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What’s it like to go on a cruise now? Here’s how COVID changed the onboard experience

Cruise passengers will see a lot of changes on the ship due to the pandemic.

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The cruise industry suffered its biggest financial blow in decades when the COVID-19 pandemic halted most sailings for months and made nervous cruise fans think twice about booking an ocean voyage.

But cruising is back and all signs point to a turn of the tide for the industry: More cruises are scheduled to depart the Port of Los Angeles next year than in 2019.

Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise company, reported that bookings for the second half of 2022 already surpassed bookings for 2019. Royal Caribbean cruises for 2022 are nearly at 2019 levels, the company’s chief financial officer, Jason Liberty, said on a recent earnings call.

Despite the shutdown, the world’s cruise lines have more than 100 new ships on order to set sail by 2027. The Majestic Princess, a ship designed to serve the Chinese market, made its maiden call from the Port of L.A. on Oct. 6. Some 200 cruises are scheduled to depart from there in 2022, up from 120 in 2019.

What are cruise lines requiring of passengers? How have boarding, dining and other activities on board changed? We gathered some information to answer common questions.

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Nov. 3, 2021

Do I have to be vaccinated to go on a cruise?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all passengers be fully vaccinated before boarding a cruise ship. The world’s largest cruise companies now require passengers leaving U.S. ports to be fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions. Vaccines are required for passengers on Carnival , Princess , Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise lines.

You will usually be required to show proof of vaccination at the terminal before boarding. Some cruise lines will also require passengers — whether vaccinated or not — to show proof of a COVID-19 test taken within two days of boarding a vessel. Check the requirements and protocols of your particular cruise.

Do I have to wear a mask at all times on the ship?

Passengers are strongly encouraged to wear masks in public spaces and are required to do so in such indoor areas as elevators, stores, casinos and dining halls, except when eating or drinking. You typically won’t be required to wear masks around the pool and hot tubs, but deck chairs are spaced farther apart than in the past to maintain physical distance.

What about shore visits and excursions?

To go onshore, you must meet the health protocols of the country the ship visits. The government of the Bahamas, for example, recently announced that all cruise visitors must be fully vaccinated, with the exception of travelers under age 12 and those with medical exemptions.

On some ships, such as Carnival Cruises, unvaccinated passengers are not allowed to go onshore except with a pre-booked “bubble tour,” in which passengers travel with friends and family in a controlled environment. On other cruise lines, such as Holland America, shore excursions managed by the ship are strongly encouraged.

Are ships sailing at full capacity?

Most ships are sailing at less than full capacity, partly to encourage physical distancing. The Majestic Princess left on its maiden voyage from the Port of Los Angeles at about 60% capacity. The cruise lines plan to increase capacity over the next few months.

Have any activities been eliminated because of COVID-19?

You won’t be lining up at the buffet for meals. Most self-serve buffets have been modified so that employees serve passengers to avoid unnecessary crowding. Indoor dancing, karaoke and nightclubs are no longer allowed on many ships, including the Majestic Princess, which converted its karaoke area into extra room for spa treatments. On some ships, passengers won’t be allowed to try on clothing for sale. Physical distancing is encouraged for all activities.

Will I need to make reservations for dining and other onboard activities?

To manage capacity and physical distancing, many onboard restaurants recommend reservations and will limit groups at dining tables to eight. On Princess Cruises, reservations can be made through the MedallionClass app. On Celebrity Cruises, reservations can be made on the Celebrity Cruises App.

What else do I need to know?

You won’t be required to assemble at a designated spot on the ship to hear the pre-departure safety instruction, also known as the “safety muster drill.” Instead, passengers can watch parts of the safety drill on their stateroom televisions or on a cruise ship app.

Spas and gyms remain open, but some cruise lines limit them to vaccinated guests. Hand sanitizer stations can be found throughout the ships.

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Hugo Martín is an assistant editor on the Fast Break Desk, the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news team. He has been a journalist with the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years, covering politics, transportation, travel, business and the outdoors. A native Californian, Martín was part of the Metro staff that won Pulitzer Prizes in 1993, 1995 and 1998. He is an avid outdoorsman, a proud father and die-hard Lakers fan.

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A cruise ship returns to Miami with 48 coronavirus cases.

The Royal Caribbean International ship, carrying more than 6,000 people, made stops that included St. Maarten and St. Thomas before returning to Miami on Saturday.

By Johnny Diaz

• Dec. 20, 2021

Dozens of passengers and crew members aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship tested positive for the coronavirus last week, according to the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean International said in a statement that the ship, the Symphony of the Seas, was carrying more than 6,000 guests and crew members when 48 people onboard tested positive.

The ship departed on Dec. 11 for a seven-night Caribbean cruise and returned to port in Miami on Saturday, the company said.

The cases were identified because of contact tracing after a guest tested positive, the cruise line said.

“Each person quickly went into quarantine,” the statement said. “Everyone who tested positive was asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and we continuously monitored their health.”

The cruise line said that the ship sailed with 95 percent of its guests aboard fully vaccinated and that 98 percent of the people who tested positive were fully vaccinated. It was not immediately clear whether any of the people who tested positive had received a booster shot of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Royal Caribbean requires travelers 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and test negative before boarding the ship. Children who are not yet vaccinated must provide a negative P.C.R. test result before sailing and test negative at the terminal before boarding.

The company said that all its crew members were full vaccinated against Covid-19 and were tested weekly.

During the early days of the pandemic in 2020, outbreaks on cruise ships sickened hundreds of people and upended the tourism industry, as officials and companies struggled to keep crews and passengers safe.

For months , cruise ships were barred from sailing to many ports. Even after vaccinations became more widely available in the United States in April, allowing much of the travel industry to ramp up again, cruise ships remained docked in ports, costing the industry billions of dollars each month.

The cruise industry rebounded in the summer, with many companies reporting an increase in bookings and a better handle on Covid-19 protocols.

But a recent spike in coronavirus cases in parts of the United States and Europe and growing concerns over the Omicron variant may hinder that momentum .

This month, at least 17 coronavirus cases were identified on a Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship that docked in New Orleans, including a case of the new Omicron variant.

Johnny Diaz is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news. He previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Boston Globe. More about Johnny Diaz

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• CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

How cruise lines are adapting to COVID-19 in the age of Omicron

The pandemic keeps disrupting the cruise industry. Here’s how to navigate if you plan to set sail.

The pandemic is upending the cruise industry once again.

In late December, just six months after cruise ships resumed sailing from United States ports, onboard cases of COVID-19 began to skyrocket—rising from 162 in the first two weeks of the month to 5,000 in the latter half of the month. As U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky recently told lawmakers , it was about a 30-fold increase.

In the weeks that followed, the CDC warned travelers to avoid cruises even if they’re fully vaccinated . There has been a flurry of cancellations, including several Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line sailings , because of crew members calling in sick and destinations closing their ports to cruises. The ships that do set sail have had to tighten their COVID-19 protocols—which include vaccine mandates, testing, and masking—and make last-minute itinerary changes.

Further complicating matters, the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order—a framework of mandatory safety procedures for foreign-flagged ships in U.S. waters—expired on January 15. Following that guidance will now be optional for cruise ships, meaning they will be able to chart their own safety course.

For people who planned their trips months or even years before Omicron’s arrival, these rapidly changing circumstances have proven almost impossible to navigate around.

“People traveling at all right now have to be very flexible,” says Chris Gray Faust, managing editor of online industry publication Cruise Critic . “Dig into what your cruise line is requiring. What was the policy a month ago may not be the policy today.”

So how can travelers make sense of it all? Here’s what experts say.

How are COVID-19 protocols changing?

Eager to shed their early pandemic reputation as floating disease carriers, cruise lines worked with the CDC to institute fairly rigorous onboard COVID-19 protocols—the agency’s condition for allowing ships to sail from U.S. ports again. The CDC laid out guidance for testing crew and passengers and how to deal with outbreaks. Most cruise lines also instituted vaccine mandates.

( These photos show the surreal world of cruising during the pandemic’s height .)

Not much will change for the ships that participate in the CDC’s new voluntary program. They will still report COVID-19 data to the agency daily and follow specific testing regimes for passengers and crew. Cruise lines won’t get to choose which protocols to follow either, says Captain Aimee Treffiletti, head of the CDC’s maritime unit. If they choose to participate, they must agree to everything.

Norwegian Cruise Line has already indicated that it will join the CDC program. Brian Salerno, senior vice president of global maritime policy for the Cruise Lines International Association , expects many cruise lines will ultimately take part. He argues that cruise lines have often gone beyond CDC requirements—installing air purification technology or even onboard PCR testing laboratories —and aren’t likely to start slacking now.

“It’s a business imperative to do this right,” Salerno says. “Nobody’s going to relax during Omicron.”

It’s also a matter of public image. The CDC plans to continue issuing each ship a color-coded status that anyone can access to check transmission at any given time. Ships that are shaded green have no reported cases of COVID-19, while those that are shaded red are under CDC investigation. Cruise lines that aren’t part of the voluntary program will be shaded gray. Those ships may have their own health and safety protocols, but they haven’t been reviewed by the CDC.

“Nobody wants to be gray,” Salerno says. “Obviously everybody wants to be green.”

But with Omicron cases soaring, why is the CDC loosening its grip on the cruise industry? Treffiletti says the agency is confident that it has identified the best practices for mitigating transmission aboard a cruise ship—which she emphasizes was done in partnership with cruise lines. Now, she says, the CDC has decided to flex its regulatory authority “on a case-by-case basis rather than shutting down all the cruise ships at once.”

