Cruise lines cheer softer stance on trips

Cruise lines are cheering word the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is committed to resuming sailings in the United States by mid-July and tweaking some of the rules to revive a hard-hit industry.

The CDC said in a letter on April 28 to the industry's leaders that it will let ships cruise without going through practice trips if 98 percent of the crew and 95 percent of passengers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The agency also promised a quick review of plans for practice voyages－five days instead of 60－and changes in testing for fully vaccinated people.

Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, told USA Today that he was hopeful that the letter is a "harbinger of more good things to come".