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Lifting USA Cruise No-Sail Is Not All It Seems. What You Need To Know
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Jan 28, 2025
I examine and discuss the lifting of the USA No-Sail order for cruising by the CDC, and look at the Framework For Conditional Sailing that has replaced this no-sail cruise order. While many cruise passengers are celebrating and excited that the no-sail order has been lifted, the new Framework does not actually allow cruises to resume, nor sets a date for when cruise passengers can go on cruise ship for a cruising vacation. I look at the 30stage process cruise liens have to satisfy the CDC on, and 7 significant changes to the way we cruise that this Framework For Conditional Sailing. Is this something cruise passengers should be celebrating, and will it really enable cruising to start early? BECOME A TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS MEMBER ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Channel Member to get perks: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/Join Become a Patron on Patreon and get perks: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers BUY MY CRUISE-THEMED T-SHIRTs --------------------------------------------------------- Check out my T-Shirt range: http://bit.ly/TFTStore FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers Instagram: http://www.instgram.com/garybembridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bembridge TikTok: @garybembridge
View Video Transcript
0:00
cruisers are celebrating that the cdc
0:02
have let
0:03
the no sell order expire in the usa
0:05
unfortunately though
0:06
what replaces it does not set a date for
0:08
cruising to resume
0:10
and puts in place a series of hurdles to
0:12
overcome before cruisers
0:14
can set sail again so is this the good
0:17
news we
0:17
all hoped it would be i'm gary bembridge
0:20
and in this episode
0:22
of tips for travellers i'm going to
0:24
unpick the cdc's
0:26
40-page framework for conditional
0:28
sailing
0:29
that replaces the expired no sail order
0:32
and the three stages that cruise lines
0:34
now have to go through
0:35
before cruising can resume in the us
0:38
i'll discuss what lions have to do
0:40
before they can start
0:42
cruising out of u.s ports and the
0:44
changes we will experience in cruising
0:46
across the next year as a result on a
0:49
positive note there is a framework
0:51
for the cruise industry to work on in
0:53
the usa it's not entirely what the lions
0:56
are hoping for
0:56
hence the more cautious and reserved
0:59
comments initially anyway
1:00
from the lines but it is something to
1:03
work on
1:04
on the other hand as i discuss this new
1:06
framework
1:07
and the likely time scales for cruising
1:09
it is important to remember
1:11
that the cdc remains hostile towards
1:14
cruising
1:14
and its resumption they have a level
1:18
three travel notice that states and i'm
1:20
quoting here
1:21
that the cdc recommends that travis
1:23
defer
1:24
all crews travel worldwide now this
1:27
advice is
1:28
not being lifted as part of this process
1:30
and the new framework actually requires
1:32
this advice appears in cruise marketing
1:35
materials
1:36
and is pointed out to people as they
1:38
book cruises from now on so this context
1:40
is important to bear in mind as we have
1:43
this discussion
1:44
now before i look at the seven key
1:45
changes to cruising that this framework
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will create
1:48
what are the three stages i mentioned
1:50
earlier that lions have to go through
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to be able to cruise with paying
1:54
passengers
1:56
the first stage is that the lines have
1:58
to demonstrate that they can keep their
2:00
crew
2:00
safe while at the same time building
2:03
testing capability
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and capacity for testing of crew and
2:07
passengers
2:08
now this stage is more onerous than it
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sounds on the surface
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especially for some lines first off
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every crew member on ships planning to
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operate in u.s waters
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have to be tested no later than the end
2:22
of 2020
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using a cdc approved lab
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also all lines have to join and follow
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the cdc crew management plan this was
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introduced
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not long after shutdown now one key rule
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in there requires the crew are housed
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in individual cabins now this could be a
2:38
challenge for
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some ships because crew accommodation is
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usually based on sharing
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lines currently in the plan like
2:44
celebrity cruises have house crew
2:46
in empty passenger cabins so lions are
2:48
gonna have to figure out what they do
2:49
when ships resume
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sailing with passengers now not all
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lines are currently in the plan
2:54
such as carnival corporation and others
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like disney and norwegian
2:58
whose ships left usa waters during
3:00
lockdown
3:01
so they will have to go through the
3:02
process to join
3:04
or rejoin the process once lines
3:08
pass the crew and testing capability
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stage
3:11
then they are able and can apply to run
3:13
simulator cruisers
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with cdc oversight now these are to test
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the entire process
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and the protocols that involve
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volunteers most likely crews and
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industry employees
3:22
and their families they may not actually
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cruise anywhere
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hence them being called simulated
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cruisers
3:29
these will replicate all the embarking
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testing
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social distancing marks wearing dining
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entertainment and also run a quarantine
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and evacuation of passengers drill
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in a simulated curved outbreak based on
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the results
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of these simulated cruises the lions can
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then apply
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for the covert 19 conditional sailing
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certificate to start sailing
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with paying guests lines cannot commence
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sailings
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without this certificate now how long it
3:58
will take the lines to get
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all the requirements in place to proceed
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through the three stage
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is unknown and of course we need to
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remember that the cdc decides
4:08
when lines have met the conditions to
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move through
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each of those stages some industry
4:15
insiders have suggested in various press
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interviews and reports that i've seen
4:19
that this could be months not weeks but
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we really
4:22
will only understand and know this as
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lines start to work their way
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through the three stages now once that
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is all done
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and cruisers resume what are the changes
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we will experience
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as cruisers as a result of this
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framework from the cdc
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firstly the cdc will be able to as a
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condition of the clover 19 conditional
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selling certificate
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set pretty much everything about cruises
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including passenger and crew capacity
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the itinerary
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ports of core length of voyage on board
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and shore side activities
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now many of these issues were covered by
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cruise line plans
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were submitted via things like the royal
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caribbean and norwegian cruise healthy
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sailing panel
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proposals so pretty certain what it's
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likely to be but the cdc
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can overrule these i think one thing
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we'll definitely see of course
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is crews are selling at lower capacity
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secondly cruises out of us ports
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must be seven days or less while the
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order is in place and
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that currently runs until november 2021
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so if like me
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some of your book cruises in the next
5:25
year are longer than seven days
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then i think we are likely to expect
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that lions will be reducing the
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itinerary
