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A Royal Caribbean cruise ship in 2018. Royal Caribbean and Carnival are two popular cruise lines with frequent sailings from the Port of New Orleans. File photo by WGNO’s Jeff Kent.

Washington, DC – The U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory (Mar. 8) declaring that Americans “should not travel by cruise ship” because of concerns about the coronavirus.

The advisory notes that there is “an increased risk of infection of COVID 19 in a cruise ship environment.”

The State Department calls it a “fluid situation,” but warns that “older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease.”

The advisory also references travel concerns that could complicate Americans’ normal ease of world travel.

“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.”

Cruises frequently start and end at the Port of New Orleans, bringing thousands of passengers to the city nearly every week.

You can read the full advisory here.