Scathing Report Accuses CDC of Mistreating Cruise Industry

Analysts for a major investment firm say that the Centers for Disease Control is “unjust” in putting up roadblocks which are preventing cruise companies from resuming service.

“The Hurdle Lies With the CDC’s Unwillingness”

As reported by Inside Asian Gambling, analysts from the Japanese investment and brokerage firm Nomura put the blame for the current standstill firmly in the CDC’s court.

“The issue is not that the [cruise] industry has been passive in developing health protocols,” it reads. “Quite the contrary. In our view, the hurdle lies with the CDC’s unwillingness to discuss, debate and mutually implement the highest standards of passenger and crew healthcare.”

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The scathing indictment went on to say that “major cruise operators have established a panel of leading virologists and health policy experts, which has, for many weeks, submitted suggestions for new protocols, with limited interest by the CDC in a two-sided discussion about resuming sailing.”

Instead, say the analysts, the CDC’s “messaging seems to be don’t even think about resuming operations, even if most businesses are reopening, resorts and casinos are welcoming guests, and airlines are taking off with many flights near capacity with not a peep of objection from the CDC.”

“The [Cruise] Industry Has Little Recourse”

According to Nomura, “the cruise industry, its passengers and employees have been viewed by the CDC in the same vein as meat packing plants, nursing homes and prisons. The industry has little recourse or avenue of appeal if [the CDC] has the power to keep ships at anchor and impound or quarantine ships should they decide to sail.”

With the CDC’s attention focused on disembarkment or crew members, the analysts warn it could be “another three to six months [before the CDC responds] to the expert panel’s recommendations. By then, the 2020 [cruise season] is over.”

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In conclusion, the analysts say there “is something unjust about such unilateral treatment. We believe the sooner the CDC reconsiders the cruise industry as a willing partner, the faster employees get back to work and dedicated cruise customers can enjoy the same opportunity offered to resort, casino and airline customers.”