CNN) — Universal mask wearing, physical distancing, Covid-19 testing and increasing fresh air into ventilation systems could allow cruising in the US to return before the end of 2020.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry body that represents the world's major cruise lines, on Monday announced the "mandatory core elements" of a new set of health regulations for the return of cruising in the Americas. CLIA says these protocols will allow for a safe and healthy cruising experience.

Testing. 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to embarkation.

Testing
2 Cruise operators should implement a crew surveillance program, including periodic testing for SARS-CoV-2, to provide a reasonable level of assurance that the virus is not circulating among crew.
3 Other employees and ancillary staff (e.g., luggage porters and transportation providers) should undergo daily symptom screening but do not need to be regularly tested like crew or guests.
4 All guests joining a ship, regardless of method of travel to the ship, should be tested for SARS-CoV-2 between 5 days and 24 hours before boarding and receive a negative result that is shared with the cruise operator, before coming on board.

Onboard Symptom Tracking and Monitoring
13 Cruise operators should conduct once-daily temperature checks for guests and crew on board.
14 Cruise operators should employ routine symptom screening methodologies to help ensure that potential SARS-CoV-2 infections are identified as quickly as possible.
15 Cruise operators should ensure education efforts are in place to help guests understand the importance of reporting symptoms and potential repercussions of failure to report symptoms.

55 There are two essential prerequisites that need to be satisfied in order for a ship to sail to a given port:
1) Approval from the local government to visit a port.
2) Agreement to allow safe passage to SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and their close contacts to debark and travel home.

56 Cruise operators should rely primarily on three key parameters when determining whether to travel to a given port:
1) Current burden of SARS CoV-2 as defined by testing rate, positivity rate, and death rate.
2) Local testing capacity.
3) Local/regional/national implementation of SARS CoV-2 mitigation protocols.

Norway’s maritime authority has issued a highly critical report of how shipping and cruise line Hurtigruten deviated from health and safety policy and regulations in the midst of the Corona crisis. It notes that Hurtigruten failed to announce or log both suspicion and subsequent confirmation of the Corona virus on board its MS Roald Amundsen last month, even though some crew members were ill more than a week before alarms were sounded on July 31.