U.S. Ends COVID Pre-Arrival Testing for Air Travelers
By Anne Kalosh
However, the testing mandate for cruise passengers embarking in the U.S. remains in place.
Still, the air travel news was welcomed by cruise lines and many travelers because the requirement was a deterrent for Americans to cruise abroad since they might test positive before returning home and get stuck in a shoreside quarantine.
“Since the start of the pandemic, our U.S. customers expressed that the testing requirement for re-entry is the number one thing holding them back from traveling internationally, and we’re thrilled that this barrier has been lifted,” said Ellen Bettridge, president & CEO of Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.
Travelers arriving by air to the U.S. no longer need to provide a negative COVID test. * Photo: Lisa Settrini EspinosaFreeImages
Less Stress
Added Seabourn President Josh Leibowitz: “This change will give travelers more confidence to make plans to travel to worldwide destinations and, more importantly, our U.S. guests will have peace of mind knowing they will be able to return home without having to undergo testing requirements. In addition, our international guests will also have less stress when they book voyages departing from the U.S.”
Seabourn’s Josh Leibowitz said the change will give travelers peace of mind. * Photo: Seatrade Cruise Global
Cruise Lines International Association said that of the 79 million international visitors who traveled to the U.S. in 2019, approximately 2.5 million came to embark on a cruise, generating $4.5 billion in spending for the U.S. economy.
The Biden administration change is a “strong step forward in easing restrictions so that the cruise industry can continue to contribute to the rebounding of the U.S. economy,” CLIA said, adding: “As the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] monitors the improving health landscape and works with airlines to support a smooth transition with the lifting of the pre-arrival testing requirement, we believe a review of pre-embarkation testing requirements for cruise travelers is also in order.”
No Cruise Change Expected Soon
Yet industry sources said it’s unlikely the CDC will waive testing protocols for cruise ships any time soon.
Cruise ships were closely associated with COVID-19 when the outbreak began in early 2020.
While lines largely have been able to contain coronavirus onboard using the most comprehensive protocols in travel, a new wave fueled by Omicron sub-variants is now driving up infections throughout the U.S. and elsewhere.
Mostly “Orange” Ships
According to the CDC’s color-coded Cruise Ship Status Dashboard, 85 ships are currently designated “orange,” meaning cases onboard meet the threshold for investigation.
The threshold is low: 0.3 percent of total passengers and/or crew or 1 percent of crew on ships not yet carrying passengers, but the number of orange ships has increased sharply in recent weeks.
Four ships are “yellow” (reported cases below the investigation threshold) and two are “green” (no reported cases).
The good news is that no ships are “red,” which would indicate enough cases to trigger investigation due to sustained transmission, multiple factors that overwhelm onboard medical and/or public health resources, or variants of concern identified onboard.
Pre-cruise Testing Required
Currently, every passenger embarking on a cruise from the U.S. — whether vaccinated or not — must first present a negative COVID test.
For unvaccinated travelers, there’s an added antigen test at the terminal.
Cruise lines have made accommodations for those travelers who show up without being tested by facilitating terminal testing for them on a limited basis.
Added Assurance
“A year ago, we thought just getting vaccinated would prevent you from getting infected,” a cruise industry operations expert said. “Now we know from the Delta and especially Omicron variants that vaccination doesn’t prevent COVID but helps reduce hospitalization and death. So the screening with testing is really giving travelers assurance that COVID’s spread will be limited onboard.”
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the air travel testing requirement going away, Uniworld announced a limited-time promotion for people who want to get back out there and explore: two-for-one fares across 20 European cruises.
This new Friends & Family Sale is applicable to trips including northern Italy and the Venetian Lagoon on Uniworld’s La Venezia, which was fully transformed and updated in 2020. The sales also applies to the “Castles Along The Rhine” itinerary and the return of Christmas markets cruises for Uniworld after a two-year hiatus.
Uniworld’s Friends & Family Sale is available for bookings made through June 30.
RELATED: UniWorld’s La Venezia is refreshed and updated.
To celebrate the changed U.S. policy, Uniworld rolled out a limited-time sale on European cruises, including those of La Venezia. * Photo: Uniworld
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