The CDC will still be able to board any ship in U.S. waters and conduct inspections, she points out. Ships that aren’t participating in the voluntary program will also have to report every case of COVID-19—just not every day—and will still be subject to the agency’s order requiring masks on public transportation .

How do the vaccine mandates work?

Most cruise lines currently require all passengers, including eligible children, to be fully vaccinated (meaning two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, one dose of Johnson & Johnson, or a WHO-approved equivalent). Salerno says the vaccination rates aboard cruise ships right now are close to 95 percent for passengers and crew members.

Some companies do accommodate children who haven’t gotten a jab: Royal Caribbean and Carnival, for example, require all guests older than 12 to be vaccinated , while younger passengers can board with a negative test. Disney Cruise Lines requires everyone over the age of five to be vaccinated. (The Walt Disney Company is the majority owner of National Geographic Partners.)

Cruise lines also align their vaccination policies with those of their destinations. So even though the United Kingdom considers children fully vaccinated after just one dose of an mRNA vaccine, a ship that sets sail to the Caribbean may only allow children who have had two doses.

Meanwhile, as Omicron spreads, some cruise lines have begun to require booster shots. Beginning February 1, Viking will require anyone who is eligible for a booster dose to get it at least 14 days before setting sail from the U.S. In addition, the CDC recently emphasized that being “up to date” on vaccines includes a booster dose.

Omicron is even more transmissible than the Delta variant—and better at evading vaccine immunity. But while the vaccines are no longer as effective at preventing you from getting infected, they are still the best protection, says Kathryn Willebrand, an epidemiologist who recently co-authored a study of COVID-19 transmission aboard cruise ships with infectious disease physician Lauren Pischel.

Willebrand points out that vaccines are still effective at preventing severe illness—which is especially important when you’re in the middle of the ocean on a boat whose medical staff might be overwhelmed or sick themselves. “You don’t want to need medical care when you’re far from home,” she says.

( Can booster shots protect you from Omicron? )

How often will you be tested?

Cruise lines have been requiring passengers and crew to test before boarding a ship, although specific requirements differ. Some only accept PCR tests, while others will accept the results of a rapid antigen test—in some cases only if the test is overseen by a health professional . And while some companies require you to get tested before you leave home, others administer tests at the terminal prior to boarding .

Crew members are generally subjected to routine testing throughout the voyage because they’re particularly vulnerable to infection. They spend more time on the ship, in closer quarters, and tend to have more interaction with others. But passengers might be required to test before any shore excursion if the port of call requires it, or if they develop symptoms during the trip.

If you don’t have any symptoms, you generally don’t have to be tested before disembarking the ship. Instead, Treffiletti and the CDC recommend getting tested five days after your trip. However, Gray Faust cautions that if you’re flying internationally, your final destination may require a negative test—or the cruise line may administer tests to everyone if there’s a particularly bad COVID-19 outbreak on board.

( 5 things to know about COVID-19 tests in the age of Omicron .)

What happens if there’s an outbreak?

Still, COVID-19 has proven adept at slipping past these protocols, particularly in the time of Omicron. Since COVID-19 is airborne and cruise ships are enclosed environments, the boats are higher risk environments for transmission, says Willebrand. Thousands of people pass through dining rooms, casinos, and other areas where virus particles may be hanging in the air.

Under the CDC guidance , cruise lines are supposed to educate both crew and passengers to identify and report COVID-19 symptoms. If someone onboard develops symptoms, they are tested and isolated until the results come back or until they’re no longer infectious. Those who are still infectious at the end of a journey are typically required to quarantine on shore—and Treffiletti says the CDC can work with cruise lines to facilitate that.

Since passengers are vaccinated, however, close contacts don’t necessarily have to quarantine unless they begin to develop symptoms. Gray Faust says cruise lines have been successful at contact tracing to notify those close contacts for the same reason that cruise ships are so vulnerable to transmission—they are closed communities.

“If you go to a restaurant and the person next to you is sick, you won’t know that,” Gray Faust says. “But on a ship, they do go back and find people. That is something that the cruise ships have developed that really is beyond what other types of travel have done.”

All of this relies on the honor system. Much as we’ve seen on land, there’s always the risk that your fellow seafarers may refuse to comply with mask mandates or hide their symptoms from crew to avoid quarantine. Cruise lines have the power to ask those passengers to disembark and travel home at their own expense.

Still, those rules aren’t always enforced—which is why experts say that the decision to set sail ultimately comes down to your own risk tolerance.

( Here’s what you need to know about traveling during Omicron . )

What can you do to ensure a smoother trip?

Although the CDC recommends that people avoid cruises, Treffiletti says that there are some things you can do to help mitigate your risk if you do decide to travel.

For one, before setting sail, check the color-coded chart on the CDC website to see if your ship is participating in the agency’s voluntary COVID-19 program. If so, you’ll be able to see whether there are any outbreaks on board. If things look grim, most cruise lines have implemented fairly flexible rebooking and cancellation policies.

If you’re just booking now, research the protocols of each cruise line to see if they align with your own comfort level. Gray Faust recommends purchasing trip delay and COVID-19 insurance—an extra cost that will be worth it if you get infected and can’t board your ship.

Gray Faust says your packing list should also account for uncertainties. She recommends packing extra clothing and medication in case you are quarantined at any point. If you can snag them, toss in some extra KN95 masks and rapid antigen tests, too.

But most of all, Gray Faust says cruisers need to go into a trip accepting that there will be health protocols in place—which might change as conditions worsen or improve—and that they’re there to keep you safe.

“You need to be OK with that,” she says. “You can still have a great trip. But you’re protecting yourself and other people by wearing masks and by getting your vaccines.”

National Geographic Expeditions and Adventures by Disney offer cruise departures to many destinations around the world. The Walt Disney Company is the majority owner of National Geographic Partners.

Amy McKeever is a senior writer and editor at National Geographic. You can find her on Twitter .

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• CORONAVIRUS
• PUBLIC HEALTH
• CRUISE SHIPS

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Over a dozen COVID cases were found on a cruise ship that just docked in New Orleans

Rachel Treisman

Norwegian Cruise Lines confirmed 10 cases among Norwegian Breakaway passengers and crew members on Saturday, and then seven more on Sunday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

Norwegian Cruise Lines confirmed 10 cases among Norwegian Breakaway passengers and crew members on Saturday, and then seven more on Sunday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

At least 17 people have tested positive for COVID-19 — including one probable case of the omicron variant — on a cruise ship that disembarked in New Orleans over the weekend.

Norwegian Cruise Lines confirmed 10 cases among its passengers and crew members on Saturday and then seven more on Sunday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health . The cruise line confirmed in a statement that it had identified a "handful" of cases onboard the Norwegian Breakaway and said all of them are asymptomatic.

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"One of those cases, which was a South African crew member who was in isolation for the entirety of the cruise, is suspected to have the COVID-19 Omicron variant," a Norwegian Cruise Lines spokesperson said in an email to NPR.

State health officials had previously said that the crew member with the probable omicron case was not a Louisiana resident and did not leave the ship.

There were more than 3,200 people on board, according to the state health department. The ship departed from New Orleans on Nov. 28 and stopped in Belize, Honduras and Mexico before disembarking on Sunday.

Both Norwegian Cruise Lines and the Port of New Orleans said the cruise line requires all guests and crew members to be fully vaccinated, with on-site testing and proof of vaccination needed in order for people to board.

Coronavirus Updates

A judge oks cruise lines' covid vaccination requirement for passengers in florida.

The company says it has implemented quarantine, isolation and contact tracing protocols for the identified cases and is testing everyone on board before they disembark.

People who test positive will either travel by personal vehicle directly to their personal residence or self-isolate in accommodations provided by the company.

The Buffet Can Stay: What The Future Of The Cruise Line Industry Looks Like

"We take this matter extremely seriously and will continue to work closely with the CDC, the office of Governor John Bel Edwards, the Louisiana Department of Health as well as the city and port of New Orleans," it said.

The company added that there are currently no changes to scheduled future sailings on the Norwegian Breakaway. It told NPR that it's giving all guests sailing the Dec. 5 voyage an opportunity to cancel without penalty "in an abundance of caution and in compliance with CDC requirements."

Separately, Louisiana also confirmed its first case of the omicron variant on Sunday, which officials stressed was unrelated to the cruise.

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog .

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Have Fun. Be Safe.

• Have Fun. Be Safe. Guidelines

Cruising with Carnival is easy! Vaccines and testing are not required for most U.S. and European departures.*

Guests sailing to and from Australia must visit the Australia Have Fun. Be Safe. page for protocols specific to those cruises.

VACCINATION & TESTING

Although vaccines are not required, we encourage all guests, 5 years of age and older, to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, when eligible, and carry proof of vaccination. Testing is not required for either vaccinated or unvaccinated guests. However, we encourage all guests, 5 years and older, to take a pre-cruise COVID-19 test within three days of their cruise.

*Carnival Luminosa - 9/14/2023: This Carnival Journeys Transpacific voyage will be calling on certain destinations (including Australia) which are still observing COVID-19 protocols. Below are more details regarding vaccination and testing requirements for this voyage:

• Guests, aged 12 years and older, must be fully vaccinated to sail. Additionally, we strongly recommend that guests get a booster, if eligible.
• All guests, aged two years and above, regardless of vaccination status, are required to take a self-administered Rapid-Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours of boarding or a PCR test within 48 hours prior to boarding. Evidence of a negative result is required to cruise.
• Vaccine exemptions are required for guests, aged 12 years and older, with medical conditions preventing vaccination. If you, or a member of your party, meet the criteria for a vaccine exemption, you may apply here .
• Full details regarding vaccination and testing requirements and FAQs are available on the Australia Have Fun. Be Safe. page .

