The cruise industry is voluntarily extending its “no sail” order through Oct. 31, a month longer than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) current guidelines, which are set to expire Sept. 30.
“This is a difficult decision as we recognize the crushing impact that this pandemic has had on our community and every other industry,” the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said in a statement Wednesday.
CLIA officials said that they “believe this proactive action further demonstrates the cruise industry’s commitment to public health and willingness to voluntarily suspend operations in the interest of public health and safety, as has occurred twice prior.”
In June, the CLIA announced it would voluntarily suspend operations until Sept. 15, before the CDC announced its current “no-sail” order extension, which the industry group later agreed to.
The organization said Wednesday it will “revisit a possible further extension on or before” Sept. 30.
“At the same time, should conditions in the U.S. change and it becomes possible to consider short, modified sailings, we would consider an earlier restart,” the CLIA added.
Several countries have ongoing travel restrictions in place, many of them imposed on U.S. travelers.
Coronavirus outbreaks have flared up on cruise ships that have resumed operations in other parts of the world, such as the Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amunsen, a Norwegian cruise line that reported 40 cases this week.
Cruise ships saw some of the first outbreaks of the pandemic early this year. As some resume operations, several have been refused entry at ports around the world over the past several months due to concerns about spreading the virus on land.