CDC Ruining Cruising in the US

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Just read an article regarding the US Senate hearing with the CDC, regarding its blind opposition to cruising in the US. It is disgusting that the CDC will not reconsider their October 2020 decision shut down, which was ordered before the vaccine was approved.
They refuse to accept that the covid vaccine is a game changer.

They refuse to hear the Senators, claiming that the decisions are coming from DOT.

They refuse to reconsider, which is based on antiquated information. 

They refuse to understand that they are punishing the American cruisers, as well as the cruise lines. 
What can we, the public do to change this course of inaction by the CDC. 
My husband and I love to cruise. We are in our 80’s. It’s so easy for us to be able to sail out of Miami. No flying necessary.

But, I guess if we have to, we will fly to board a ship outside of the US. 

CDC... wakeup and start serving the public you are supposed to be protecting!
sheila

[pinotlover]

We are beyond the point of discussions with our governmental Agencies. Bermuda along with several Carribean countries ( including Mexico) have stated their ports are opened for business for vaccinated cruisers.

 

The cruise lines need to develop any necessary infrastructure and move out of US ports to facilitate their world wide cruises. Carribean cruises do not have to originate out of Miami, FLL, et.al. Let those cities feel the decisions of their government bureaucrats that don’t consider economic consequences in their decrees. Appropriate. 

[Shawnino]

Ah, the three big lies...

 

"This won't hurt a bit"

"The check is in the mail" 

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help"

[ORV]

22 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

We are beyond the point of discussions with our governmental Agencies. Bermuda along with several Carribean countries ( including Mexico) have stated their ports are opened for business for vaccinated cruisers.

 

The cruise lines need to develop any necessary infrastructure and move out of US ports to facilitate their world wide cruises. Carribean cruises do not have to originate out of Miami, FLL, et.al. Let those cities feel the decisions of their government bureaucrats that don’t consider economic consequences in their decrees. Appropriate. 

While I don't disagree with you, from what I've heard recently Mexico would be pretty dicey. Low vaccination rates and a leader that doesn't care about it or Covid. 

Edited March 26, 2021 by ORV

[RJB]

1 hour ago, Shawnino said:

Ah, the three big lies...

 

"This won't hurt a bit"

"The check is in the mail" 

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help"

Our government does not seem to do much to help.  About anything, not only  cruising.

[mexicobob]

I have decided that to cruise in the near future...next couple of years....I need to plan to go outside of the US. The morons at CDC do not seem to have a clue. If they have their way we will all need to be locked up in a closet. Sure it will keep us safe but not much of a life.

 

This will probably change the cruise industry. They have to go where they are allowed to do business.

 

The tourist areas of Mexico are as safe as anywhere.  At least as far as I have seen and heard. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

My best friend is just back from a week in Mexico and says they had a great time.

 

There is a clear division developing between countries that want to encourage their tourism economies and those that are willing to let them die.  Cruise lines are moving their operations where they are wanted.  Same here:  I will move my trips to where I am wanted.

[Tranquility Base]

26 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

My best friend is just back from a week in Mexico and says they had a great time.

The spring breakers in Miami Beach appeared to be having a great time too.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

My best friend is just back from a week in Mexico and says they had a great time.

 

1 hour ago, Tranquility Base said:

The spring breakers in Miami Beach appeared to be having a great time too.

 

Given that you know nothing about what my friend did in Mexico:  what is your point?

[RJB]

7 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

The spring breakers in Miami Beach appeared to be having a great time too.

From what I see on the T.V. and read in the papers half of them should be in jail. Not a good look for Miami Beach.  

[nikless]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

From what I see on the T.V. and read in the papers half of them should be in jail. Not a good look for Miami Beach.  

And half of them are not "spring breakers"...

[golfguyhhi]

What enforcement authority does the CDC have?

I see they "strongly recommend" that people not fly, but TSA reports week-over-week steady increases in airport traffic, airlines are adding flights and routes, and bringing planes back from storage to handle the increased volume.

 

State and local governments are lifting mask and social distancing requirements.

What do you suppose would happen if Gov. DeSantis and the Mayor of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, told Crystal Cruises that, in addition to cruising from Nassau, they could start cruising from Miami, as long as they could prove their entire crew had been fully vaccinated and that all passengers had proof of being vaccinated?

And what if cruise lines instituted these 'fully vaccinated' requirements and refused to stop a cruise and return to port if a passenger showed symptoms of COVID, but, instead, quarantined that sick passenger until the end of the cruise -- since every other passenger was immune to the disease?

What's the CDC going to do?  Call out the National Guard to block passengers?  Send the Coast Guard to block the ships?

 

And, by the way, I am not proposing that the US provide any subsidy money to the cruise lines, but it couldn't hurt if something was done for the American's who had depended on the cruise lines for their livelihoods were given some consideration.  Think of those trailer truck loads of food and supplies that lined up to deliver their goods every day as the 4,000, 5,000, and 6,000 passenger ships pull in and out of cruise ports all around the US.  Think of how many people are (were)  involved in those supply chains and now have nothing.

[clo]

18 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

It is disgusting that the CDC will not reconsider their October 2020 decision shut down, which was ordered before the vaccine was approved.

These are your opinions not facts. It has been shown that the numbers are plateauing not continuing down. That's not a good thing. In some places the numbers are already going back up. Some of the variants are troubling. No one knows yet the future of the vaccines. How long will they last? What if it's three months? We're in our 70s but we're not whining if we can't do intl. travel period. Too many unknowns.

[LHT28]

Why just Crystal?