DESTINATION REQUIREMENTS

We will continue to monitor the protocols and requirements of the destinations we visit and will update our guests directly and this page of any changes.

Have questions? Check out our Have Fun. Be Safe. FAQs for all sailings, except Carnival Luminosa’s 09/14/2023 voyage.

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Grand Princess cruise ship hit by double Covid and gastro outbreaks docks in Adelaide

South Australia Health says infections now back to normal levels ‘you would expect on any cruise ship’

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A double outbreak of Covid-19 and gastroenteritis on a cruise ship has been declared over after it docked in Adelaide and passengers disembarked on Monday morning.

South Australia Health said the remaining cases on the Grand Princess cruise ship, operated by Princess Cruises, were “consistent with numbers you would expect on any cruise ship”.

Princess Cruises said there was no current double outbreak on the ship, which had a capacity for 2,600 passengers and 1,150 crew members and was on a four day round trip from Adelaide to Melbourne. A spokesperson said the number of unwell guests with symptoms was in the “single digits”.

The spokesperson said on a previous trip, which was a 14 day round trip from Melbourne to Queensland, a number of people had symptoms of a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness.

“While most guests were unaffected by illness on that voyage, we proactively launched a comprehensive disinfection program, developed in coordination with international health authorities to prevent further spread,” they said.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, said those on board the ship that arrive in Adelaide on Monday and needed urgent care would be transported to hospital facilities in a way that was safe.

“It’s been something we’ve been monitoring pretty closely over the last 48 hours,” Malinauskas told Nine’s Today show on Monday.

“The good news is reports that we’ve got from the cruise operators that the number of cases presenting has actually dramatically decreased over the course of the last couple of days.”

SA Health said in a statement the ship docked in Melbourne on Saturday to undergo a clean and all passengers disembarked while that was undertaken.

Princess Cruises said the ship will again be disinfected in Adelaide on Monday before returning to Melbourne.

Maureen Monk, a passenger aboard the ship, told ABC passengers started reporting feeling unwell on the second day of the cruise. After that, more and more were confined to their rooms.

She said she felt a lack of communication about the outbreaks created an “unsafe environment” for passengers.

It comes amid a new Covid wave in Australia, with 2,493 cases confirmed in South Australia on Friday following 1,700 confirmed cases the previous week. Cases have also risen nationally after a dip following the winter period, according to data from the federal health department.

There have also been warnings over a gastro outbreak in Australia, with cases in the past 12 months more than double the usual number .

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Every U.S. cruise with passengers has coronavirus cases on board

The CDC has opened investigations into 92 ships

Coronavirus cases have been reported on every cruise ship sailing with passengers in U.S. waters.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all 92 ships with passengers have met the threshold for investigation by the public health agency. In every case, the CDC has either started an investigation or has investigated and continues to observe the ship.

The number of ships under investigation had grown sharply in recent days, but it wasn’t until Tuesday’s update, using data submitted by cruise lines Monday, that every ship reached that level.

Last week, the CDC warned all travelers, including those who are vaccinated, to avoid cruise ships. The advice came after the agency said the number of cases skyrocketed from 162 in the first two weeks of December to 5,013 between Dec. 15 and 29.

CDC warns against cruise travel after 5,000 new cases in 2 weeks

“The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose,” the agency cautioned .

Cruise lines are requiring all crew and most, if not all, passengers to be fully vaccinated to sail. Passengers also need proof of a recent negative test before boarding.

In addition to the 92 ships with passengers on board, 18 vessels are in U.S. waters with crew only, according to the CDC. Of those, two have met the threshold for investigation, and three have reported cases but not enough to warrant an investigation. Thirteen crew-only ships have reported no cases, according to the data.

“As part of investigating cruise ships that meet the investigation threshold, CDC will obtain additional information from the cruise ship, such as case exposure histories, details about close contacts, traveler vaccination rates, and medical capacities,” CDC spokeswoman Caitlin Shockey said in an email.

She said the agency would work closely with cruise lines and “consider multiple factors” before moving ships from their current status — yellow — to the more serious red status, in which a ship would return to port right away or delay a sailing. To reach that mark, a ship must have sustained transmission of covid-19 or covid-like illness and the potential for “cases to overwhelm on board medical center resources,” the CDC says .

Cruise passengers on holiday trips deal with outbreaks: ‘We’re sailing on a petri dish’

Since late December, several cruises have been turned away from ports because of passengers or crew on board testing positive. Most have continued on their journeys, even when they were forced to skip the stops they had planned.

On Wednesday, however, Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed it was canceling a nine-day Caribbean voyage on Norwegian Getaway that was scheduled to leave Miami that day. The reason, according to the cruise line: “COVID related circumstances.”

The operator gave the same reason on Tuesday for bringing a ship, Norwegian Pearl, back to Miami after it left for an 11-night Panama Canal trip Monday. According to the Miami Herald , passengers were informed that the trip was ending after an unspecified number of crew tested positive; the company would not provide that number to The Washington Post. The vessel is scheduled to return to Miami on Thursday.

“We will never compromise on health and safety and we will of course, continue to take all appropriate action to ensure everyone’s well-being and to protect public health,” the company said in a statement .

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

Confused about changing COVID-19 rules for cruise ships? Here's everything you need to know

Do you still need a COVID-19 vaccine to board a cruise ship? A negative COVID-19 test? A mask?

Not too many months ago, the answer was "all of the above" for most cruise vessels. But today it's not so straightforward. Some cruise lines have been loosening their COVID-19 rules. Others have been mostly holding fast to policies.

The divergence has come as more countries around the world, including the United States, peel back their COVID-19 rules for cruise ships, leaving it up to individual lines to decide just how strict — or not — they want to be.

The result is that preparing for a cruise has become more confusing than ever.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Don't panic. We're here to help. In the segments below, we look at the COVID-19 policy landscape as it stands right now across the world's biggest cruise lines and try to make sense of it all.

It's a landscape that is likely to continue to change markedly in the coming months. In just the last few weeks, several lines have done away with pre-cruise COVID-19 testing requirements, and the buzz in the cruise world is that more lines soon will follow suit.

Already, mask-wearing rules on ships have mostly disappeared, though not everywhere.

Do I still need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise?

For the most part, yes. With just a few exceptions, cruise lines still require most, if not all, passengers to present proof of a COVID-19 vaccine to board a ship.

Some lines make exceptions for young children and people who can't be vaccinated due to medical conditions or religious beliefs. The world's largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean , for instance, exempts children under the age of 12 from its vaccine requirement on most sailings. So does Carnival Cruise Line , the world's second-largest cruise brand.

This has been the broad policy at nearly all cruise lines since cruises allowing Americans restarted in 2021. In recent weeks, a few cruise lines have relaxed their vaccine rules slightly but not to a great extent.

Adults-only line Virgin Voyages, for instance, on Thursday said it would allow up to 10% of passengers on any given sailing to be unvaccinated for COVID-19. Under its previous policy, all passengers had to be vaccinated. Would-be cruisers who are unvaccinated must contact the line before booking a cruise to ensure one of the limited slots for unvaccinated travelers is available.

Related: Do I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise? A line-by-line guide

Are children required to have a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise?

In many cases, yes. But as noted above, some lines make exceptions to vaccination rules for young children.

Many major cruise lines require anyone who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to be fully inoculated before being allowed to sail.

For cruisers from the U.S., that means anyone 5 years or older must have proof that they've had their shots. Anyone 4 years old or younger is exempt from the vaccination rule. Some lines such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival and MSC Cruises set the cut-off for mandatory vaccines higher at the age of 12.

Passengers under these age cutoffs who aren't vaccinated typically have to present negative COVID-19 test results and submit to mandatory testing at the port on embarkation day to board. In general, the testing requirements for the unvaccinated on ships are more rigorous than the testing requirements for the vaccinated.

Note that some lines require that all passengers boarding ships be vaccinated for COVID-19, no matter their age. This means that young children who are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine by definition cannot sail.

Lines with such a rule include Oceania Cruises , Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours, Silversea Cruises and Windstar Cruises .

Related: Do children need to be vaccinated to cruise? Here's the policies at the biggest lines

Do I need to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding a cruise ship?

It depends. For much of the past year, every major cruise line required passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding a ship. However, a handful of lines in recent weeks, including Virgin Voyages and Norwegian Cruise Line, have dropped pre-cruise testing requirements for at least some sailings, and more lines are expected to follow suit in the coming months.

Virgin Voyages is among the lines that have loosened testing rules the most. On Thursday, it said it would no longer require pre-cruise tests on any sailing in the two markets where it operates: Europe and North America (the new policy takes effect July 24 for sailings in Europe and July 27 for sailings in North America).

Small-ship specialist Azamara, which currently has all its ships in Europe, also dropped testing requirements for all sailings in recent days.

Other lines are taking a more scattershot approach to dropping testing requirements, mostly due to lingering testing rules in some of the countries where they operate.

Norwegian, for instance, recently said it would drop pre-cruise test requirements for most sailings in Europe but not other regions on Aug. 1. An exception will be sailings from Greece, where testing is required by the local government and will continue. Holland America recently waived pre-cruise testing requirements for just one vessel, Rotterdam, on select itineraries out of Amsterdam.

Just remember, no matter what your cruise line's policy is on pre-cruise testing, some countries around the world such as Japan still require a negative COVID-19 test for entry. If you're planning a cruise out of one of these countries and are not already within the country, you'll still need to test negative in advance of the trip even if your cruise line doesn't require a negative test result.

