Crew Disembarkations through Commercial Travel

*Provisionally Green: Ship meets the surveillance criteria for “Green” status, but the following have not been completed:

1. Review and revision of the cruise line’s No Sail Order response plan, or
2. Cruise line’s signed acknowledgement of a complete and accurate plan, or
3. Ship’s submission of a signed attestation to CDC for crew to travel commercially.

ⱽProvisionally Yellow: Ship meets the surveillance criteria for “Yellow” status, but the following have not been completed:

1. Review and revision of the cruise line’s No Sail Order response plan, or
2. Cruise line’s signed acknowledgement of a complete and accurate plan, or
3. Ship’s submission of a signed attestation to CDC for crew to travel commercially.

^Provisionally Red: Ship meets the surveillance criteria for “Red” status, but the following have not been completed:

1. Review and revision of the cruise line’s No Sail Order response plan, or
2. Cruise line’s signed acknowledgement of a complete and accurate plan.

^¥Commercial Travel Allowed: Allowed for ships that are “Green” and have submitted a signed attestation to CDC for crew to travel commercially.

Note: The above list includes cruise ships operating in U.S. waters or seeking to operate in U.S. waters during the period of the No Sail Order extension.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean for a cruise ship operator to have a plan that is complete and accurate?

A complete and accurate plan adequately addresses every element of the No Sail Order. A cruise ship operator must be in compliance with the No Sail Order, the operator’s No Sail Order response plan, and CDC’s Interim Guidance for Mitigation of COVID-19 Among Cruise Ship Crew During the Period of the No Sail Order. CDC assesses compliance through implementation checks on a sample of ships covered under a cruise ship operator’s plan. There must be no evidence of noncompliance.

What steps is CDC taking to make sure ships stay in compliance with the criteria for commercial transport of crew?

CDC will review weekly surveillance data provided by ships, and only those ships that continue to report no cases of COVID-19 or COVID-like illness will maintain this status.

What other changes can cruise ships make if they meet these criteria?

CDC is committed to helping cruise lines provide for the safety and well-being of their crew members onboard. As cruise ships are able to show they have no cases of confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-like illnesses on board, crew members will be able to resume some of their daily interactions with fellow crew members.

Some examples of decreased restrictions on cruise ships if they meet these criteria include resuming in-person meetings, events, and social gatherings; reopening bars, gyms, or other group settings onboard for crew member use; and removing requirements to wear face coverings.

What does it mean if a ship that was previously on the commercial travel list is no longer listed?

Ships may come off this list for a number of reasons, including if there are new cases of COVID-19 or COVID-like illness detected on the ship, if the ship engages in an unauthorized transfer of crew members, if the ship stops reporting weekly surveillance data, if the ship embarks passengers, or if the ship decides to leave U.S. waters for the remainder of the period of the No Sail Order.

What happens to cruise ships that have commercial travel planned if they are no longer on the list?

Ships that are not currently on the list are not permitted to make future bookings for commercial travel and are required to cancel any existing commercial travel tickets or itineraries.

What is the difference between the two attestations CDC requires under the No Sail Order?

Under the No Sail Order, cruise lines are required to develop and implement comprehensive plans to prevent, detect, respond to, and contain COVID-19 among crew members onboard. While these response plans have been under review, CDC has allowed cruise lines to disembark crew members if they submit a signed attestation stating they have complied with the requirements to safely disembark crew members. This attestation included a requirement that crew members only use noncommercial travel to disembark and reach their final destinations and do not interact with the public during travel.

Cruise lines that have a complete and accurate No Sail Order response plan may disembark crew members without a signed attestation if they use noncommercial travel and follow CDC requirements. Cruise company officials must sign an acknowledgment of the completeness and accuracy of their response plan. Cruise ships that want to use commercial travel for crew members must meet additional requirements, which include demonstrating there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 or COVID-like illness on board and submitting a signed attestation for commercial travel.

What does it mean if a cruise line is not listed on the table above?

If a cruise line is not listed, it means the cruise line is not operating and does not plan to operate any of its ships in U.S. waters during the period of the No Sail Order.

What does it mean if a cruise ship is not listed on the table above?

If a cruise ship is not listed, it means the ship is not operating in U.S. waters and does not plan to operate in U.S. waters during the period of the No Sail Order.

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