By Karen Quinn-Panzer
Travel Matters
Karen Quinn-Panzer
As a travel advisor and small business owner, I am concerned by the unfair treatment the cruise industry is receiving as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cruise industry has often been treated unfairly in the press, but these past two years, and especially in recent months, the negative coverage and misinformation being spread about the safety of cruising is alarming.
As a travel advisor, I do more than plan dream vacations. I am an advocate and advisor for my clients, and most recently my role has changed to include being an expert in global health mandates. I have to educate my clients about what tests and vaccines are required for the destinations they are visiting, and the rules are changing daily.
One thing that has stayed the same is the stringent protocols the cruise lines have had in place since the beginning.
Cruise lines have gone above and beyond in protecting their guests and crew. They were one of the first to voluntarily pause operations and one of the first to require vaccinations of their front-line employees. Cruise lines are also the only entity, travel-related or otherwise, to require 100 percent testing and where at least 95 percent of the customers must be fully vaccinated – as opposed to the 62 percent rate of vaccination in the overall US population. In addition, cruise lines have enhanced cleaning measures and have modified ships to meet health and safety needs such as upgraded air ventilation systems, expanded onboard medical facilities and more.
Every day we see thousands of people packed into sporting events, concerts, visiting amusement parks. Every day people go through their daily routines of visiting the grocery store, the mall, dining at restaurants. No testing or vaccination is required at many of these venues.
While you may not hear about COVID-19 cases at these events, I assure you that they are there. The difference is that no other industry is under a microscope and must submit timely reports to the Centers for Disease Control about the health of passengers and crew, including when there is nothing to report.
The facts speak for themselves. The safety protocols put in place by the cruise lines work. Yes, there are occasional positive cases, but there has not been an outbreak. The number of positive COVID cases on board cruise ships is incredibly low when compared to other places. Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors, even made the astute comparison that “if the average cruise were a US state, it would be the safest in the country by far.” According to the Cruise Lines International Association, more than 100 ships have returned to US waters carrying nearly two million Americans since June 2021.
Cruise lines have unfairly had a scarlet letter on them since the pandemic began. Instead of being crucified, they should be celebrated. We can all agree that COVID-19 is not going away and we will need to learn to live with the virus. The cruise industry is the perfect example of an industry that has adapted to putting the safety of people first.
Karen Quinn-Panzer is the owner and vacation specialist at Dream Vacations Quinn Panzer Travel in Milford.