Carnival Cruise Line is receiving criticism following its announcement to resume sails in August.
The international cruise line released a statement on Monday, confirming cruise ships will begin leaving docks just one week after the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionāsĀ (CDC) 100-day, āNo Sailā order expires on July 24.
Select ships in Galveston, Miami, and Port Canaveral will be the first to set sail on August 1.
āWe are committed to supporting all public health efforts to manage the COVID-19 situation,ā the statement said. āWe are taking a measured approach, focusing our return to service on a select number of homeports where we have more significant operations that are easily accessible by car for the majority of our guests.ā
https://twitter.com/CarnivalCruise/status/1257309653886631939
Carnival has also noted that āmonitoring, screening and operational protocolsā will be in place as precautionary measures to ensure the safety of travelers.
While the cruise line has vowed to work closely with public health officials andĀ the Cruise Lines International Association to provide screenings and take precautions for potential travelers, many Twitter users, including health experts, have still expressed deep concerns.
Since there likely will not be a viable vaccine by August, the idea of a late-summer/early-fall cruise is being described as a ādeath wish.ā
āOnly someone with a death wish would book a cruise this fall,ā said infectious disease expert, Dr. Dena Grayson.
Check out some of the other reactions below:
One user also weighed in from a legal perspective. The person noted that since it would be relatively difficult to hold Carnival liable if an outbreak occurred on one of their cruise ships, potential travelers are also being urged to think twice before booking their next cruise.
https://twitter.com/AdrienneLaw/status/1257313080247123981
As of Monday, there are more than 1.1 million coronavirus cases in the United States. The countryās death toll stands at 69,011.