It doesn’t matter if you are vaccinated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) is warning Americans not to travel on cruise ships during this time of mass infections due to the Omicron coronavirus (COVID-19) variant.

The CDC has raised its health level for cruises from Level 3 to Level 4, its highest after 5,500 COVID cases on cruise ships operating in US waters between December 15 and 30.

This reflects increases in cases onboard cruise ships since the identification of the Omicron variant.

“The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose,” the CDC wrote.

Jamaica and many other Caribbean islands depend on tourism to sustain their economies. This warning from the CDC could come as a blow as Caribbean destinations are looking to a good winter season with the big ships docking at their ports.

“We are seeing people who are vaccinated and have had the booster go down with this Omicron strain. It is very serious. It doesn’t look like you can avoid contracting COVID by simply wearing a mask this time.”

“Worse still, if cruise passengers disembark and infect the citizens of these small countries that already have inadequate healthcare infrastructure. It’s just not safe and right now the wise move is to suspend cruise travel,”
said Dr Vanessa Ainston, a consultant with Cedars Sinai medical centre.

Some of the cruise lines are of the opinion that this decision by the CDC is reactionary and hurts the industry.

A Cruise Lines International Association statement read: “The CDC’s update is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population on board and that most cases are mild or asymptomatic.”

For those who chose to press on with their cruise vacation, the CDC is cautioning, “ Also with testing, passengers who are not fully vaccinated should self-quarantine for 7 days after cruise travel, even if they test negative. If they do not get tested they should self-quarantine for 10 days after cruise travel.”