The “No Sail” order for cruise ships leaving from the United States will be extended for the month of October, according to a report from Axios, citing inside knowledge of a Tuesday meeting in the White House Situation Room.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “No Sail” order was previously issued in March, with extensions coming in April and July, and is now set to expire on Sept. 30.
Cruise lines, meanwhile, have imposed their own suspension of operations in the United States through Oct. 31.
“Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was overruled when he pushed to extend a ‘no-sail order’ on passenger cruises into next year, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the conversation today in the White House Situation Room,” the article said.
Instead, the CDC appears to be set to expand the order by one month, according to the Axios report, allowing itself time to review recent comment requests from the general public, as well as give the cruise lines an opportunity to formulate their restart plans for sailings from the United States.
Earlier on Tuesday, Virgin Voyages cancelled all of its November sailings.
Other cruise lines, however, continue to list and sell staterooms for November departures from ports in Florida on their websites.