Related: Do I need to take a COVID-19 test before cruising?

Could I still be quarantined on a cruise ship if I test positive for COVID-19 while on board?

Yes. Cruise lines are still quarantining passengers who test positive for COVID-19 while on a ship. Passengers who display COVID-19 symptoms even without testing positive are also being quarantined on some ships. Passengers who are deemed to be "close contacts" of such passengers may also find themselves isolated for a time while they undergo COVID-19 testing.

Some cruise lines still warn passengers in their travel documentation that they could be quarantined on land for a time if they test positive for COVID-19 just before embarkation after flying to a ship. Additionally, passengers may be forced to quarantine on land for a time after disembarking a ship if they test positive while on board.

Related: I got quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19 on a ship; here's what it was like

Is the CDC still setting the rules for cruise ship COVID-19 policies?

No. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued rules that cruise lines had to follow in order to resume cruising in U.S. waters that touched on everything from mask-wearing policies on ships to pre-cruise testing. However, the rules have morphed into non-binding guidelines in several steps over the past year.

The CDC's initial Conditional Sail Order imposing COVID-19-related rules on cruise lines expired in February and was replaced by a set of recommended policies that cruise lines could opt-in or opt-out of following. On July 18, this subsequent optional program was replaced by an even less formal set of recommendations that the agency said cruise lines "should carefully consider."

The bottom line is cruise lines have been free to choose whether they follow CDC recommendations for COVID-19 protocols on ships for many months.

Is the CDC still listing the COVID-19 outbreak status of ships?

No. As of July 18, the CDC stopped posting information on the extent of COVID-19 cases on cruise ships on its website.

Previously the line listed a color status for every cruise ship sailing in U.S. waters — red, yellow or green — on its Program for Cruise Ships website. This color status indicated how widespread COVID-19 was on board. As COVID-19 screening policies have begun to vary more widely from line to line in recent months, making apples-to-apples comparisons between ships has become more difficult, the CDC suggested.

"The previous color-coding system under CDC's COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships depended upon each cruise line having the same COVID-19 screening testing standards, which may now vary among cruise lines," the CDC said Monday in announcing the end to the color-coded status postings. "Therefore, the cruise ship color status webpage has been retired."

Cruise lines are still required to report COVID-19 cases on ships to the CDC. The data just aren't being reported to the public.

Do I need to wear a mask on a cruise ship?

In most cases, no. Mask-wearing requirements were common on cruise ships through much of 2021 and into early 2022 as COVID-19 spread across the globe in several major waves. But most major cruise lines dropped mask mandates earlier this year as COVID-19 cases worldwide dropped significantly.

Where you'll still find mask-wearing rules on ships is a bit hit-or-miss. It often has to do with local laws that require mask-wearing or with cruise line concerns about short-term spikes in COVID-19 cases in specific areas.

In recent months, itineraries where mask-wearing rules on ships have been more common include voyages in the Mediterranean that include stops in Italy (where ports specifically require passengers to wear KN95/FFP2 type masks) and some sailings to Alaska . Mask-wearing inside ships is also required by local regulation on all sailings out of Singapore.

Note that some ports around the world still require mask-wearing in terminals. You might find that you don't need to wear a mask while aboard a cruise ship but must wear one while boarding and disembarking the ship in ports.

Do I need a negative COVID-19 test to get home from a cruise?

The answer to this question depends in part on where your home is. For U.S.-based cruisers returning to the U.S. by plane from a cruise overseas, there is no longer a COVID-19 testing requirement , as of June 12. You also don't need to test negative for COVID-19 to return home to a U.S. address after disembarking a cruise at a U.S. port.

Do I need to worry whether ports on my itinerary have extra COVID-19 requirements?

For the most part, no. Many cruise lines warn in their travel documentation that "guests are ...responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements which may include additional pre-embarkation testing at the terminal," as Norwegian puts it in its documentation.

However, lines will typically tell you in advance if there are specific COVID-19 requirements in ports that could affect your trip.

Generally, if a port on your itinerary requires passengers to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine or a negative COVID-19 test, the line will make that a condition of your sailing. In cases where a negative COVID-19 test is required to enter a certain port or port country, lines will likely test you on board before arriving at that port, often for free.

Note that lines do make clear that it's your responsibility to figure out what COVID-19 vaccine or testing documentation you need to pass through countries by air or land on the way to your cruise.

As Norwegian puts it, the line "recommends for all guests to follow, and where possible, sign up for notifications from their local government on international travel regulations that may prevent, restrict, or require additional documentation when traveling to another country for embarkation or during their cruise."

What onboard COVID safety measures are cruise ships still taking?

As noted above, most cruise lines still require all or most passengers to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Most cruise lines also require all crew on ships to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and on most ships crew also continue to wear masks at all times.

In addition, as noted above, most lines still require passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding ships and crew are regularly tested for COVID-19, too. Passengers and crew who test positive for COVID-19 while on board a vessel are isolated.

In the past two years, cruise lines have made significant investments in sophisticated air filtration systems for cabins and other onboard areas of ships and have increased cleaning and sanitizing efforts on ships. Medical centers on ships have also been upgraded and often are staffed at a higher level than in pre-COVID-19 times.

What can I do to minimize my exposure to COVID-19 on ships?

Although many cruise lines no longer require mask-wearing on ships, they still recommend that you wear one, based on guidance from various health authorities and experts.

Keeping socially distant from other passengers is another strategy for staying healthy on ships as is regular hand-washing and hand sanitizing.

Major cruise lines typically place free hand sanitizer at the entrance to most public rooms on ships. Restaurants on newer cruise ships often have hand-washing stations at their entrances. On some ships, cruise ship staff are assigned to stand at the entrances to onboard restaurants and require passengers to wash or sanitize their hands.

Where can I find my specific cruise line's COVID-19 policy?

Every major cruise line lists its COVID-19 policies including vaccination and testing requirements on its website, often in great detail. Cruise lines regularly update these web pages, and they are the best place to find the very latest information.

Here are the key COVID-19 information pages on the websites of the eight major lines that account for the majority of cruising in North America:

• Carnival Cruise Line's Have Fun. Be Safe. policies page .
• Celebrity Cruises' Healthy at Sea page .
• Disney Cruise Line's Know Before You Go page .
• Holland America's Travel Well FAQ page .
• MSC Cruises' What to Know Before You Go page .
• Norwegian Cruise Line's Sail Safe page .
• Princess Cruises' Cruise Health requirements page
• Royal Caribbean's Healthy Sail Center .

How will I find out if policies change after I book?

As noted above, cruise lines list their COVID-19 policies on their websites. To be safe, check these websites often in the months leading up to your cruise. Cruise lines also notify customers by email when there are significant changes to their COVID-19 policies, as well as alert travel agents who book cruises.

Can I cancel for free if I get covid-19 in advance of a sailing?

In many cases, yes. Major lines will usually offer you a refund, sometimes in the form of a future cruise credit , if you have to cancel a cruise because of a positive COVID-19 test in your traveling party in the days leading up to a sailing.

Royal Caribbean, for instance, promises a 100% refund if anyone in your travel party tests positive for COVID-19 within 10 days of your cruise. Carnival has a policy with similar wording.

Cruise lines will also offer a refund, typically in the form of a future cruise credit, if you are denied embarkation or reboarding, or quarantined or disembarked during a voyage, due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19. If you are quarantined for just part of a cruise due to a positive COVID-19 test, you'll likely receive a pro-rated refund for the days of the cruise you missed.

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Do You Need to Be Vaccinated to Cruise? It Depends on the Ship and Destination

While most cruise lines have scrapped covid vaccine and testing requirements, some companies and international cruise ports still have vaccination and testing rules in place..

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If you’re planning on sailing with Viking anytime soon, you’d better track down that COVID-19 vaccine certificate.

Courtesy of Viking

When cruising restarted in spring 2021, after a nearly 15-month pandemic-spurred shutdown imposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cruisers faced a barrage of rules, including strict requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations and precruise COVID-19 testing. Later, the rules started to go by the wayside, and it was hard to keep track of who was requiring what. Not anymore.

Most cruise lines have now dropped or are soon dropping rules for both vaccinations and precruise testing, with at least one notable exception. Viking —on its river, ocean, and expedition ships—still requires everyone on board be fully vaccinated .

Another line that was still requiring COVID vaccinations, small-ship line Windstar Cruises, will be scrapping its vaccine mandate as of June 1, 2023. “We’ve invested in and improved our health and safety processes, including upgrading the HVAC systems on all of our ships, which has led to a cleaner and safer environment on board,” says Windstar president Christopher Prelog. “When combined with the widespread availability of vaccines and medical treatments, the risk factors are considerably lower now, giving us the confidence to lift the requirement.”

Are COVID vaccinations and testing still required for cruises?

Most cruise lines have dropped both their vaccine and testing requirements. Those that have lingered into 2023—mostly lines operating smaller ships—have been quietly scaling back their requirements.

The result: While there was a time after cruising restarted that you could be assured that your fellow passengers, at least those age 12 and up, were both fully vaccinated and tested for COVID-19 before getting on the ship, that is not the case anymore.

That said, specific countries have their own requirements, and several countries still require that cruise ship passengers are vaccinated and/or tested before arrival. If you are doing an itinerary outside of the Caribbean or Europe (where most vaccine and testing requirements have been dropped)—including to select countries in Central and South America or to Australia—you still have to read your cruise line’s precruise health and safety information carefully to make sure you comply with the latest requirements.

Contact your cruise line or check the U.S. State Department’s travel advisories for the latest.

