CDC warns against cruise ship travel

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now advising people against taking cruises.

Cruise ships should be avoided regardless of vaccination status, the agency said.

“It is especially important that travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide,” the new CDC guidance said.

The CDC warns the chance of catching the virus on a cruise is high, even those fully vaccinated and with booster shots.

It transmits relatively easily in close quarters on ships, it says.

It sent the stock price of Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and Carnival Corp down.

It also irked trade group Cruise Lines International Association.

“We’re obviously disappointed at the CDC’s decision to raise the travel level for cruise today—especially given the overwhelming level of effectiveness of cruise protocols that are resulting in significantly lower level of cases on cruise as compared to land,” said Brian Salerno, SVP for maritime policy.

The CDC said there have been about 5,000 Covid cases on ships operating in US waters in the past two weeks alone.

The agency is monitoring dozens of ships with recent Covid outbreaks.