Hawaii has announced the signing of port agreements with Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Lines, as the islands prepare to welcome back cruise ships.
Carnival Miracle is scheduled to start a Hawaii program this Sunday, January 9, sailing from Long Beach, California with calls in Honolulu, Maui, Kona, and Hilo.
Norwegian's Pride of America was scheduled to restart Hawaii sailings on January 24, but has pushed back the date to March 5 due to the spread of the Omicron variant and resulting restrictions. Pride will homeport in Honolulu and visit Maui, Hilo, Kona, and Kauai.
The new port agreements formalize health and safety protocols for cruise line operations in the state. The stipulations include:
-- A medical agreement outlining evacuation of passengers or crew in need of care.
-- A housing agreement should quarantine or isolation of passengers or crew be needed.
-- Acknowledgement of the public health response resources of the local jurisdictions and vaccination strategies implemented by the cruise lines to minimize risk of spread of COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires each ship to have on-board testing and medical staff to ensure proper prevention, mitigation, and response protocols and training. As well, Carnival and NCL have committed to full vaccination rates in addition to pre-board testing and onboard safety and cleaning protocols.
From the beginning of the cruise industry restart, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brands have required all passengers to be fully vaccinated. Currently, Norwegian is testing all guests prior to boarding and plans to continue doing so at least through February 28.
As well as cruise line and CDC requirements, the State of Hawaii is requiring participation in the 'Safe Travels' digital platform to upload proof of vaccination or negative test results for cruise lines arriving in Hawaii from outside the state.
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