Cruise Industry COVID-19 Facts and Resources

The adoption of the COVID-19 Member Policy signifies the cruise industry’s continued commitment to leading the way in public health and responsible tourism and establishes a unified approach to planning for a phased and controlled resumption of operations in 2021. The Policy is designed to support continued collaboration with local, national and international governing authorities while maintaining the industry’s focus on and commitment to effective, science-based measures to protect public health. 

Cruise ships have gradually resumed in some parts of the world with science-backed protocols that mirror those outlined within the Policy, including 100% testing for passengers and crew prior to embarkation, physical distancing, mask-wearing, enhanced ventilation measures and strict guidelines for passengers who engage in shore excursions. These measures, among others, are designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 in a cruise setting and allow for a quick and coordinated response mechanism, both onboard and onshore. The important thing to note is that this is a continuous process, and these measures will be continuously evaluated and adjusted against the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 Member Policy entails comprehensive prevention, detection and response strategies from the time of booking through the cruise itinerary and at disembarkation. A comprehensive overview of the Policy components can be found here.

As a condition of membership within CLIA, all ocean-going cruise line members with the capacity to carry 100 or more persons onboard are required to implement the COVID-19 Member Policy. The Policy is applicable worldwide, wherever there are not more stringent requirements in place from governments and health authorities

CLIA ocean-going cruise lines are responsible for operationalizing the testing requirement globally, including the requirement for a negative test prior to embarkation for both passengers and crew. As testing technology continues to improve, testing methods are likely to vary based on effectiveness and availability.

The cruise industry has an extensive track record of working to protect the health of our guests, our crew and the communities we serve—adopting new measures along the way to continuously improve to make cruising one of the safest and best ways to experience the world. As with all Member policies, the COVID-19 Policy will be regularly evaluated and may change over time as circumstances evolve. Key considerations will likely include the availability of new prevention and mitigation measures, such as testing, treatments and, ultimately, the introduction of an effective vaccine.

Since the first day of our voluntary suspension of operations in March, the cruise industry has remained steadfast in our commitment to making science-led, people-first decisions. While an initial resumption of cruising has begun in some parts of the world with approval from local governments, the COVID-19 Member Policy outlines a phased approach to global resumption, enabling cruise operators to monitor the effectiveness of the new protocols and to make adjustments as warranted. CLIA Australasia is continuing to engage with the Australian and New Zealand governments to develop a framework for a phased, carefully managed resumption in this region. While the current suspension runs to 17 March 2021, the Australian Federal Government has confirmed that the restrictions can be amended or removed at the appropriate time to facilitate resumption.

Although no setting is immune from the potential presence of the virus that causes COVID-19, the measures contained within the COVID-19 Member Policy are designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 in a cruise setting. To date, over 200 successful sailings have occurred around the world with enhanced measures in place and support from local governments. Based on these initial sailings, we have seen that the enhanced protocols are successful at mitigating the risk of COVID-19 when followed rigorously and correctly.

Our data shows that cruisers are eager to cruise again and are willing to comply with stringent public health measures in order to return to sailing. People have grown accustomed to taking such precautions on land and understand it is a small sacrifice to make in order to experience the joy of cruising while maintaining a focus on the health and safety of oneself and others.

Based upon the findings of proprietary research conducted by CLIA as of October 2020, cruisers are expressing overwhelming support for the types of measures that are outlined within the Global Policy:

• 93% of cruisers support mask-wearing
• 92% of cruisers support social distancing
• 88% of cruisers support COVID-19 testing prior to embarkation.

The measures implemented by cruise lines operating in all regions are to be continuously evaluated against the evolution of the global pandemic. The measures implemented by CLIA Members at initial restart may be adjusted as circumstances change over time including the discontinuation or persistence of travel restrictions, updated guidance from cognizant health authorities, low or high levels of community spread, increased herd immunity, new virus strains, and the development and availability of effective rapid testing, treatments and vaccines.

What we know from scientists and healthcare experts is that no venue is immune to the virus. The best the world can do—and any industry can do—is to make efforts to reduce the ability of the virus to enter an environment and to mitigate its impact by having rigorous protocols in place that evolve over time as conditions change, addressing prevention, detection and response.

CLIA’s Compendium of Policies apply to ocean-going cruise line members. River cruise operators are subject to different regulations to Ocean vessels, and they may choose to use this policy as guidance to establish COVID-19 public health protocols that are specific to the river environment.