Amidst the quarantines and concerns over the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak, tourists have been seeking confirmation whether traveling by cruise is safe or not. Recently, the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns U.S. citizens against traveling by cruise to or within Asia.
According to the CDC, it is recommended "that travelers reconsider cruise ship voyages to or within Asia. For most travelers, cruise ship travel is voluntary and should be rescheduled for a future date."
The advice stems from the numerous quarantines and restrictions due to the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak, including the twocruise ship quarantines and a ship not allowed to disembark for several days earlier this month. Most cruise lines that sell to U.S. residents have already redeployed their ships that had been sailing in Asia.
The State Department said the outbreak is "a dynamic situation and U.S. citizens traveling by ship may be impacted by travel restrictions affecting their itineraries or ability to disembark or may be subject to quarantine procedures implemented by the local authorities."
The State Department also went on to say that, despite the U.S. government evacuating hundreds of its citizens from Asia over the previous weeks, "repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities."
While it is encouraged for cruise-goers to avoid traveling Asian itineraries, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that cruising in other areas of the world is a "manageable risk."
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