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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – After more than a dozen people became infected with COVID-19 on a cruise ship in New Orleans, the Port of San Diego said it is monitoring any developments that could potentially affect the local cruise industry.
It’s been two months since the first cruise ship set sail from San Diego. The Port of San Diego estimated 100 cruise calls this season in October. That can add 185,000 to 225,000 passengers.
“The return of cruise lines to the water has really inspired people to return to cruising,” said Doug Shupe of the Automobile Club of Southern California.
He said the cruise industry is on the road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Port of San Diego reported a loss of approximately $ 300 million in revenue as ships docked.
“It really is a time when the entire travel industry has been working to meet the challenges of Covid 19 and the pandemic,” Shupe said. “What we saw is that the cruise industry has done everything possible to ensure that passengers feel safe.”
He shared a video with ABC 10News that he recorded on board a cruise ship from San Diego to Mexico. On board the boat, the COVID protocols included wearing masks, medical cleaning and no more self-service buffets.
While there have been no significant outbreaks in San Diego, other areas have not. Seventeen passengers aboard a Norwegian cruise ship in New Orleans tested positive for COVID-19, with one possibly related to the Omicron variant. An NCL spokesman said all passengers were asymptotic.
The Port of San Diego released a statement to ABC 10News:
“The Port of San Diego is working with the cruise lines to monitor all developments related to COVID-19. Currently, the cruise lines have not changed their San Diego timetables. Health and safety remain a top priority for the Port of San Diego … “
According to the AAA, many of the cruise lines sailing in the US require passengers to be fully vaccinated and given a negative COVID test 48 hours before boarding.
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