New CDC Guidelines for Cruise Ships 2022 and Other COVID Updates

The cruise industry has been affected by and adapted to the ongoing pandemic since early 2020 now. During that time, cruise lines have managed each new turn, from adhering to various government and local mandates to tackling the new Omicron variant. A detriment to cruise lines, COVID has posed the industry's largest challenge to-date.

Updates to the CDC's Conditional Sail Order

In recent news, the United States' Center for Disease Control (CDC) has announced a change to its existing Conditional Sail Order. Mandatory for all cruise lines visiting US ports, the Conditional Sail Order required each ship to adhere to strict guidelines regarding safety and sanitation. The CSO reached its expiration on January 15, 2022, transitioning to a voluntary measure. ​Despite the Conditional Sail Order no longer being mandatory for ships visiting the US, the CDC plans to continue to offer recommendations for cruise lines that wish to remain compliant.

Fortunately for our Great Lakes cruise lines, the previously required CSO functioned as the very baseline for established safety protocols. ​Already using much smaller ships than cruise lines Carnival and Norwegian, cruises on the Great Lakes keep travelers safe with less exposure to COVID. This is in part due to fewer travelers, even more limited capacity, and robust safety measures. In addition, most Great Lakes cruises come to port in Canada at some point, where they still have to meet practical guidelines for pandemic safety.

Cruise Lines Begin to Require Booster Vaccines

As of late, we've seen Great Lakes cruise lines' COVID vaccine mandates updated to combat the newest Omicron variant. All of the current cruise lines sailing in North America require travelers to be vaccinated, but several are taking steps to prevent the latest variant's spread by requiring booster shots as well. 

With these additional and existing safety protocols, our cruise lines are continuing to make small ship cruises on the Great Lakes one of the safest ways to travel. 

Here are our current cruise lines requiring a COVID booster:​

• ​Viking Expedition Cruises will require starting February 1, 2022
• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will require starting February 15, 2022