The Centers for Disease Control had banned cruising in U.S. waters through July 24, 2020. For those cruise ports that are in U.S.waters, that meant no cruises departing from the U.S. whatsoever. That would also apply, of course, to Transatlantic crossings docking in the U.S.
Under the new extension, cruising will not resume until October 1 at the earliest. We suspect that even this date is highly likely to change.
The Canadian government has also come down hard: it is banning all large cruise ships that carry more than 100 people until Oct 31, 2020. Again we suspect that will not be the last we hear.
The Miami Herald reports that since June 23, some 1,000 cruise ship crew members have developed either confirmed or suspected cases of the coronavirus while living aboard mostly empty ships waiting off the U.S. coast. Click here for the video from the Miami Herald (external link).
Although this is a disappointment for passengers, it is an absolute tragedy for many crew members. These men and women are often from impoverished countries and rely on earnings to help support their families back home. While quarantined in port, they are not receiving any pay…and in many cases they are not able to return to their home countries. It is a nightmare scenario.
We would hope there might be some way to help these crew members….and we would like to hear from you if you have any information or are aware of any organized efforts to help them financially. We’d be happy to post it on our site. Of course, your prayers should come first.
Find out about cruises for Catholics on our cruise page.
