Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Cruise line CEOs met with White House Covid team, pressed for U.S. sailings to resume, sources say

Cruise line CEOs met with White House Covid team, pressed for U.S. sailings to resume, sources say

The cruise CEOs made their case in this week's meeting to replace the government's phased-in approach to sailings from U.S. ports, sources told CNBC.
In a meeting with the White House’s Covid response team and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CEOs of Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean made their case to replace the government’s phased-in approach to sailings from U.S. ports and to create a clear roadmap that allows sailings to resume this summer, sources in the room told CNBC.

Earlier this month, the CDC updated its Framework for Conditional Sailing Order. However, the agency has yet to specify a date for operators to resume sailing from American ports.

CEOs in Monday’s virtual meeting made the case to U.S. health officials that by requiring vaccinations and negative Covid tests for everybody on board, passengers could sail safely, the sources said. One attendee, who didn’t want to be identified, described the meeting as “encouraging.”

A spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association trade group told CNBC: “For the first time, industry leaders were able to highlight the unique ability of the cruise community to implement and closely manage health protocols that include rigorous screening, testing, prevention, detection, surveillance, and response procedures in a highly controlled environment across the entire cruise experience.”

The timing of this week’s meeting comes as communications between the cruise lines and U.S. health officials have been strained, and politicians on both sides also applied pressure.

On Thursday afternoon, Norwegian Cruise Line reiterated its request to the CDC to allow the company to restart cruising from U.S. ports on July 4. “I continue to await further discussion with the CDC and I am respectfully requesting a prompt response to my written proposal to recommence cruising in July, allowing us to join America’s national reopening,” CEO Frank Del Rio said in the statement.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., said in a statement Thursday that they sent a letter to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, urging her to keep in place the sailing order.

On Tuesday, Florida GOP Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, as well as Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, announced a bill aimed at overriding the CDC’s current framework for getting cruise lines back to sea. The economies in Florida and Alaska are feeling the impact after more than a year without cruises. Cruising was discussed later Tuesday at the first hearing of a new Senate subcommittee on travel and tourism.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week announced the state will file a lawsuit against the CDC, demanding cruise ships be allowed to resume sailing immediately.

One former travel executive told CNBC the cruise lines are not being prioritized following what happened in March 2020, when multiple cruise ships were left stranded at sea while ports did not let them in.

CNBC reached out to the CDC and White House for comment and has not received a response.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×