Last Thursday, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) extended its “No Sail Order” for cruise ships calling on the United States. The CDC announced that “this Order shall continue in operation until the earliest of three situations. First, the expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency. Second, the CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations. Or third, 100 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.”
The CDC noted that there are around 100 cruise ships still at sea off the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast, with nearly 80,000 crew onboard. There are also 20 cruise ships at port or anchorage in the United States with known or suspected COVID-19 infection among the crew who remain on board.
Since April 5, the U.S. Navy has required fabric face coverings for all service members and civilians where social distancing isn’t possible, such as in the cramped quarters aboard an aircraft carrier or other Navy ship. While they required face coverings, they did not, however, provide cloth masks to Navy crews. The Navy appears to be no more prepared for the pandemic than the rest of the Federal government.
In late March, there were 
A group of maritime organizations is raising money to provide much-needed emergency funding for developing world seafarers. From their 
The maritime community has lost a great friend, shipmate, and leader in the passing of 
To change the topic, for a day at least, here is a well done short video by the 
The incident took place in the early hours of Mar. 30, 2020, but the cruise ship operator only released an 
Sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt cheered for Captain Brett Crozier as he departed the ship in Guam. Captain Crozier was removed from duty by the Navy after he raised concerns about the spreading coronavirus on his ship in a letter that was leaked to the media. 
Grasping at any excuse to stop thinking about the pandemic, for Throw-back Thursday, here is an updated repost from several years ago about an almost magical ghost ship.
Sadly, this is not an April Fools joke. The 
When particularly interesting ships arrive in New York harbor, I like to go down the waterfront, as time permits, to see them in. This morning was chilly and overcast and in the spirit of social distancing, I watched the arrival of the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort by