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US health authorities are now urging Americans to avoid cruising, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. (Photo: GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Joe Raedle) - 

US health authorities on Thursday (Dec 30) urged Americans to avoid cruise travel even if they are vaccinated, citing the surge in COVID-19 cases spurred by the Omicron variant.

"Avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status," said a posting on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website that upgraded the travel notice on cruising to Level 4, the highest on its COVID-19 risk scale.

"Even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants," the notice said.

Between Dec 15 and 29, there were 5,013 COVID-19 cases in US waters reported to the CDC, 31 times the level in the prior two weeks, according to an email from a CDC spokesperson.

The agency recommends mitigation steps that include getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a mask in indoor settings and taking a test before gathering.

"The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose," the CDC said.

The surge in fresh cases linked to the highly-transmissible Omicron variant has raised fresh challenges for the cruise industry, which resumed service in the United States this summer after being essentially dormant for more than a year.

On Thursday, Royal Caribbean modified or cancelled 16 destinations out of 331 due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases. Shares of Royal Caribbean dipped 0.2 per cent in afternoon trading.

Shares of Carnival fell 0.6 per cent in early afternoon trading, while Norwegian Cruise Line dropped 1.5 per cent//CNA