Disney Cruise Line has updated their website with a section covering the CDC’s Level 4 Travel Notice. The notice states that the CDC is not recommending travel on cruise ships at this time and warns that cruises may be altered if COVID-19 is detected onboard.
Below is the statement on Disney Cruise Line’s website:
Notice to Passengers Regarding Travel Recommendation from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 and Cruise Ship Travel
The CDC has issued a Level 4 Travel Notice recommending that all people avoid travel on cruise ships. The complete notice is available at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-cruise-ship and is subject to change by the CDC without notice. If a threshold of COVID-19 is detected on board the cruise ship during a voyage, the voyage will be ended immediately and the ship will return to the U.S. port of embarkation, and your subsequent travel, including your return home, may be restricted or delayed.
This appears to be Disney Cruise Line’s way of warning travelers that cruises may be cut short and quarantining may be necessary if COVID-19 thresholds are exceeded. While Disney Cruise Line hasn’t announced when they’ll resume sailing, this looks like the first of many procedures that will need to be in place before that happens.
The CDC’s Level 4 Travel Notice is as follows:
- CDC recommends that all people avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, because the risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high. It is especially important that people with an increased risk of severe illness avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises.
- Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on cruise ships.
- Passengers who decide to go on a cruise should get tested 3-5 days after your trip AND stay home for 7 days after travel. Even if you test negative, stay home for the full 7 days.
- If you don’t get tested, it’s safest to stay home for 10 days after you travel.
As with anything COVID-19 related, the CDC’s notice and Disney Cruise Line’s statement are subject to change.
