The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has expressed concerned about the ‘unintended’ consequences of the CDC’s re-issued ‘No Sail Order’ on 9th April (see ICSI News 10th April).
The association accused the CDC of singling out the cruise industry, stressing that the cruise industry has been proactive in its escalation of health and sanitation protocols and was one of the first industries to announce a voluntary suspension of operations.
Cruise activity supports multiple sectors of the US economy (transportation, food and beverage, lodging, manufacturing, agriculture, travel agencies and travel agents, plus a broad range of supply chain industries and small businesses) that stretch across the country.
Should the suspension of sailing extend well beyond the appropriate time to resume business, the economic impact could be significant, given each day of the suspension results in a total economic impact loss of about $92 mill and the loss of more than 300 direct and 620 total American jobs.
Over time, the pace of the losses will increase and could result in a total economic impact loss to the US of $51 bill and 173,000 direct and 343,000 total American jobs if the order were to remain in effect for a year (Source: BREA/CLIA Economic Impact Analysis).
While it’s easy to focus on cruising, due to its high profile, the fact is cruising is neither the source or cause of the virus or its spread. What is different about the cruise industry is the very stringent reporting requirements applicable to vessels that do not apply to comparable venues on land where the spread of communicable disease is just as prevalent.
It would be a false assumption to connect higher frequency and visibility in reporting to a higher frequency of infection, CLIA said.
