St Kitts and Nevis says 'No' to cruise lines till vaccine, testing protocols identified

St Kitts and Nevis: The Federation will not receive any cruise calls for the month of August until vaccine and testing protocols can be identified for the safety of the citizens and residents, said Tourism Minister, Lindsay Grant on Friday.

He further added that Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no sail order placed a ban on cruising from the US, and he said that cruise lines have decided to resume their sails from the Caribbean homeports. Divulging the details, Minister Grant said that the Caribbean homeporting is no longer a valid option and that Florida is now the main Homeport for the most of the Federation’s Cruise lines.

Tourism Minister said that Florida so far allows people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated on-board to cruise and St Kitts and Nevis has not yet attained the herd immunity. The continuation of cruise lines can jeopardize the health of the twin-island nation which cannot be tolerated at any cost.

The administration of the twin-island nation is trying to figure out a more delicate and balanced strategy between the economic and the health sectors of St Kitts and Nevis.

Governor DeSantis in Florida and the CDC are hereby in a lawsuit to prevent the authority from enforcing the protocols to halt the resumption of cruise homeporting in Florida.

St Kitts and Nevis welcomed back its first cruise ship Seabourn Odyssey, successfully managing the bubble vaccinated tours and attractions. All personnel, including taxi drivers, tour operators and others, must be vaccinated to make it an easy process.