CLIA ocean cruise member lines have again extended their voluntarily suspension of U.S. cruise operations, this time until at least Oct. 31.
The association last month extended the pause until Sept. 15, in close alignment with the CDC's current No Sail Order, which runs to Sept. 30.
"This is a difficult decision, as we recognize the crushing impact that this pandemic has had on our community and every other industry," CLIA said in a statement. "However, we believe this proactive action further demonstrates the cruise industry's commitment to public health and willingness to voluntarily suspend operations in the interest of public health and safety."
The decision comes during a week in which four the of first cruise companies to resume sailings globally, including one in Alaska, reported cases of Covid-19 on their ships. Hurtigruten last week reported an outbreak among its crew and passengers; the Paul Gauguin on Aug. 1 ended its first Tahiti sailing of the season after a passenger tested positive; SeaDream Yacht Cruises said this week that a passenger that had disembarked one of its ships soon after tested positive. And yesterday, UnCruise Adventures, which had launched the first sailing in U.S. waters since the global shutdown in March, turned its ship back to Juneau after a passenger's test came back positive.
CLIA said its member lines would monitor the situation in case they need to possibly further extend their pause or, should conditions in the U.S. change and it becomes possible to consider short, modified sailings, consider an earlier restart.
Some lines had already canceled cruises beyond the previous pause. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' brands, for example, had pushed back its restart to November. And Crystal Cruises has canceled its ocean-cruise offerings through the end of 2020.