COVID-19 Restrictions Deny Family Passage Aboard Cruise Ship

One Utah family is very angry after they were denied passage aboard a cruise ship. The cruise line tests all passengers using COVID-19 rapid tests. They also make sure that all passengers are vaccinated before entry. The man was traveling with his two children. Both he and his teenage daughter were vaccinated, but his six-year-old son was not.

According to the family, they were stopped before they could board the vessel. Security told the family that they had been red-flagged and that their son needed to be retested. Unfortunately, the family did not have time to get another test before the ship departed.

The family says that the cruise line never explained to them why they were denied passage. However, they later found out that the rapid COVID-19 test was not among the tests preferred by the cruise line. They required either a PCR test or an antigen test. Hence, the family was denied passage.

What you need to know 

Those who choose to go cruising this Winter will need to follow all of the protocols to the letter. According to those in the industry, what happened to this family is not unusual, but it wouldn’t have happened had they simply read and followed the cruise line’s testing requirement.  Had they used a reputable travel agent, the agent should have explained the requirements for board, or if, after reading the line’s web site, they had questions, they could have called the line.

Right now with the CDC having just authorized cruises to begin again, cruise lines are being very careful not be the source of another COVID outbreak. Since cruises were directly responsible for the early rampant spread of the pandemic, and due to their revenue model which requires people be packed in, they are considered a vector that is very difficult to control. The cruise industry has spent the past year attempting to come up with some method that the CDC would sign off on to ensure the safety of their passengers.

If cruise ships become a vector for the delta variant, the chances are good that the CDC will attempt to shut down the industry again to avoid the rampant spreading of the virus and the overloading hospitals. Therefore, the industry is taking their COVID-19 protocols quite seriously and requiring “vaccine passports” even though certain states have moved to make them illegal.

Those going on cruises will need to comply with all the lines’ requirements prior to boarding, including proving they are vaccinated. The delta variant has shown that breakthrough infections are still possible despite being vaccinated, and once infected those persons, vaccinated or not, are capable of spreading the virus. Hence why negative test results and proof of vaccination are required.

Talk to a Miami Maritime Attorney Today 

Miami admiralty & maritime lawyer Michael F. Guilford represents the interests of injured crew and passengers aboard ships at sea. Call today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.

Resource:

fox13now.com/news/coronavirus/local-coronavirus-news/utah-family-denied-cruise-ship-boarding-despite-covid-19-tests-vaccines