The USA's CDC agency (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) eased its warnings for cruises via a notch from the highest level that led to a hiatus and recommended only fully vaccinated guests take voyages when in a few days sailings resume from U.S. ports.
The CDC recommended that travelers get tested 1 to 3 days prior to their trips and 3 to 5 days following their trips.
The updates of the health regulator, first posted on Wednesday, June 16, comes after 2 passengers on Celebrity Millennium ship tested positive, as well as 8 crew on Odyssey of the Seas, forcing a delay of the ship's first sailing.
The previous warning, the highest at level 4, which was imposed after accidents of rapidly spreading infections on cruise ships in 2020, recommended that travelers avoid cruises altogether. Now the CDC has lowered it to level 3 indicating "high" risk.
The CDC and cruise shipping industry have been working together to restart sailings after the 3 largest cruise shipowners - RCG-Royal Caribbean Group, Carnival Corporation and NCLH-Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings - incurred huge losses and heavy debts as the industry came to a standstill.
With ~50% of the USA's population fully vaccinated, voyages are in huge demand as consumers are eager to travel after staying at home for more than a year due to the COVID crisis.