What to know before you cruise

Vaccine and pretrip testing requirements can be confusing, especially if you are cruising internationally. Cruise lines have their own rules; countries have their own rules.

Before your trip, you will need to review your cruise line’s health and safety protocols. If a precruise test is required by a certain country, you will find that noted. In this case, you may be required to arrive at your ship with a negative COVID-19 test result in hand or not. (If testing is required, it can typically be either a PCR test or tele-health-monitored antigen test , paid for by the passenger. The cruise line may also require a test at the pier, paid for by the cruise line.)

If being fully vaccinated is required, that means having received the original series of vaccines at least 14 days prior to your cruise, or the original series plus a booster shot or shots.

As was the case even before the pandemic, you will be asked at embarkation to fill out a questionnaire inquiring about your current health status and whether you currently have any symptoms of illness.

You are free to pack and wear masks on your cruise. Most cruise lines suggest you do wear masks in crowded indoor situations—but it’s not enforced.

A quick cruise line guide to COVID requirements

Here’s a rundown of the basic rules for some leading cruise lines. Note: There may be additional requirements if you are traveling internationally. Be sure to review the latest requirements prior to boarding.

American Queen Voyages

On American Queen Voyages’ river, ocean, Great Lakes, and expedition ships, there are no longer any precruise testing or vaccinations required. Face coverings are optional, though masks may be required of any passengers showing symptoms.

Precruise testing is no longer required for vaccinated guests sailing with Azamara , except in ports where testing is required. No vaccination is necessary for cruises departing from or returning to the United States or Europe. In Australia, all guests 12 years and older must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing with all required COVID-19 vaccine doses (including a booster shot). Children under 12 years old are not required to be vaccinated.

Celebrity Cruises

No vaccination or testing is required on the majority of Celebrity Cruises sailings. Destinations with stricter requirements include: the Galápagos, Australia and New Zealand, transatlantic crossings, and select Central and South America itineraries. Unvaccinated guests need to be tested in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.

As of April 23, 2023, on the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria , and as of June 8, 2023, on the Queen Elizabeth , vaccinations and testing will no longer be required by Cunard (until then, testing and vaccination requirements apply).

Disney Cruise Line

For sailings embarking from the United States, which are the bulk of Disney Cruise Line’s sailings, no vaccination or testing is required. Disney recommends all guests be vaccinated before sailing and take a test for COVID-19 two days prior to their cruise. There are additional requirements on repositioning cruises and in Australia, so it is important to check the line’s website before your cruise.

Holland America Line

There are no precruise testing or vaccination requirements on most Holland America Line itineraries. There are requirements on select voyages (you can look up a specific voyage’s requirements on the line’s website).

Lindblad Expeditions

For voyages embarking on or after May 11, 2023, Lindblad Expeditions will no longer require guests to be fully vaccinated, although the line recommends guests be fully vaccinated (for cruises prior to that time, all passengers age five and up must be vaccinated). Lindblad recommends, but does not require, passengers take a predeparture COVID-19 test within five days of the start of their expedition.

Oceania Cruises

Vaccine requirements are purely dependent on the destinations being visited on each Oceania cruise. Passengers are advised to be up to date on the latest regulations for all destinations on their cruise itinerary.

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Effective April 2023, Paul Gauguin Cruises no longer requires that passengers are vaccinated or tested for COVID prior to embarkation, but it continues to encourage vaccination. “Paul Gauguin Cruises’ officers, staff and crew will remain fully vaccinated,” the line states. Travelers will need to present a health declaration form at embarkation.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Vaccines and precruise testing are generally not required to sail with Regent Seven Seas Cruises . There are some requirements in place based on local health regulations in a specific country a ship is visiting. Regent notifies guests approximately 30 days prior to sailing of any country-specific protocols.

Royal Caribbean

No vaccine or precruise testing is required on the majority of Royal Caribbean itineraries, with a few exceptions: Cruises from Australia, transpacific and transatlantic sailings, and cruises from Hawai‘i to Vancouver.

No vaccine or testing required except on certain Seabourn itineraries where a country may have specific requirements.

No vaccination is required for Silversea passengers except as designated by the destination. Precruise testing is not required except when specified by a destination.

Viking Cruises

All passengers and crew are required to be vaccinated on Viking’s river, ocean, and expedition ships—without exception. Viking strongly recommends passengers receive a booster dose before departing. Viking recommends but does not require a predeparture COVID-19 test (except if required by a destination).

Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages has no precruise testing or vaccination requirements. Masks may be required at select times.

Windstar Cruises

Beginning June 1, 2023, Windstar will no longer require guests to be vaccinated. Crew will continue to be vaccinated. Masks are optional, with the line highly recommending guests wear masks in indoor public spaces. All guests fill out a health questionnaire on embarkation. A precruise COVID-19 test is not required unless you show symptoms.

This article was originally published in May 2022; it was most recently updated on April 19, 2023, with current information.

Public Health Responses to COVID-19 Outbreaks on Cruise Ships — Worldwide, February–March 2020

Weekly / March 27, 2020 / 69(12);347-352

On March 23, 2020, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release.

Please note: This report has been corrected .

Leah F. Moriarty, MPH 1 ; Mateusz M. Plucinski, PhD 1 ; Barbara J. Marston, MD 1 ; Ekaterina V. Kurbatova, MD, PhD 1 ; Barbara Knust, DVM 1 ; Erin L. Murray, PhD 2 ; Nicki Pesik, MD 1 ; Dale Rose, PhD 1 ; David Fitter, MD 1 ; Miwako Kobayashi, MD, PhD 1 ; Mitsuru Toda, PhD 1 ; start highlight Paul T. Cantey, MD 1 ; end highlight Tara Scheuer, MPH 3 ; Eric S. Halsey, MD 1 ; Nicole J. Cohen, MD 1 ; Lauren Stockman, MPH 2 ; Debra A. Wadford, PhD 2 ; Alexandra M. Medley, DVM 1 ,4 ; Gary Green, MD 5 ; Joanna J. Regan, MD 1 ; Kara Tardivel, MD 1 ; Stefanie White, MPH 1 ; start highlight Clive Brown, MD 1 ; end highlight Christina Morales, PhD 2 ; Cynthia Yen, MPH 2 ; Beth Wittry, MPH 1 ; Amy Freeland, PhD 1 ; Sara Naramore, MPH 3 ; Ryan T. Novak, PhD 1 ; David Daigle, MPH 1 ; Michelle Weinberg, MD 1 ; Anna Acosta, MD 1 ; Carolyn Herzig, PhD 1 ; Bryan K Kapella, MD 1 ; Kathleen R. Jacobson, MD 2 ; Katherine Lamba, MPH 2 ; Atsuyoshi Ishizumi, MPH, MSc 1 ; John Sarisky, MPH 1 ; Erik Svendsen, PhD 1 ; Tricia Blocher, MS 2 ; Christine Wu, MD 3 ; Julia Charles, JD 1 ; Riley Wagner, MPH 1 ; Andrea Stewart, PhD 1 ; Paul S. Mead, MD 1 ; Elizabeth Kurylo, MCM 1 ; Stefanie Campbell, DVM 1 ; Rachel Murray, MPH 1 ; Paul Weidle, PharmD 1 ; Martin Cetron, MD 1 ; Cindy R. Friedman, MD 1 ; CDC Cruise Ship Response Team; California Department of Public Health COVID-19 Team; Solano County COVID-19 Team ( View author affiliations )

What is already known about this topic?

Cruise ships are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases because of their closed environment and contact between travelers from many countries.

What is added by this report?

More than 800 cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred during outbreaks on three cruise ship voyages, and cases linked to several additional cruises have been reported across the United States. Transmission occurred across multiple voyages from ship to ship by crew members; both crew members and passengers were affected; 10 deaths associated with cruise ships have been reported to date.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Outbreaks of COVID-19 on cruise ships pose a risk for rapid spread of disease beyond the voyage. Aggressive efforts are required to contain spread. All persons should defer all cruise travel worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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An estimated 30 million passengers are transported on 272 cruise ships worldwide each year* ( 1 ). Cruise ships bring diverse populations into proximity for many days, facilitating transmission of respiratory illness ( 2 ). SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has since spread worldwide to at least 187 countries and territories. Widespread COVID-19 transmission on cruise ships has been reported as well ( 3 ). Passengers on certain cruise ship voyages might be aged ≥65 years, which places them at greater risk for severe consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection ( 4 ). During February–March 2020, COVID-19 outbreaks associated with three cruise ship voyages have caused more than 800 laboratory-confirmed cases among passengers and crew, including 10 deaths. Transmission occurred across multiple voyages of several ships. This report describes public health responses to COVID-19 outbreaks on these ships. COVID-19 on cruise ships poses a risk for rapid spread of disease, causing outbreaks in a vulnerable population, and aggressive efforts are required to contain spread. All persons should defer all cruise travel worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During February 7–23, 2020, the largest cluster of COVID-19 cases outside mainland China occurred on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined in the port of Yokohama, Japan, on February 3 ( 3 ). On March 6, cases of COVID-19 were identified in persons on the Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California; that ship was subsequently quarantined. By March 17, confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been associated with at least 25 additional cruise ship voyages. On February 21, CDC recommended avoiding travel on cruise ships in Southeast Asia; on March 8, this recommendation was broadened to include deferring all cruise ship travel worldwide for those with underlying health conditions and for persons aged ≥65 years. On March 13, the Cruise Lines International Association announced a 30-day voluntary suspension of cruise operations in the United States ( 5 ). CDC issued a level 3 travel warning on March 17, recommending that all cruise travel be deferred worldwide. †

