Now that spring break is coming to an end, families are starting to think about their summer vacations. With Epic Universe opening at the end of May and Disney World offering massive summer discounts, the two Central Florida theme parks are making their pitches for family’s tourism dollars.
However, according to some recent data, families may opt out of the traditional vacation packages instead of choosing to go on cruises. According to AAA, 19 million Americans are choosing to hit the seas in 2025 on a cruise. That is up 4.5 percent from last year and sets an all-time high for the cruise industry.
While traditional land vacations can offer families one destination, cruises allow families to hit several different islands and spend a few days at sea. However, there is a new complication to this many people heading out on cruises all at once, thanks to cuts from the Trump Administration.
Trump’s Cuts to Sea Safety
While cruises can be fun, they can also be floating Petri dishes filled with diseases. Last week, a cruise ship with a severe norovirus outbreak arrived in Miami. Of the 800 people on board the boat, 35 had become sick with the virus.
Just as that ship landed in Miami, the CDC announced that all full-time employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program had been laid off. Those CDC employees were responsible for inspecting ships for sanitation, monitoring, tracking, and assisting with gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships.
In the first three months of 2025, the CDC tracked 12 cruise ships with outbreaks, including 10 that embarked from Florida. CBS reported that one scientist will remain on the Vessel Sanitation Program, and that person had yet to complete their training.
A spokesperson for the CDC said that the inspections would continue and that these cuts were part of Secretary Robert Kennedy’s plan to “steamline HHS.”
However, with millions of Americans heading out on cruises this year, there is very real concern that other infectious diseases could spread in those close quarters. Amy Lockwood, Verily’s Public Health Partnerships Lead, told the Orlando Sentinel:
While an uptick during this season is expected, the levels we are seeing are significantly higher than the same time period in 2024 and 2023. These early warning signs help officials get ahead of outbreaks, and right now, the data suggests an increased transmission risk as travelers come and go.
So, while Americans head out to sea, they could return with more than they anticipated.
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