1st cruise liner to sail from U.S. as industry seeks comeback
The first cruise liner to board passengers at a U.S. port in 15 months is defined to sail Saturday from the industry’s South Florida hub in a symbolic stride toward normalcy which will be watched closely by health authorities as vaccines curb the coronavirus' spread in the united states.
Industry officials hope the Celebrity Edge's voyage serves as a bookend for folks for whom the gravity of the pandemic first hit home in the alarming reports last year of deadly outbreaks on crowded ships, with guests quarantined for weeks, vessels begging to dock and sickened passengers overly enthusiastic on stretchers at ports.
“We are excited to participate that,” said Russ Schwartz, a Florida school principal who's honeymooning on the ship and is confident it will be hanging around. “Things have changed drastically. Back then we really didn’t know much about the virus. Cruises at that point weren’t prepared.”
Celebrity Cruises, among Royal Caribbean Cruises' brands, says at least 95% of those boarding the Celebrity Edge have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus consistent with health requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the ship will run at a lower capacity.
It will be a lavish voyage aboard a boat that was unveiled in December 2018 having a giant spa and multi-floor suites. The $1 billion vessel will be led by Capt.Kate McCue, who in 2015 became the first American woman to captain a cruise liner and has drawn a following of more than 1 million on TikTok and 250,000 on Instagram.
The stakes are high for cruise lines as they emerge from a CDC-imposed shutdown that lasted 15 months. Throughout that period the three industry giants - Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean - experienced to raise more than $40 billion in financing merely to stay afloat without the revenue.
Collectively they lost $20 billion last year and another $4.5 billion in the first quarter of 2021, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
“The cruise lines are getting up off their knees after getting crippled by COVID-19,” said Michael Winkleman, a maritime attorney. “There’s just excess amount on the line for the cruise lines not to obtain it right.”
To comply with both CDC's 95% vaccination requirement and a new Florida law banning businesses from requiring customers to show proof vaccination, Celebrity Cruises is merely asking guests if indeed they wish to share their status, spokeswoman Susan Lomax said.
Those who don't voluntarily show proof vaccination will be treated as unvaccinated and be subjected to additional protocols such as for example wearing face masks and being limited to designated seating areas in common areas like dining rooms, casinos and theaters.
This past year the CDC castigated the cruise industry for keeping bars, gyms and self-service buffets open and continuing to permit crew members to assemble even as the pandemic raged.
From March 2020, data showed 3,689 confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 on cruise lines in U.S. waters, and at least 41 deaths. The CDC says it spent 38,000 person-hours handling just the cruise response to COVID-19, including contact tracing for 11,000 passengers.
Medical evacuation and logistical efforts for passengers disembarking ships such as the Zaandam in Fort Lauderdale and the Grand Princess in Oakland, California, also diverted resources from local agencies which were trying to curb the spread of COVID-19.
A large number of passengers have since filed lawsuits saying companies failed to protect them and warn them about the virus, especially after an outbreak on Carnival’s Diamond Princess off the coast of Japan with more than 700 confirmed cases and nine deaths.
The prolonged shutdown in addition has been challenged in court. In April, Florida sued the government to demand cruise ships be allowed to start out sailing, arguing the ban disproportionately harms the state where the industry generates billions every year for the economy.
Last week a judge granted an initial injunction that prevents the CDC from enforcing sailing conditions, that your state says effectively block most cruises.
Celebrity Edge will sail prior to the injunction takes effect, so that it is complying with the conditions.
The CRUISELINES International Association, which represents about 90% of the global cruise capacity, said it appreciated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to back the industry and cruiselines are prioritizing health insurance and safety. About 600,000 passengers have sailed in member ships beyond your U.S. since last summer and incidence of the coronavirus has been low.
“The industry’s protocols will work as intended,” the association said in a statement. “The highly successful rollout of vaccines in america is a casino game changer and facilitates safe travel.”
About 44% of folks nationwide are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, and new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are down sharply from their peak earlier this year.
Katherine Quirk-Schwartz, a Celebrity Edge passenger and registered nurse who's excited for the upcoming cruise and hopes to meet Capt. McCue, recalled how her hospital took in some of the first COVID-19 patients from cruise lines if they were finally allowed onshore in Florida after days of negotiation.
“It’s almost like full circle. It's amazing to think about that,” she said. “As more things change, more things start, we will see more of the effects of the vaccine. People are getting back again to living, people are receiving back to sailing."
Source: japantoday.com
