Companies that belong to an industry trade group, the International Association of Cruise Lines, had already canceled the cruises until September 15 due to ongoing discussions with federal officials about how to safely restart operations. Members of the group include Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
The trade group released a statement saying it was committed to security and would speak to CDC about the appropriate steps to allow cruises to resume in the United States “when the time is right.”
From March 1 to July 10, there have been nearly 3,000 cases of COVID-19 or similar illnesses and 34 deaths on cruise ships, according to the CDC. There have been 99 outbreaks covering 80% of ships in US waters, the CDC said. Nine ships are still dealing with outbreaks, the agency said.
Coast Guard figures show that on July 10, there were 14,702 crew members on board 67 ships.
Major cruise lines are trying to save cash and raise more money in private credit markets to survive the pandemic. Carnival Corp. said last week that it expects to burn about $ 20 million a day in cash for the rest of this year.
Coronavirus infections are on the rise in 40 states, and daily deaths have increased more than 20% from a week ago. Florida, where many cruises start and end, reported nearly 14,000 new cases of the virus and set a one-day record of 156 deaths reported Thursday, beating the previous high of 132 deaths reported Tuesday.