US State Department says Americans should not cruise
The U.S. Department of State on Sunday said Americans should stop all cruise travel, citing the growing spread of the new coronavirus from China.
In a health alert issued late in the day, the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had identified an increased risk of infection from the illness in a cruise ship environment.
The bureau also noted that many countries have begun implementing strict screening procedures that have resulted in ships being turned away from ports and passengers being unable to disembark.
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"U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship," the health alert said.
While the State Department is not ordering Americans not to cruise, the health alert is likely to result in widespread cancellations of upcoming trips.
"When the State Department says you shouldn't go to a country, you often don't go," said Mike Driscoll, editor of industry publication Cruise Week.
"As long as the cruises are sailing, everyone is going to make their individual decision," Driscoll told TPG. "However, this will cause more people to cancel regardless of financial consequences."
In its health alert, the State Department warned cruisers that the U.S. government might not be able to evacuate them from foreign countries if they get caught up in a coronavirus-related quarantine situation.The U.S. government evacuated several hundred passengers from a Princess Cruises vessel in Japan, the Diamond Princess, that experienced a coronavirus outbreak in February.
"While the U.S. government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities," the State Department said.
The State Department action appeared to catch the cruise industry off guard.
Related: The extreme measures cruise lines are taking as coronavirus spreads
Neither Royal Caribbean Cruises nor Carnival Corp., the world's two biggest cruise companies, had a statement available on the development.
On Saturday, cruise company leaders met with Vice President Mike Pence at Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades to discuss the industry's response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The State Department action comes as a Princess Cruises ship, Grand Princess, is on its way to the Port of Oakland, in California, with at least 21 people on board who have contracted the new coronavirus. Of those infected, 19 are crew members.
Princess has said the ship will dock at the Port of Oakland on Monday and passengers will be allowed to disembark. Following health screenings, passengers who are California residents will be transported to a federally operated facility within California for testing and isolation. Non-Californians will be transported by the federal government to facilities in other states.
Crew will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship.
Visit TPG’s guide to all coronavirus news and updates
This weekend's sailing of Grand Princess has been canceled along with the sailings of two other Princess ships, the Los Angeles-based Royal Princess and Fort Lauderdale-based Regal Princess. Both of the vessels have at least one crew member on board who formerly sailed on the Grand Princess, which has raised concerns.
The CDC on Saturday issued a rare "no-sail order" for the Royal Princess and is holding the Regal Princess off the coast of Florida while two crew members on the vessel are being tested for coronavirus.
The Regal Princess had been scheduled to dock in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.