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or replacing them with shorter cruises
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now thirdly
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the cdc framework allows for what they
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call a tailored and flexible way forward
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so they allow ships that meet the
5:40
requirements to start selling while
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those that haven't
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can't so different lines could move
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through the stages at different paces
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and so we may not see
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all lines resume sailing at the same
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time
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fourthly passengers have to be
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laboratory tested for curved 19 shore
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side
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before boarding the ship and obviously
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only people testing negative will be
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allowed to board
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but in a key addition which has
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surprised many
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is that everyone also has to be tested
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before they can disembark
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now italian lines have actually been
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doing this in europe as it was required
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by the italian government
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so there is some precedent on this one
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but embarkation decimation testing
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is going to be required now these tests
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have to be the swab pcr type and not
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the fast 15 minute antigen tests and
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so it will mean as with italian lines
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waiting about 70 minutes for results
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making invocation a more lengthy process
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crew have to be tested weekly under the
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cdc rules and new crew
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have to be tested before boarding and
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then they're then quarantined for 14
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days
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before they can start duty now fifthly
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the lines have to follow existing cdc
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guidance on masks
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and face coverage usage hand washing
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cleaning and physical social distancing
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so much to many cruises dismay
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certainly based on comments and
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discussions on my channel and across
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cruise message boards use of mass looks
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to be required certainly inside
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and possibly in some outside settings
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now the lions have to
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which was part of their proposed
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protocols anyway reduce capacity and
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enable distancing in all the venues like
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theaters pools casinos bars dining
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venues
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this was addressed in the cruise line
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proposals and i think most cruisers
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should be expecting this even if some
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people are definitely less keen on
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what's proposed now sixthly
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if there are cases on board amongst crew
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or passengers
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the infected will be immediately
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isolated in single occupancy cabins
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the rest of passengers and non-essential
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crew will then be quarantined
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in their cabins significantly though the
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cruise will then be terminated
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and the ship returns to the u.s
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embarkation port from there the line
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will then send symptomatic guests
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into private medical centers that they
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have to have contracts with
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and the other guests will be disembark
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and they will be returned home
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using non-commercial transportation so
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quite a big
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onus and cost for the cruise lines
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future cruises on that particular ship
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will then
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have to be cancelled until the cdc
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agrees they can
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resume now the seventh thing is while
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these rules apply to ship selling in u.s
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waters
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they also apply to any ship that the
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line intends to bring back to the u.s
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anytime during the order period so
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before november 2021
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so this will have an impact and effect
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beyond cruisers selling out of usa ports
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because
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if lions have moved their ships which
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they do seasonally to other regions like
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the mediterranean
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these rules are going to apply if they
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plan to bring the ship back
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to the u.s there is one big missing area
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and there was one
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area that i was surprised was not
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covered in the cdc
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framework specifically and in detail and
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this was around how much freedom
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cruisers would be allowed in ports now
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the cruise line proposals
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are requiring that passengers only are
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allowed off the ship
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on cruise line excursions this is to
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allow that kind of bubble
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that's created through the onboard
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protocols to be maintained and
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reduce the risk that passengers are
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exposed to covered on land now this was
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not discussed at all
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in the framework documents so definitely
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one area to watch as this evolves
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the exploration of the no sell notice is
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good news however
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the cdc framework for conditional
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sailing includes more layers
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and demands than cruisers and i think
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the lions certainly were hoping for
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there is no a framework to work on and
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is now up to the lines
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and the cruise line association to work
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through these to find a way ahead
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at this stage it's definitely too early
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to be able to say
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when paying guests will step back on
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board a cruise out of usa
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ports and a lot of that depends on how
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enthusiastic the cdc will be getting the
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lines
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through the stages but we know what has
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to happen to get there
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so much to watch out for over the coming
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weeks
9:47
and months i have hundreds more episodes
9:50
of tips for travellers with cruise
9:52
updates and tips
9:54
so why not enjoy another one right now
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