Cruise ships are no longer required to abide by a series of COVID-19 safety restrictions issued in 2021 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that expired on Jan. 15, allowing cruise lines discretion in applying such protocols.
The CDC has announced the expiration of its Temporary Extension and Modification of Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO), a set of mandatory rules for foreign-flagged cruise ships operating in U.S. waters, including strict protocols on COVID-19 vaccination and testing, as well as mask-wearing.
