Conditional Sailing Order Extended by CDC into 2022

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week announced a temporary extension of the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) for cruise ships through January 15, 2022. CDC’s CSO was issued last year, establishing strong health and safety protocols to manage COVID-19, resume passenger operations, and avert overwhelming uses of medical resources.

CDC notes that after the temporary extension expires on January 15, the agency intends to transition to a voluntary program, in coordination with cruise ship operators and other stakeholders, to assist the cruise industry to detect, mitigate, and control the spread of COVID-19 onboard cruise ships.

The full CDC CSO is available here. Additional information about the temporary extension is available here.