Cruise Ship Color Status

While cruising will always pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission, CDC is committed to working with cruise ship operators to ensure that cruise ship passenger operations are conducted in a way that mitigates the risk of COVID-19 transmission among crew members, passengers, and port personnel.

All cruise ships operating in U.S. waters, or seeking to operate in U.S. waters, must comply with the requirements of the CDC Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) and Technical Instructions even when outside of U.S. waters.

The CSO was written as a phased approach to take into account the evolving state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and worldwide. For an infographic on the phased approach, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/pdf/CSO-Phased-Approach-Infographic-p.pdfpdf icon.

Eligibility for Ship Color Status

The color-coding system is only applicable to cruise ships operating or planning to operate under the CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO). Status of ships is contingent upon daily submission of the Enhanced Data Collection (EDC) during COVID-19 Pandemic form.

The ships below have worked through the CSO’s phased approach, as detailed in CDC’s technical instructions and operations manual. Due to this thorough and structured process, which allowed ships to develop and assess onboard and shoreside protocols, including comprehensive plans for COVID-19 testing, CDC is confident that cruising can resume safely under the CSO.

When a cruise ship notifies CDC of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on board, CDC determines whether an investigation is needed, based on a predetermined investigation threshold. This investigation threshold gives CDC and the cruise industry the ability to work closely together to protect the health and safety of those on board and in communities.

Eligibility for Voyage Status

Voyage status is determined by the cruise ship operator’s current CDC approved voyage request or application:

• Request for Approval to Conduct a Simulated Voyage Prior to Issuance of COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate
• Application for a CDC COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate

Criteria for Ship Color Status

Ship color status is determined using surveillance data from the previous 7 days—regardless of voyage dates— and CDC investigation findings.

The following persons are not included when determining a ship’s color status:

• Passengers who test positive for COVID-19 on the day of embarkation who do not board the ship, or
• Newly embarking crew members who test positive during their embarkation quarantine period.

Cruise Ship Color Status

The following table lists cruise ships operating or planning to operate in U.S. waters  that have met the requirements of the CSO.

This table is updated several times a week, as needed. Last updated July 30, 2021 with EDC data submitted July 29, 2021.

• Green status means the ship has no reports of cases of COVID-19 or COVID-19-like illness.
• Orange status means the ship has reported cases of COVID-19 but is below the threshold for CDC investigation.
• Yellow status means the ship has met the threshold for CDC investigation because the ship has met one of the following criteria:
  • at or above the investigation threshold for crew COVID-19 cases,
  • at or above the investigation threshold for passenger COVID-19 cases; or
  • state or local health department notified CDC of passenger COVID-19 cases occurring within 5 days of disembarkation.
• Red status means the ship is at or above the threshold for passenger and crew COVID-19 cases. Based on CDC’s investigation, additional precautions, such as returning to port immediately or delaying the next voyage, will be taken if it is suspected that continuing normal operations may subject on board travelers or newly arriving travelers to disease.

CDC will follow up with cruise ships when an investigation is required as ships begin passenger operations on simulated or restricted voyages under the CSO. For more details about the thresholds for investigation or red status, see Technical Instructions for Mitigation of COVID-19 Among Cruise Ship Crew.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did CDC determine the threshold of COVID-19 cases for investigating a cruise ship?

The threshold for investigation was developed based on several factors, including the need for transparency while acknowledging that cruising is not a zero-risk activity. This investigation threshold gives CDC and the cruise industry the ability to work closely together to protect the health and safety of those on board and in communities. CDC’s objectives for establishing the threshold included mitigating on-going COVID-19 transmission between voyages and ensuring medical resources on board are not overwhelmed. This threshold may be modified for future restricted passenger voyages based on lessons learned from simulated voyages or completed restricted passenger voyages, the evolution of the pandemic, or other factors.

What happens if there are cases of COVID-19 reported on board a restricted passenger voyage?

CDC will investigate cruise ships that reach the investigation threshold for COVID-19 cases among crew or passengers. As part of the investigation, CDC will obtain additional information from the cruise ship, such as case exposure histories, details about close contacts, traveler vaccination rates, and medical capacities.

CDC will work closely with the cruise line and consider multiple factors before assigning a “Red” status to the ship.

Should I be concerned if a cruise ship status is “Orange” or “Yellow”?

CDC acknowledges that it is not possible for cruising to be a zero-risk activity for spread of COVID-19. Cruising will always pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission. Therefore, public health measures, including testing and vaccinations, will continue to play a role. CDC recommends that all travelers (passengers and crew) get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide.

Why is CDC requiring ships to routinely test all crew members during the CSO, including those on “Green” ships?

The purpose of testing during the CSO is to quickly identify cases of COVID-19 (and test and quarantine their close contacts who are not fully vaccinated) to prevent ongoing transmission between voyages.

What does it mean if a cruise line or cruise ship is not listed on the table above?

If a cruise line or cruise ship is not listed, it means that the ship is not operating or intending to operate in U.S. waters during the period of the CSO or that the ship has not yet completed all requirements for operating under the CSO (e.g., the ship has not yet submitted at least 14 days of surveillance data to CDC in accordance with the Technical Instructions).