruise ships, no matter their COVID-19 vaccination status.
The agency is currently investigating more than 90 cruise ships as a result of what it deems "Yellow Ship Status" or COVID-19 outbreaks.
“We always look at every option to keep America safe," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's Chief Medical Advisor, in an interview with ABC News.
According to the CDC, cruise lines reported 5,013 coronavirus cases on ships operating in U.S. waters between Dec. 15 and Dec. 29, a major increase from the 162 cases reported over the previous two weeks.
Scott Lara, a Jacksonville travel agent who markets himself as the 'Cruise Genius', says the new recommendation to avoid cruising is no surprise.
“The word 'outbreaks' that the CDC is using is very misleading," Lara explained. "It's making it sound much worse than it is, when you look at less than 3% of people on cruise ships are getting COVID. It is a very, very low number. It's lower than on land.“
The agency says people are in close quarters and the chance of getting coronavirus on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot.
Cruise Lines International Association sent First Coast News an email in response to the CDC elevating to Level 4 warning against cruise travel.
The statement says in part:
“No setting can be immune from this virus—however, it is also the case that cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land.”
Lara is confident that cruising in Jacksonville will resume before spring break as scheduled.
“The Carnival Ecstasy is our cruise ship out of Jacksonville, it will be resuming in March," he said. "The cruise lines and the CDC are working closely together to make sure cruising remains safe.“
With the current surge of the Omicron variant, Lara’s number one tip for cruisers is to book travel insurance for peace of mind.
If traveling on a cruise ship, the CDC recommends wearing a mask while on board and getting tested three to five days after your trip.
If you do have a trip booked from now through Jan. 14, Carnival Cruise Line tells First Coast News it reached out to you with options if you feel this is not the right time to sail.
The following is the full statement from Cruise Lines International Association:
"The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard—far fewer than on land—and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore. No setting can be immune from this virus—however, it is also the case that cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land."
"While we are disappointed and disagree with the decision to single out the cruise industry—an industry that continues to go above and beyond compared to other sectors—CLIA and our ocean-going cruise line members remain committed to working collaboratively with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety."