The CDC raised its COVID-19 warning for cruise lines to four, the highest level, stating that U.S. travelers should avoid cruises regardless of vaccination status.
These new guidelines could affect cruise lines sailing to Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River and have an effective impact on tourism in the city.
Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Paul Arrigo said 150 cruise lines are expected to dock in Baton Rouge during 2022, with the first docking on February 20.
The river cruises are volatile, he says, and COVID-19 has had a huge impact on passenger numbers. If the number of cases increases, as is the case with the omicron variant, the number of passengers decreases.
Visit Baton Rouge is concerned about any problems the CDC announcement could cause, Arrigo says, but it’s too early to know if ships will be canceled or passenger numbers will drop. So far, no ship has canceled trips.
This seems to be the case across the country, The New York Times reported. Ships keep going and guests keep booking voyages, many insist that testing protocols and vaccination requirements prior to voyage are sufficient to ensure their safety.
Tourism in Baton Rouge has been booming this winter, Karron Alford, Director of Marketing and Technology for Visit Baton Rouge, said in November. Events and conferences returned at a rate not seen since March 2020.
