The Cruise Lines International Association says that most major cruise lines will not sail again until at least September 15. The CLIA is an international cruise industry trade association, with more than 50 cruise lines as members. They include Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean, among others. Many of the member companies have ships that regularly call at ports in the state, including Hilo and Kailua-Kona.
The only weekly interisland cruise ship, the Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America, halted its operations on March 14, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Friday, June 19 press release:
“Due to the ongoing situation within the U.S. related to COVID-19, CLIA member cruise lines have decided to voluntarily extend the period of suspended passenger operations. The current No Sail Order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will expire on 24 July, and although we had hoped that cruise activity could resume as soon as possible after that date, it is increasingly clear that more time will be needed to resolve barriers to resumption in the United States.
“Although we are confident that future cruises will be healthy and safe, and will fully reflect the latest protective measures, we also feel that it is appropriate to err on the side of caution to help ensure the best interests of our passengers and crewmembers. We have therefore decided to further extend our suspension of operations from U.S. ports until 15 September.”
The CDC’s “No Sail” order applies to ships with a capacity of 250 or more.
Photo is Norwegian Cruise Lines’ ship Pride of America.
