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 Prevention’s (CDC) 100-day, “No Sail” order expires on July 24.
Select ships in Galveston, Miami, and Port Canaveral will be the first to set sail on August 1.
“We are committed to supporting all public health efforts to manage the COVID-19 situation,” the statement said. “We 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.”
https://twitter.com/CarnivalCruise/status/1257309653886631939
Carnival has also noted that “monitoring, screening and operational protocols” 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 and 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 “death wish.”
“Only someone with a death wish would book a cruise this fall,” said infectious disease expert, Dr. Dena Grayson.
Only someone with a death wish would book a cruise this fall.?#coronavirus #COVID19 #CoronavirusPandemic https://t.co/ygEDR9Q0bN
— Dena Grayson, MD, PhD (@DrDenaGrayson) May 4, 2020
Check out some of the other reactions below:
And y'all doubted me. Unfortunately, I have little doubt at least some of these cruises will result in on-board transmission, no matter how much they try to prevent it. https://t.co/t5XxEaBWMy https://t.co/W6MUbjy4VX
— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) May 4, 2020
Cruise ? ship in August anyone? Because @CarnivalCruise is now opening for bookings starting August 1st. #COVID19 vaccine won’t be ready by then. https://t.co/UKqIt1CgVk
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) May 4, 2020
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.
To recap, cruise liners will continue to operate b/c:
— Adrienne Lawrence (@AdrienneLaw) May 4, 2020
– Little to no government oversight
– Hard to prove passenger got CV19 on the ship
– Favorable century-old maritime laws
– Short window to sue (maybe up to 1 year)
– Local govt support for capitalism
Sail at your own risk!?
As of Monday, there are more than 1.1 million coronavirus cases in the United States. The country’s death toll stands at 69,011.
