Cruises

A pod of dolphins was captured swimming alongside a cruise ship near the U.K. mainland's most westerly point in Scotland.

The federal health agency had designated cruise ships as having a "high" or "very high" risk for transmission of the coronavirus.

"How could they have allowed us to...sail off when they had to have clearly known they were shutting down the ships within a few hours?" one passenger said.

I had two big cruise ship romances. They didn't happen on the same trip, but multiple romances happening on one trip isn't uncommon.

Thursday is the 10-year anniversary of the Costa Concordia shipwreck off the coast of a Tuscan island that killed 32 passengers and crew members.

The CDC issued its latest warning against taking cruises amidst the pandemic on December 30.

The world's largest cruise trade association called the CDC's new guidance advising against cruise travel "perplexing" in a statement shared with Newsweek.

The U.S. cruise industry has only been reopened for about six months, with ships beginning to depart from Florida again in June after COVID-19 shutdowns.

The 60-year-old victim was taken to a nearby hospital following the crocodile attack in Northern Territory, Australia.

"The guest almost certainly did not contract COVID on our ship," the cruise line said in a statement regarding a passenger who died from COVID complications.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law in May that prohibited businesses operating in the state from requiring proof of COVID vaccination.

Tens of thousands of people in California reportedly were vaccinated at a site where only photocopies of vaccine cards were handed out.

"It's scary what is happening in Florida," Norwegian's attorney, Derek Shaffer, said. "All we're doing is trying to protect our staff and passengers."

The first U.S. cruise in 15 months sets off Saturday as the industry hopes to make a comeback. Florida law blocked the ship from requiring proof of vaccination.

"Guests eligible but not fully vaccinated or able to show proof of vaccination will be subject to testing and additional health protocols at their own expense," the company said. "Children not eligible for vaccines will be subject to complimentary testing and health protocols."

The maiden cruise of Odyssey of the Seas, the line's newest vessel, has been pushed back to July 31 "out of an abundance of caution."

Americans can book cruises in parts of Europe and the Caribbean for departures from August, with ones from Costa Cruises departing as early as June.

While travelers will have a difficult time finding cruise ship voyages departing from the U.S, they can find trips in other regions of the world.

Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio said the path to resuming U.S. cruises is "a bit rockier and a bit steeper" than expected, and he said a mid-summer restart "could be in jeopardy."

All volunteers must be at least 18 years old and be either fully vaccinated or provide documentation that they are not at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness.

The state has seen a loss of 49,500 jobs since the cruise industry came to a halt, with more than 6,000 former cruise workers having filed for unemployment.

It is the latest cruise operator to cancel voyages from U.S. waters as the industry calls on the CDC to

In addition to its U.S. sailings through June, the cruise line also canceled its European cruises through September 18.

Some cruise sailings have been restricted to vaccinated U.K. residents "given the advanced progress of the UK vaccination program," Carnival's P&O and Princess Cruises said.

The CDC currently advises Americans to avoid cruise travel because "the risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high."

COVID-19 vaccinations will be required on the upcoming sailings from the Bahamas and St. Maarten, the company said.

"This is a highly uncertain area right now for ships calling at U.S. ports," travel medicine expert David Freedman told Newsweek.

The crew members who tested positive were reported to be "doing well, with only mild symptoms," according to the ferry company.

The SeaDream Yacht Club vessel, which had 37 Americans aboard, returned to Barbados on Wednesday after the passenger tested positive.

The cruise began in Heraklion, the capital of the Greek island of Crete, and was due to sail to Piraeus, near Athens.