Diamond Princess

On January 20, 2020, the Diamond Princess cruise ship departed Yokohama, Japan, carrying approximately 3,700 passengers and crew ( Table ). On January 25, a symptomatic passenger departed the ship in Hong Kong, where he was evaluated; testing confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. On February 3, the ship returned to Japan, after making six stops in three countries. Japanese authorities were notified of the COVID-19 diagnosis in the passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong, and the ship was quarantined. Information about social distancing and monitoring of symptoms was communicated to passengers. On February 5, passengers were quarantined in their cabins; crew continued to work and, therefore, could not be isolated in their cabins ( 6 ). Initially, travelers with fever or respiratory symptoms and their close contacts were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All those with positive test results were disembarked and hospitalized. Testing was later expanded to support a phased disembarkation of passengers, prioritizing testing of older persons, those with underlying medical conditions, and those in internal cabins with no access to the outdoors. During February 16–23, nearly 1,000 persons were repatriated by air to their home countries, including 329 persons who returned to the United States and entered quarantine or isolation. § , ¶

The remaining passengers who had negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results,** no respiratory symptoms, and no close contact with a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 completed a 14-day ship-based quarantine before disembarkation. Those passengers who had close contact with a person with a confirmed case completed land-based quarantine, with duration determined by date of last contact. After disembarkation of all passengers, crew members either completed a 14-day ship-based quarantine, were repatriated to and managed in their home country, or completed a 14-day land-based quarantine in Japan.

Overall, 111 (25.9%) of 428 U.S. citizens and legal residents did not join repatriation flights either because they had been hospitalized in Japan or for other reasons. To mitigate SARS-CoV-2 importation into the United States, CDC used temporary “Do Not Board” restrictions ( 7 ) to prevent commercial airline travel to the United States, †† and the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security restricted travel to the United States for non-U.S. travelers.

Among 3,711 Diamond Princess passengers and crew, 712 (19.2%) had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 ( Figure 1 ). Of these, 331 (46.5%) were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Among 381 symptomatic patients, 37 (9.7%) required intensive care, and nine (1.3%) died ( 8 ). Infections also occurred among three Japanese responders, including one nurse, one quarantine officer, and one administrative officer ( 9 ). As of March 13, among 428 U.S. passengers and crew, 107 (25.0%) had positive test results for COVID-19; 11 U.S. passengers remain hospitalized in Japan (median age = 75 years), including seven in serious condition (median age = 76 years).

Grand Princess

During February 11–21, 2020, the Grand Princess cruise ship sailed roundtrip from San Francisco, California, making four stops in Mexico (voyage A). Most of the 1,111 crew and 68 passengers from voyage A remained on board for a second voyage that departed San Francisco on February 21 (voyage B), with a planned return on March 7 (Table). On March 4, a clinician in California reported two patients with COVID-19 symptoms who had traveled on voyage A, one of whom had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2. CDC notified the cruise line, which began cancelling group activities on voyage B. More than 20 additional cases of COVID-19 among persons who did not travel on voyage B have been identified from Grand Princess voyage A, the majority in California. One death has been reported. On March 5, a response team was transported by helicopter to the ship to collect specimens from 45 passengers and crew with respiratory symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 testing; 21 (46.7%), including two passengers and 19 crew, had positive test results. Passengers and symptomatic crew members were asked to self-quarantine in their cabins, and room service replaced public dining until disembarkation. Following docking in Oakland, California, on March 8, passengers and crew were transferred to land-based sites for a 14-day quarantine period or isolation. Persons requiring medical attention for other conditions or for symptoms consistent with COVID-19 were evaluated, tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and hospitalized if indicated. During land-based quarantine in the United States, all persons were offered SARS-CoV-2 testing. As of March 21, of 469 persons with available test results, 78 (16.6%) had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2. Repatriation flights for foreign nationals were organized by several governments in coordination with U.S. federal and California state government agencies. Following disinfection of the vessel according to guidance from CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, remaining foreign nationals will complete quarantine on board. The quarantine will be managed by the cruise company, with technical assistance provided by public health experts.

On February 21, five crew members from voyage A transferred to three other ships with a combined 13,317 passengers on board. No-sail orders §§ were issued by CDC for these ships until medical logs were reviewed and the crew members tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

Additional Ships

The Diamond Princess and Grand Princess had more than 800 total COVID-19 cases, including 10 deaths. During February 3–March 13, in the United States, approximately 200 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among returned cruise travelers from multiple ship voyages, including the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess, accounting for approximately 17% of total reported U.S. cases at the time ( 10 ). Cases linked with cruise travel have been reported to CDC in at least 15 states. Since February, multiple international cruises have been implicated in reports of COVID-19 cases, including at least 60 cases in the United States from Nile River cruises in Egypt ( Figure 2 ). Secondary community-acquired cases linked to returned passengers on cruises have also been reported (CDC, unpublished data, 2020).

Public health responses to COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise ships were aimed at limiting transmission among passengers and crew, preventing exportation of COVID-19 to other communities, and assuring the safety of travelers and responders. These responses required the coordination of stakeholders across multiple sectors, including U.S. Government departments and agencies, foreign ministries of health, foreign embassies, state and local public health departments, hospitals, laboratories, and cruise ship companies. At the time of the Diamond Princess outbreak, it became apparent that passengers disembarking from cruise ships could be a source of community transmission. Therefore, aggressive efforts to contain transmission on board and prevent further transmission upon disembarkation and repatriation were instituted. These efforts included travel restrictions applied to persons, movement restrictions applied to ships, infection prevention and control measures, (e.g., use of personal protective equipment for medical and cleaning staff), disinfection of the cabins of persons with suspected COVID-19, provision of communication materials, notification of state health departments, and investigation of contacts of cases identified among U.S. returned travelers.

Cruise ships are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases because of their closed environment, contact between travelers from many countries, and crew transfers between ships. On the Diamond Princess, transmission largely occurred among passengers before quarantine was implemented, whereas crew infections peaked after quarantine ( 6 ). On the Grand Princess, crew members were likely infected on voyage A and then transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to passengers on voyage B. The results of testing of passengers and crew on board the Diamond Princess demonstrated a high proportion (46.5%) of asymptomatic infections at the time of testing. Available statistical models of the Diamond Princess outbreak suggest that 17.9% of infected persons never developed symptoms ( 9 ). A high proportion of asymptomatic infections could partially explain the high attack rate among cruise ship passengers and crew. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess but before disinfection procedures had been conducted (Takuya Yamagishi, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, personal communication, 2020). Although these data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces, further study of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard cruise ships is warranted.

During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Diamond Princess was the setting of the largest outbreak outside mainland China. Many other cruise ships have since been implicated in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Factors that facilitate spread on cruise ships might include mingling of travelers from multiple geographic regions and the closed nature of a cruise ship environment. This is particularly concerning for older passengers, who are at increased risk for serious complications of COVID-19 ( 4 ). The Grand Princess was an example of perpetuation of transmission from crew members across multiple consecutive voyages and the potential introduction of the virus to passengers and crew on other ships. Public health responses to cruise ship outbreaks require extensive resources. Temporary suspension of cruise ship travel during the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has been partially implemented by cruise lines through voluntary suspensions of operations, and by CDC through its unprecedented use of travel notices and warnings for conveyances to limit disease transmission ( 5 ).

Acknowledgments

Staff members responding to COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise ships; Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; California Department of Public Health; cruise ship passengers; Princess Cruises; Christina Armantas, Matthew Bacinskas, Cynthia Bernas, Brandon Brown, Teal Bullick, Lyndsey Chaille, Martin Cilnis, Gail Cooksey, Ydelita Gonzales, Christopher Kilonzo, Chun Kim, Ruth Lopez, Dominick Morales, Chris Preas, Kyle Rizzo, Hilary Rosen, Sarah Rutschmann, Maria Vu, California Department of Public Health, Richmond and Sacramento; Ben Gammon, Ted Selby, Solano County Public Health; Medic Ambulance Service; NorthBay HealthCare; Sutter Solano Medical Center; Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center; Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center start highlight ; field teams at repatriation sites; National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan end highlight .

CDC Cruise Ship Response Team

Casey Barton Behravesh, CDC; Adam Bjork, CDC; William Bower, CDC; Catherine Bozio, CDC; Zachary Braden, CDC; Mary Catherine Bertulfo, CDC; Kevin Chatham-Stephens, CDC; Victoria Chu, CDC; Barbara Cooper, CDC; Kathleen Dooling, CDC; Christine Dubray, CDC; Emily Curren, CDC; Margaret A. Honein, CDC; Kathryn Ivey, CDC; Jefferson Jones, CDC; Melissa Kadzik, CDC; Nancy Knight, CDC; Mariel Marlow, CDC; Audrey McColloch, CDC; Robert McDonald, CDC; Andrew Klevos, CDC; Sarah Poser, CDC; Robin A. Rinker, CDC; Troy Ritter, CDC; Luis Rodriguez, CDC; Matthew Ryan, CDC; Zachary Schneider, CDC; Caitlin Shockey, CDC; Jill Shugart, CDC; Margaret Silver, CDC; Paul W. Smith, CDC; Farrell Tobolowsky, CDC; Aimee Treffiletti, CDC; Megan Wallace, CDC; Jonathan Yoder, CDC.

