Cruise ships in focus after COVID outbreaks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that they are actively investigating or monitoring 91 cruise lines on board for COVID-19 outbreaks.

Why it matters: The Omicron variant has increased the number of infections in the United States, thrown vacation plans overboard and impaired freedom of travel. The new strain is the latest sign that the pandemic has hit the cruise industry as well.

The industry, which was an early epicenter for coronavirus outbreaks, made a comeback in September and took several preventive measures to contain the spread of the virus. Here's the news: the CDC is investigating 26 ships and is tracking 65 ships following previous investigations, according to the agency's latest update.

The cruise lines affected include Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. The CDC also said Thursday that passengers should avoid cruise lines regardless of vaccination status, "citing the increased risk of COVID-19. This is worth mentioning: another three ships are being monitored for reported COVID infections, even though the number of cases is below the agency's threshold for initiating an investigation - cases that have affected more than 0.10% of passengers or a single crew member in the last seven Days were reported.

What They Say: "The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and our members ... continue to have a very productive dialogue and work with the CDC in the interests of public health and safety," said Anne Madison, a spokeswoman for Cruise Lines International Association, in a statement.

"Many of our members have announced additional measures in response to the Omicron variant, including tightening tests, masking and other requirements, and promoting booster vaccinations for beneficiaries - and some cruise lines require an additional test upon embarkation," she added.