Adam Goldstein, Chairman of Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), has told the US Vice President that the organisation will work hand-in-hand with member cruise lines to introduce new protocols for testing passengers for coronavirus (COVID-19).

Goldstein, who until recently was also Vice Chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, told VP Mike Pence last weekend that CLIA was keen to “listen, learn and work” with the Trump Government to allay its concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships.In recent days, the US State Department has issued an advisory to Americans, recommending that “travellers with underlying health conditions should not cruise”. Those travellers of concern are “older adults” and others with “health issues… that put them at increased risk for more severe disease”.

Similarly the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that travellers with similar health issues to “defer all cruise ship travel worldwide”. The organisation said cruise ship passengers are “at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19”.

On its website, the CDC has said that “This is a dynamic situation and those travelling 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”.