California Department of Public Health COVID-19 Team

Pennan Barry, California Department of Public Health; Ricardo Berumen, III, California Department of Public Health; Brooke Bregman, California Department of Public Health; Kevin Campos, California Department of Public Health; Shua Chai, California Department of Public Health; Rosie Glenn-Finer, California Department of Public Health; Hugo Guevara, California Department of Public Health; Jill Hacker, California Department of Public Health; Kristina Hsieh, California Department of Public Health; Mary Kate Morris, California Department of Public Health; Ryan Murphy, California Department of Public Health; Jennifer F. Myers, California Department of Public Health; Tasha Padilla, California Department of Public Health; Chao-Yang Pan, California Department of Public Health; Adam Readhead, California Department of Public Health; Estela Saguar, California Department of Public Health; Maria Salas, California Department of Public Health; Robert E. Snyder, California Department of Public Health; Duc Vugia, California Department of Public Health; James Watt, California Department of Public Health; Cindy Wong, California Department of Public Health.

Solano County COVID-19 Team

Meileen Acosta, Solano County Department of Public Health; Shai Davis, Solano County Department of Public Health; Beatrix Kapuszinsky, Solano County Department of Public Health; Bela Matyas, Solano County Department of Public Health; Glen Miller, Solano County Department of Public Health; Asundep Ntui, Solano County Department of Public Health; Jayleen Richards, Solano County Department of Public Health.

Corresponding author: Leah F. Moriarty, [email protected] , 770-488-7100.

1 CDC COVID-19 Response Team; 2 California Department of Public Health; 3 Solano Public Health, Fairfield, California; 4 Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC; 5 Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods, Santa Rosa, California.

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

* Not including river cruises.

† Warning level 3: avoid non-essential travel due to widespread ongoing transmission: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-china .

§ Quarantine was used for persons who were exposed; isolation was used for persons who had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2.

¶ Movement for one person with resolved COVID-19 was not restricted.

** Based on Japanese testing procedures, which at the time included taking one oropharyngeal swab.

†† Travel restrictions were lifted when persons had either completed a 14-day monitoring period without symptoms or had met clinical criteria for release from isolation. https://japan2.usembassy.gov/pdfs/alert-20200227-diamond-princess.pdf pdf icon external icon .

§§ CDC has the authority to institute a no-sail order to prevent ships from sailing when it is reasonably believed that continuing normal operations might subject newly arriving passengers to disease.

• Cruise Lines International Association. 2019 cruise trends & industry outlook. Washington, DC: Cruise Line International Association; 2019. https://cruising.org/news-and-research/-/media/CLIA/Research/CLIA-2019-State-of-the-Industry.pdf pdf icon external icon
• Millman AJ, Kornylo Duong K, Lafond K, Green NM, Lippold SA, Jhung MA. Influenza outbreaks among passengers and crew on two cruise ships: a recent account of preparedness and response to an ever-present challenge. J Travel Med 2015;22:306–11. CrossRef external icon PubMed external icon
• World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2020. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/ external icon
• CDC COVID-19 Response Team. Severe outcomes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—United States, February 12–March 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020. Epub March 18, 2020. CrossRef external icon
• Cruise Lines International Association. CLIA announces voluntary suspension in U.S. cruise operations. Washington, DC: Cruise Line International Association; 2020. https://cruising.org:443/news-and-research/press-room/2020/march/clia-covid-19-toolkit external icon
• Kakimoto K, Kamiya H, Yamagishi T, Matsui T, Suzuki M, Wakita T. Initial investigation of transmission of COVID-19 among crew members during quarantine of a cruise ship—Yokohama, Japan, February 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:312–3. CrossRef external icon PubMed external icon
• Vonnahme LA, Jungerman MR, Gulati RK, Illig P, Alvarado-Ramy F. Federal travel restrictions for persons with higher-risk exposures to communicable diseases of public health concern. Emerg Infect Dis 2017;23:S108–13. CrossRef external icon PubMed external icon
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. About new coronavirus infections [Japanese]. Tokyo, Japan: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; 2020. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000164708_00001.html external icon
• Mizumoto, K., Kagaya, K., Zarebski, A. and Chowell, G. Estimating the asymptomatic proportion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Yokohama, Japan, 2020. Eurosurveillance 2020;25. CrossRef external icon
• CDC. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): cases in U.S. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html

Abbreviation: N/A = not applicable.

FIGURE 1 . Cumulative number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases* by date of detection — Diamond Princess cruise ship, Yokohama, Japan, February 3–March 16, 2020

Source: World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/ external icon .

* Decline in cumulative number of cases on February 13 and February 25 due to correction by WHO for cases that had been counted twice.

FIGURE 2 . Cruise ships with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases requiring public health responses — worldwide, January–March 2020

Suggested citation for this article: Moriarty LF, Plucinski MM, Marston BJ, et al. Public Health Responses to COVID-19 Outbreaks on Cruise Ships — Worldwide, February–March 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:347-352. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6912e3 external icon .

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Here are the documents and costs to keep in mind when planning a cruise

As I made plans this summer to take a cruise, I worked my way through my pre-travel checklist. I booked my flights, researched ground transportation options and selected a hotel for the night before boarding.

But I had yet to tick one important box: renewing my expired passport .

I had not traveled internationally since the pandemic began and needed a deadline to motivate me, so shortly before my  sailing from the Netherlands to New York , I filled out the application, paid the fees, and did a quick photo shoot at my local Walgreens.

Passports are just one of the documents travelers may need when taking a cruise, which can add to the overall cost of a trip. Here's what travelers should have on hand and what costs they might encounter before and during their trip:

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What documents will travelers need to board a cruise?

The U.S. State Department recommends cruise passengers sailing from America have a passport.

U.S. citizens booked on closed-loop cruises – those that start and end at the same U.S. port – can enter the country with a government-issued photo ID and birth certificate instead, but the State Department encourages having a passport "in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected medical air evacuation or the ship docking at an alternate port," according to its website . Cruise lines may also require it.

Denise Jewell, owner of Opulence Travel Agency, also recommends having a passport, even on closed-loop cruises, in case you don't make it back to the ship in time during a stop.

"It'll be much easier to deal with the locals if you have a passport as opposed to a birth certificate," Jewell said.

If travelers need to apply for or renew a passport, "the sooner you get started the better," said Danny Genung, CEO of travel agency Harr Travel. He suggested beginning that process as soon as you book your trip, even if it's a year in advance.

"This is one of the big pain points and stress points of travel if you wait too long," Genung said.

Even travelers who have procrastinated, though, may not be out of luck. I mailed my passport renewal application on Sept. 7 and paid about $208 in fees overall, including expedited service. I received my new passport on Oct. 3, about two weeks before my trip.

What costs will travelers encounter while taking a cruise?

Many costs associated with a cruise are included in the fare travelers pay when they book. "I think one of the things I would point out is, spending money on a cruise ship is a choice," said Genung, noting that he has been on many cruises and spent nothing additional except on gratuities. However, with mainstream cruise lines, there are generally some key expenses to keep in mind (on luxury lines, many of these costs are likely to be included in the fare).

►  Taxes, fees and port expenses : In addition to the fare, travelers must pay taxes, fees and port expenses, said Brigitte Feinberg, a travel adviser and independent affiliate of Avenue Two Travel. Those can vary based on the specifics of your trip.

► Gratuities: On mainstream lines such as Royal Caribbean International, Feinberg said, gratuities are automatically added to travelers' bills on a per person, per day basis. 

Those prices can vary. Royal Caribbean  charges $16 per guest each day staying in non-suite staterooms, and $18.50 for those in suites, while Carnival Cruise Line applies a $14.50 daily charge per passenger for non-suite rooms, and $16.50 for guests in suites, according to their websites.

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Guests can prepay those gratuities, so they "don't have to worry about that bill at the end of the cruise," Feinberg said, or pay them as part of the final bill. Passengers can also adjust the gratuities up or down, though Feinberg does not recommend the latter.

She added that some guests also bring cash to tip crew members directly who "went above and beyond" during the trip.

► Some food and drinks:  While much of the food is included on mainstream lines, some restaurants and items may cost extra.

On my October Holland America Line cruise, I visited specialty restaurants with prices ranging from $19 to $49 per person, plus an 18% gratuity.

Lines such as Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line also include basic drinks like iced tea and regular coffee while charging for others. Genung said, "in a lot of cases there's good value" in pre-purchasing specialty dining or beverage packages.

► Shore excursions:  On mainstream cruise lines, Feinberg said, excursions are not included either. "Yes, the room's only $300 for a week, but by the time you're all said and done you're going to be spending a lot more than that," she said.

She said excursions can run from $50 to hundreds of dollars per person.

Most cruise lines have promotional sales on excursions and other packages before the cruise, Genung said, which can offer "significant savings," particularly for families traveling together.

"I have two little kiddos myself, and it's a lot more expensive to travel than when it was just my wife and I," he said. "So, you know, when you multiply an unexpected cost times four, or five or six, it gets pretty exponential."

► Wi-Fi:  Many cruise lines charge extra for Wi-Fi, but the price may depend on your needs.

Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, sells both basic and premium options for one, two, and four devices, starting at $25.50 per day if guests purchase online and about $30 per day if they purchase on board, according to its website . The line also sells a 250-minute option.

Genung noted that it is almost always cheaper to purchase the internet prior to boarding than it is after getting on the ship.

► Laundry:  Depending on the length of the sailing, travelers may run out of clean clothes as I did on my October transatlantic cruise.

Like many mainstream lines,Holland America offered laundry services with several options, to choose from. I picked the Laundry By the Bag package, which cost $30 for as many clothes as I could fit in a bag the line placed in my stateroom closet.

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There was also an Unlimited Pressing package for $75 and an Unlimited Laundry option for $135, including pressing, both for the duration of the sailing, according to an info sheet in my stateroom.

