CDC No Sail Order Expired or Extended?

It’s (almost) safe to go back in the water! The current CDC no sail order expires on September 30, 2020 and surveys reveal that people are ready to get on a ship as soon as possible.

As of September 28, 2020 (at 10:30 am Eastern Daylight Savings time) the no sail order issued by the CDC is set to expire on September 30, 2020. If that holds true and like in Jaws it’s safe to go back in the water does that mean the end of canceling cruises and back to business as usual October 1st? If the CDC extends the order again, what does THAT mean?

Should the CDC, based on the survey they took asking people about whether or not they thought cruises would be safe (which, by the way, what’s up with letting public opinion instead of science and data determine what’s safe?!), decide to extend the no sail order, more cruises will be canceled and the two “camps” will each take their normal stance. One side will claim victory and continue to blast the cruise industry (and the people who want to go on a cruise) citing data which “proves” how dangerous cruises are while the other will be disappointed, criticize the decision (and the people who support it) pointing to data that “proves” there are ways to cruise safely. Two things to note: first, I’d say the cruise industry has a pretty good idea of which way the decision is going to go — even if they’re not saying so. Second, if the no sail order is extended the major cruise lines are in a financial position to wait out the CDC which means all the future cruise credit is safe and people will not lose their money.

For the sake of argument, lets assume that since nothing has been mentioned yet, the CDC no sail order expires at the end of September –which I believe will happen. Even if the CDC gives the green light for cruises to resume on October 1st, don’t forget that CLIA (Cruise Line Industry Association) and it’s cruise line members have voluntarily halted cruising through October.

What were the cruise lines thinking? That it would be impossible to get ships ready, crew back on board, and all the protocols sorted out without a guarantee that the CDC no sail order would expire. Bottom line is cruising is going to be a different experience for the near future and it will take some time to not only make the changes but get crew back on board and re-trained.

I also believe that if the no sail order expires there will still be cancellations going forward. It would be a major undertaking to get all the ships cruising again after a months long pause and all the signs point to a gradual return to cruising. Meaning, my 8 night holiday cruise is probably going to be cancelled even though cruising will have resumed but guests booked on 3-4 night cruises have a pretty good chance of sailing.

Either way, I still believe now is the time to book your next cruise whether you do it with future cruise credit or using funds from the piggy bank. If you’d like to begin planning your next vacation and you’d like unbiased advice, information and assistance call me at 844-483-6669.

You can also begin #VacationDayDreaming by visiting JJTravelAssociates.com where you can find all the current offers.