Cruise Line Announcement - Phase 2B and 3

May 5, 2021

Dear Cruise Line Colleagues:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be publishing the Technical
Instructions for the next two phases (2B and 3) of the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order
(CSO) today. CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to
resume cruising following the phased approach outlined in the CSO. This goal aligns with the
prospective resumption of passenger operations in the United States as outlined by many major
cruise ship operators. Please note that the clarifications discussed in the April 28, 2021 Dear
Colleague letter to the cruise industry remain in effect.
These next phase documents include:
• COVID-19 Operations Manual for Simulated and Restricted Voyages under the
Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (Phase 2B)
• Technical Instructions for Simulated Voyages by Cruise Ship Operators under CDC’s
Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (Phase 2B)
Additionally, the following documents are attached for your convenience:
• Request for Approval to Conduct a Simulated Voyage Prior to Issuance of COVID-19
Conditional Sailing Certificate (Phase 2B),
• Conditional Sail Order Simulated Voyage After-Action Report Template (Phase 2B), and
• Application for a CDC COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate (Phase 3)
In Phase 2B, simulated (trial) voyages will allow cruise ship operators, crew, and seaport
personnel to practice their COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers simulating the
role of passengers before ships sail with paying passengers. Simulations will help cruise ship
operators to identify practices that are successful at mitigating COVID-19 on board their ships,
as well as any deficiencies in their health and safety protocols that need to be addressed prior
to resuming restricted passenger voyages.
As discussed in our twice-weekly calls and the April 28 Dear Colleagues letter, CDC will update
testing and quarantine requirements for restricted passenger voyages based on vaccination
status to closely align with CDC’s guidance for fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated persons.
Updates to existing webpages for quarantine, testing, and color status are in progress and will
be released soon. The Maritime Unit will send an email notification when those changes are
posted.

We look forward to our scheduled call with you tomorrow, May 6, 2021, to discuss the
guidance and address your questions about these next phases of CDC’s Framework for
Conditional Sailing Order.
In the meantime, please contact the Maritime Unit at [email protected] with any
questions. We remain committed to working through this process together.
Sincerely,

CAPT Aimee Treffiletti, USPHS
Maritime Unit
Global Migration Task Force
CC:
Gary Rasicot
Department of Homeland Security
Joel Szabat
Department of Transportation