Cruise Industry COVID-19 Facts and Resources

Cruise Operations Are Responsibly Resuming Around the World

The cruise industry has proven its resilience throughout its more than 50-year history—as is evident in the cruise industry’s responsible return to operations that began in July 2020. More than 10 million people have sailed worldwide since July 2020. Nearly 100% of the CLIA ocean-going cruise line fleet is back in service and intent to cruise is at pre-pandemic levels. The combination of the robust health and safety protocols implemented by the cruise lines, along with the passion of cruise travelers, has created tremendous momentum for a successful restart in more than 100 markets worldwide.

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CLIA ocean-going cruise line members are sailing today with some of the highest levels of COVID-19 mitigation of any industry.

The cruise industry’s highest priority is the health and safety of passengers, crew, and the communities our ships visit. Cruising has become one of the safest forms of travel and among the most successful industries in mitigating the spread and severity of COVID-19, resulting in few passengers or crew becoming seriously ill or requiring hospitalization compared to hospital statistics for landside patients. The data shows that the cruise industry has led the way in health and safety protocols that mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Cruise has been and will continue to work with the CDC and the Biden Administration on safety protocols that best reflect the changing nature of how to respond to COVID-19 and keep the public safe. Collaborative communication with government and health authorities is critical to our ability to safeguard the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities where ships call.

Cruise has demonstrated its leadership, agility, and ability to be responsive in effectively prioritizing public health and will continue to do so as we have for more than half a century.

Cruisers love to cruise and are eager to return to the seas.

Demand for cruising remains strong, with 84 percent of cruisers saying that they plan to cruise again soon—exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In addition, 69 percent of non-cruisers say they are open to cruising, an increase of 9 percent since November 2021. These numbers reflect growing confidence amongst international travelers as cruising is increasingly seen as one of the safest holiday choices thanks to robust protocols and an unwavering commitment to public health.

Cruise Industry Health & Safety Social Media Shareables

The cruise industry’s effective health protocols are leading the way in the travel and tourism sector, creating one of the safest and best ways to see the world. Our responsible and successful return to service worldwide, utilizing robust health and safety protocols, is an important chapter in our collective #WeAreCruise story.

We invite you to join us in sharing this story with your own communities on social media, utilizing our shareable social media tiles below to share your firsthand experiences, excitement, and confidence of returning to cruising:



Social Media Tiles




Guidance for Restarting Cruise Operations








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