 If  any cruise line  can comply with  Fully vaccinated crew & PAX they should also be allowed in your  theory

Also if everyone was vaccinated  then no virus  would be onboard  ..in a perfect World🤔

 

So far  has anyone proven that fully vaccinated people cannot get or spread  the new variants of the Covid  virus ??

 

JMO

[clo]

14 hours ago, mexicobob said:

The morons at CDC do not seem to have a clue. If they have their way we will all need to be locked up in a closet. Sure it will keep us safe but not much of a life.

People love to throw around "closet" and "basement." There are a gazillion things in the US that are available. Even where one lives locally.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

So far  has anyone proven that fully vaccinated people cannot get or spread  the new variants of the Covid  virus ??

 

Nope. Nor how long it will be effective.

[Shawnino]

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

 

 

So far  has anyone proven that fully vaccinated people cannot get or spread  the new variants of the Covid  virus ??

 

JMO

 

Well, you're asking for proof of a negative, which is logically troubling...

 

But to the heart of your question, there is early evidence:

--Wuhan (old school) virus seems to have much lower transmission rates among the vaccinated. That said, there is the largest percentage of "wow, I caught that bug but I never knew about it" in this group.

--South African variant similar, although some vaccines less effective vs. South African variant (if the vaccine 'takes', results are on par with Wuhan)

--Brasilian/UK variants not enough known yet, but on the UK one the extremely early returns are encouraging.

 

More variants to certainly follow 😞 

[Noxequifans]

Dare I suggest that the US policy may have to do with the country in which the ships are flagged. True there are shoreside people that are dependent on the cruise business but many of the crews are non-US. Just a thought. 

 

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, golfguyhhi said:

Send the Coast Guard to block the ships?

Actually, yes. The Coast Guard can and will enforce the CDC's ban and not permit a ship to sail in US waters.

There is a public health emergency in effect, as declared the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and that is the legal basis for the CDC's actions.

 

If anyone with legal standing, such as a cruise line, believes that the CDC is exceeding its legal powers why is it that no one has gone to court to obtain an injunction preventing the CDC from enforcing its edicts? 

[DrHemlock]

Good one, njhorseman!  Looking forward to one or more of the legal eagles on this board addressing the question.  (Sadly, it's above my pay-grade.)

[JonesCruiser]

2 hours ago, golfguyhhi said:

What enforcement authority does the CDC have?

I see they "strongly recommend" that people not fly, but TSA reports week-over-week steady increases in airport traffic, airlines are adding flights and routes, and bringing planes back from storage to handle the increased volume.

 

State and local governments are lifting mask and social distancing requirements.

What do you suppose would happen if Gov. DeSantis and the Mayor of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, told Crystal Cruises that, in addition to cruising from Nassau, they could start cruising from Miami, as long as they could prove their entire crew had been fully vaccinated and that all passengers had proof of being vaccinated?

And what if cruise lines instituted these 'fully vaccinated' requirements and refused to stop a cruise and return to port if a passenger showed symptoms of COVID, but, instead, quarantined that sick passenger until the end of the cruise -- since every other passenger was immune to the disease?

What's the CDC going to do?  Call out the National Guard to block passengers?  Send the Coast Guard to block the ships?

 

And, by the way, I am not proposing that the US provide any subsidy money to the cruise lines, but it couldn't hurt if something was done for the American's who had depended on the cruise lines for their livelihoods were given some consideration.  Think of those trailer truck loads of food and supplies that lined up to deliver their goods every day as the 4,000, 5,000, and 6,000 passenger ships pull in and out of cruise ports all around the US.  Think of how many people are (were)  involved in those supply chains and now have nothing.

 

[JonesCruiser]

So I am choosing not to receive the COVID 19 vaccine at this time.  What a shame that in a country where freedom is the national mantra, I am not free to choose not to receive a medical procedure without a lot of negative comments.  To me it is a personal choice.  I am amazed at the number of people in the United States who have forgotten what freedom means.

 

BTW, I have serious concerns about those who have been vaccinated and now believe they will not get COVID 19.  Vaccine is supposed to reduce the symptoms not eliminate the virus.  Anyone else concerned?

[hamrag]

16 minutes ago, JonesCruiser said:

BTW, I have serious concerns about those who have been vaccinated and now believe they will not get COVID 19.  Vaccine is supposed to reduce the symptoms not eliminate the virus.  Anyone else concerned?

 

Nope!

[RJB]

18 minutes ago, JonesCruiser said:

So I am choosing not to receive the COVID 19 vaccine at this time.  What a shame that in a country where freedom is the national mantra, I am not free to choose not to receive a medical procedure without a lot of negative comments.  To me it is a personal choice.  I am amazed at the number of people in the United States who have forgotten what freedom means.

 

BTW, I have serious concerns about those who have been vaccinated and now believe they will not get COVID 19.  Vaccine is supposed to reduce the symptoms not eliminate the virus.  Anyone else concerned?

I thought the vaccine was supposed to reduce the chances by 90% or so  of you getting the virus.  With that in mind I an not concerned.  More worried about the people that are not getting the vaccine catching Covid and spreading it to others.  Quite selfish. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

26 minutes ago, JonesCruiser said:

So I am choosing not to receive the COVID 19 vaccine at this time.  What a shame that in a country where freedom is the national mantra, I am not free to choose not to receive a medical procedure without a lot of negative comments.  To me it is a personal choice.  I am amazed at the number of people in the United States who have forgotten what freedom means.

Doesn't freedom of speech still apply?