The CDC advises all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, to avoid cruise travel.

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control elevated its travel health notice for cruising to the highest level, advising travelers to refrain from this activity.

The CDC recommends all travelers avoid cruising, citing a surge in COVID-19 cases on cruise ships linked to the omicron variant. Recently, there has been a significant spike in positive cases both at sea and across the U.S.

The agency suggests that even those who are fully vaccinated and boosted should think twice about cruising, as the close quarters on ships heighten the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Prior to Thursday, the CDC had classified cruising as level three on its four-tier scale.

The cruise and travel sector reacted strongly to the news, especially as it attempts to recover from several challenging years.

Cruise Lines International Association expressed confusion over the CDC's decision to elevate the travel advisory for cruises, noting that cases on ships consistently represent a very small fraction of the overall population on board—significantly fewer than those on land—and most are either asymptomatic or mild, posing minimal strain on medical resources both on the ships and ashore.

The U.S. Travel Association, which advocates for the travel sector, expressed hopes that the advisory would be "short-lived and temporary."

According to executive vice president Tori Emerson Barnes, recommending travelers to 'avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status' resembles a travel ban, which seems contradictory to the Administration's recent lifting of travel restrictions for South Africa and nearby countries.

Alongside cruising, numerous countries across the globe are also under level four travel warnings from the CDC.

This decision comes as COVID-19 cases aboard cruise ships have increased during the holiday period, leading some vessels to alter their itineraries and even cancel several days at sea.

Should you choose to go on a cruise, the CDC advises testing both prior to and following your trip, irrespective of your vaccination status or any symptoms you may have.

Unvaccinated individuals are advised to self-isolate for five days following their cruise journey.