Last week, the CDC said "highly vaccinated" cruise ships could ease crew and guest mask requirements. Major cruise lines are now following suit.
With fewer major carriers accepting passengers, "the market is getting smaller," one New Zealand travel agent told Insider, "but demand is growing."
The US Coast Guard said it had suspended its search for the passenger after authorities looked for more than 14 hours.
Insider rounded up the key developments that led to Crystal Cruises' US shutdown and explored what it means for customers.
The closure of Crystal Cruises' US offices comes after its pandemic-hit parent company, Genting Hong Kong, filed to wind up.
Bahamanian authorities reportedly seized two Crystal Cruises ships over an unpaid fuel bill costing millions owed by operator Genting Hong Kong Ltd.
The pandemic has disrupted a niche mode of travel where passengers could book spartan rooms on commercial vessels for about $100 to $150 per day.
Operator Genting Hong Kong Ltd is millions of dollars in debt and its Crystal Symphony ship could be seized at any US port, per multiple outlets.
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Celebrity have postponed a total of 18 cruise ships amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Aimee Focaraccio relayed to USA Today the "extremely unsettling" feeling that set in after being told she would be stuck at sea for days.
Norwegian's new Viva will be the sister ship to the Norwegian Prima, which saw record bookings upon its debut.
Writing in the LA Times, Jen Murphy said meals were left outside her cabin on a tray covered in a red plastic bag marked "Hazardous Waste Material."
The CDC is now monitoring the two ships, the Vision of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas. The quarantined crew members are all fully vaccinated.
Cruise passengers and staff who contracted COVID-19 described being served rotten or otherwise inadequate food, The Washington Post reported.
Passengers aboard a Cunard cruise ship say they were unhappy at their treatment when a rising number of COVID-19 cases caused disruption.
The majority of cruise ships sailing in the US have reported COVID-19 outbreaks in recent weeks, impacting every major cruise line in operation.
Cruise ships have been a hotbed for COVID-19 outbreaks. Now every US cruise has a suspected or confirmed case, CDC data shows.
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