When Will U.S. Cruises Resume?

This article was last updated on May 1, 2021.

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a no-sail order in March of 2020, nobody expected cruises would be suspended for more than a year. The biggest question on our vacation-starved minds right now is: when will sailings resume in the U.S.?

The short answer is that nobody knows for sure, but as the situation continues to unfold, this is what we know so far.

When did the CDC's no-sail order expire, and what comes next?

Following three extensions, the CDC allowed the no-sail order to expire on October 31, 2020. In its place, the agency issued a conditional sail order, which outlines a multi-step process that each ship must follow before it will be allowed to restart voyages from the U.S.

Steps outlined in the conditional sail order include increased sanitation, improved air filtration, pre-cruise testing and health screenings with temperature checks, mask wearing in public areas and a series of test sailings that will allow each ship to run through its isolation, quarantine and evacuation protocols before revenue sailings can begin again.

In July, the CDC opened a two-month public comment period for Americans to advocate for why they think voyages should start up again and how they can do so safely. In addition to the public comments, the CDC said it heavily considered suggestions from a study put together through a Healthy Sail Panel partnership between Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also involved scientists, medical professionals, former government officials and a list of other stakeholders.

Following lawsuits filed by two states (Florida and Alaska) against the CDC in April 2021 and bills introduced by members of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives aiming to bypass the CDC's authority, the CDC issued a letter to cruise lines indicating sailings could resume by mid-July 2021.

Are any cruise lines sailing right now?

Although Royal Caribbean has resumed operations in Asia with sailings from Singapore, there are no mainstream cruise lines with vessels currently sailing in North America. However, several lines will begin cruising from foreign ports and allowing passengers from the U.S. to sail this summer.

In August 2020, MSC Cruises became the first major line to resume cruises in Europe, with two of its ships offering sailings in the Mediterranean. Following many successful voyages, the company once again suspended cruises as a precaution due to an increase of SARS-CoV-2 cases throughout Europe. Sailings picked up again on January 24, 2021.

In November 2020, small-ship brand Sea Dream Yacht Club, which was the first line to resume Caribbean sailings, came under fire when photos of maskless crew and passengers surfaced during the first return voyage. The ship, SeaDream I, saw several cases onboard and was forced to cut the sailing short.

In the weeks that have followed the introduction of the conditional sail order guidelines, all major cruise lines have continued to suspend sailings from U.S. ports. A list of major lines and the dates through which they've canceled North America sailings is below.

• Carnival: July 31, 2021 (select ships might sail in July)
• Celebrity: June 30, 2021 (select sailings and ships into October)
• Disney: June 30, 2021 (Disney Fantasy through July 31, 2021)
• Holland America: June 30, 2021 (select sailings and ships as far out as August)
• MSC: May 31, 2021 (some into June 2021)
• Norwegian: July 31, 2021 (select ships into August, September and November)
• Princess: June 30, 2021 (select ships into August)
• Royal Caribbean: June 30, 2021

At this time, It is unclear if the order's required test sailings will begin earlier. Following lawsuits by two states (Florida and Alaska) against the CDC and bills introduced by members of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives aiming to bypass the CDC's authority, the CDC issued a letter to cruise lines indicating sailings could resume by mid-July 2021.