Feinberg noted that some cruise lines also have laundry rooms where guests can wash and dry their own clothes, such as Carnival, which charges $3.50 for each washer load, and $3.50 per dryer load, according to its website .

Alaska cruise ship employee arrested, accused of stabbing 3 people aboard

May 8 (UPI) -- A Norwegian Cruise Line employee is in custody for allegedly stabbing multiple people with scissors during an Alaska cruise.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Ntando Sogoni, 35, on Tuesday as the ship Norwegian Encore docked in Juneau, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Alaska said in a statement .

The ship was traveling to Alaska from Seattle, with stops in British Columbia. The stabbings are reported to have taken place Monday in the waters west of Vancouver Island, B.C., after Sogoni -- a South African citizen -- had joined the ship earlier that day in Seattle.

According to court documents, ship employees saw Sogoni trying to deploy a lifeboat and called security to escort him to the ship's medical center for evaluation.

Inside an exam room, Sogoni "became irrational and attempted to leave," attacking a security guard and a nurse before grabbing a pair of medical scissors and stabbing a female patient "several times in the arm, hand and face," according to the affidavit. Witnesses said he also stabbed two security guards, in the head, back and shoulders, as they tried to detain him.

None of the injuries was considered life-threatening.

Sogoni was held in the ship's jail until the Encore docked in Juneau, where FBI agents arrested him Tuesday.

Sogoni is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it was "assisting the relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation" after a "newly employed crew member was observed exhibiting unusual and irrational behavior." The cruise line said senior company executives have traveled to Juneau to meet with and help the injured passenger, who is a 75-year-old U.S. citizen, according to a statement obtained by USA Today .

"We condemn violent behavior of this nature and are committed to the safety and security of all crew members and guests on our ships," a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said. "We commend the onboard security team for their brave actions."

Cruise ship sails into New York City port with 44-foot dead whale across its bow

NEW YORK (AP) — A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot (13-meter) dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said.

The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship's bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada.

“We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale,” officials with the cruise line said in a statement.

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“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,” the officials said, adding that the Geneva-based MSC Cruises follows all regulations designed to protect whales, such as altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid hitting the animals.

The dead whale was relocated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and towed to shore there to allow for better access to equipment and to conduct a necropsy, Gomez said.

The necropsy, an autopsy on an animal, was conducted on Tuesday, Gomez said. Samples collected from the whale will help biologists determine whether it was already dead when it was struck by the ship, she said.

Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline, Gomez said. They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected.

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Luderitz (Namibia)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Africa - Indian Ocean Islands

Local Time 2024-05-15 09:49

Port Luderitz cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Luderitz, Namibia. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Luderitz is a port town wit hdeep-water harbour in southern Namibia. The port was developed around Shark Island and Robert Harbour. The town has population around 13,000 and is famous for its colonial architecture and wildlife (penguins, seals, ostriches, flamingos).

• Luderitz harbour features a shallow rock bottom, which makes it unusable for modern vessels. This fact led to Walvis Bay now becoming the centre Namibia's marine shipping industry. However, the addition of new quay allowed bigger fishing ships to dock at Luderitz.
• The town has a newly-developed waterfront area with shops and offices. Outside the city is the ghost town Kolmanskop - a popular tourist destination.
• Region's coastline is recognised as IBA (Important Bird Area) home to coastal breeding seabirds. Halifax Island, Ichaboe Island, Possession Islands and Mercury Island support the Namibian breeding population of Morus capensis (Cape gannets), 96% of the Namibian population of the endangered African penguins, and nearly 1/4 of the global breeding population of crowned cormorants. About 80% of the global population of endangered Bank cormorants breed on Mercury and Ichaboe Islands.
• Haviside's dolphins are often seen close to coast. Bigger whales (southern right, pygmy right, minke, fin, humpback) are less common but slowly increasing in numbers.

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Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy cancels foreign trips as fighting intensifies

The Ukrainian president has cancelled visits to Spain and Portugal after Moscow's forces began a new offensive in the northeast of the country, where Kyiv says it is moving troops to new positions. Submit your question on the war for our experts to answer in the box below.

Wednesday 15 May 2024 08:41, UK

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• Zelenskyy cancels foreign trips
• Ukrainian troops move into new positions in Kharkiv
• Russia downs missiles launched at Crimea
• Analysis:  Putin's 'baffling' reshuffle explained
• Who is Andrei Belousov, Putin's new pick for defence minister?
• Live reporting by Lauren Russell and (earlier)  Bhvishya Patel

Ask a question or make a comment

Russia has said it repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on the region of Tatarstan - around 497 miles east of Moscow.

The defence ministry said the attack occurred at around 7.30am local time.

It said Russian air defences had destoyed an aeroplane-style drone.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cancelled a trip to Spain and Portugal, with some media outlets reporting it is because of renewed fighting in Ukraine.

King Felipe of Spain was due to hold a reception for Mr Zelenskyy on Friday. 

The Ukrainian leader was then expected to sign a bilateral security cooperation agreement with Portugal's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

A spokesperson for the Portuguese government said Mr Zelenskyy had cancelled the visit but did not give a reason, while the Spanish government said it could not comment for security reasons. 

As we have been reporting, Ukrainian troops remain outgunned by Russian forces.

Yesterday, the western and northern parts of Vovchansk in Ukraine's Kharkhiv region fell under the control of Russian forces, according to the TASS state news agency.

Emergency teams have been working at the scene of a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv.

The region is where Russian forces are pressing on with an offensive, forcing Ukraine to rush in reinforcements.

Apart from the devastation and the blow to Ukrainian morale in the region, home to Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv, the incursion is a distraction for Kyiv's defensive operations in the east where Russia has focused its offensive for months.

Fires at an oil depot and power substation in Russia's Belgorod and Lipetsk regions were caused by drones launched by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a Ukrainian intelligence source has told Reuters.

The attack damaged Oskolneftesnab oil depot near the city of Staryi Oskol in Russia's Belgorod region and Yeletskaya power substation in the Lipetsk region.

"Russian industry which works to wage war with Ukraine will remain a legitimate target for the SBU," the intelligence source said.

"Measures to undermine the enemy's military potential will continue."

For context : Ukraine has been stepping up its strikes on oil and gas facilities across Russia in an effort to disrupt military logistics and combat operations - it is these facilities that supply fuel for Russian tanks, ships and fighter jets.

Experts also say that striking these sites will most likely cause disruption to Russia's energy network.

The region of Chasiv Yar, in the eastern Bakhmut region, has long been under fire.

It is in eastern areas like this that Russia's advance has been far more significant and strategically important.

But it is hoped that a weapons package from the US could change that.

Here, our  security and defence editor Deborah Haynes  visits an artillery position on the outskirts of the frontline region ...

The Russian defence ministry has said its air forces destroyed 10 long-range missiles known as ATACMS that Ukraine's military launched overnight at Crimea.

The ministry did not say whether there was any damage, but the Russia-installed governor of the Crimean port of Sevastopol said that missile debris fell onto a residential area.

According to early information, no one was injured, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor, said on Telegram .

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine 10 years ago in a move broadly condemned by Kyiv's Western allies.

And Russia has often said, without providing evidence, that Ukraine had started using the US-supplied ATACMS.

Yesterday, a US official said that ATACMS and air defence interceptors approved by Joe Biden on 24 April were already reaching the Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine's military has said it is moving troops to new positions in two areas of the northeastern Kharkiv region where Moscow is pressing an offensive, and warned of a Russian force buildup to the north near its Sumy region.

A cross-border attack on a new flank in Sumy region would likely stretch Kyiv's depleted defenders even further after Russia's incursion into the Kharkiv region opened a new front on Friday, forcing Ukraine to rush in reinforcements.

Russia has made inroads into the north of Kharkiv region and said yesterday it had taken parts of the town of Vovchansk and the border village, Buhruvatka.

Military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov has said Moscow has already committed all the troops it has in the border areas for the Kharkiv operation, but that it has other reserve forces that he expected to be used in the coming days.

"A rapid trend towards a stabilisation of the situation had emerged - that is, the enemy is, in principle, already blocked at the lines that it was able to reach," he said in televised comments.

Mr Budanov said Russia had small groups of forces in the border areas near Ukraine's Sumy region in the vicinity of the Russian town of Sudzha from where Russian natural gas transits into Ukraine by pipe on its way to European customers.

"As for the Sumy region, the Russians actually planned an operation in the Sumy region from the very beginning... but the situation did not allow them to take active actions and start the operation," he said.

Top Ukrainian officials say they do not believe Russia has the troop numbers to capture the city of Kharkiv.

Welcome back to our coverage of the Ukraine war.

Yesterday, US secretary of state Antony Blinken sought to rally the spirits of Ukrainians facing a fierce new Russian offensive during a trip to Kyiv.

He also told Ukrainian leaders that despite a months-long delay in US assistance that left them vulnerable to renewed Russian military strikes, more weaponry was coming and some had already arrived.

Here are the other key developments from the past 24 hours: 

• The western and northern parts of Vovchansk in Ukraine's Kharkhiv region fell under the control of Russian forces, according to the TASS state news agency;
• Russia's supreme court rejected an appeal by Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza against his 25-year jail sentence;
• A power line and nearly two dozen houses were damaged in Ukraine's latest air attack on the Russian border city of Belgorod, officials said;
• The operator of the Ukrainian high-voltage electricity grid, Ukrenergo, said it was starting "controlled emergency shutdowns" for industries and households because of "a significant shortage of electricity in the system due to Russian shelling and an increase in consumption due to the cold weather".

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Spain on Friday for a meeting with King Felipe in Madrid, according to a royal palace statement.

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