Major cruise lines said they will test all passengers and crew for COVID-19 before boarding as part of their plan for resuming sailing in the Americas.
The Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group that represents 95% of global oceangoing cruise capacity, said Monday that its members will also require passengers and crew to wear masks while onboard whenever physical distancing can’t be maintained.
No date has been set for the resumption of cruising in the U.S., the Caribbean and Mexico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a no-sail order for U.S. waters through Sept. 30. The association’s safety plan will now go to the CDC, which will consider it as the agency decides whether to lift the no-sail order. The order has been extended twice since March.
The cruise association has issued a voluntary suspension of cruises through Oct. 31.