The CDC still makes recommendations to the lines, but ultimately, cruise lines craft protocols as they see fit, similar to other forms of leisure travel. Learn more about your destination with our full compliment of destination advice pages! Royal Caribbean sister brand Celebrity Cruises made a similar announcement about its COVID-19 vaccine policy late Wednesday, removing its vaccine requirement effective Sept. 5 for some but not all sailings. Alternatively it says sailings can resume if 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are vaccinated. Royal Caribbean published updates to its testing requirements, NCLH announced revisions to its SailSAFE health and safety protocols, vaccination requirements for certain cruises, Carnival Processes 1M Guests Utilizing VeriFLY Digital Travel App, Carnival Further Updates Testing and Vaccine Requirements, Royal Caribbean Cancels Cruises Due to Omicron, Royal Caribbean Group Cancels Most June Cruises, 31 Cruise Embarkation Day Tips Every Cruiser Needs to Know, Complete Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages, Complete Guide to Drink Packages on Celebrity Cruises (2023), Royal Caribbean Drink Packages Guide (2023), Everything You Need to Know About Norwegian's Free at Sea in 2023, Complete Guide to Drink Packages on Carnival (2023). Royal Caribbean to Drop Vaccine Requirement on Select Cruises Where they sail: These small-ship river cruises sail throughout Europe, Asia, South America, and down the Nile River in Egypt. In many cases inocul. Royal Caribbean to require proof of vaccination on cruises from Florida and New Orleans. What other safety measures are in place: Pre-departure testing will not be required unless for a specific destination. Royal Caribbean won't require vaccination for US cruises | Miami Herald Royal Caribbean Drops Vaccine Requirement for Some Cruises Cruising is a global industry that, before the pandemic, was worth $150bn and supported about 1.2 million jobs. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Guests that have received a booster dose will qualify regardless of the amount of time that has passed since receiving their booster. More Cruise Lines to Start Allowing Unvaccinated Passengers - Leisure Guests that have received a booster dose will qualify regardless of the amount of time that has passed since receiving their booster. Where they sail: Holland America sails large ships all over the world, including to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Europe, and more. Crew will be tested regularly while on board. Royal Caribbean: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for All Guests - Business Insider Starting September 5, 2022, all guests can sail with Royal Caribbean, regardless of vaccination status. Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean skirt CDC to get Americans sailing Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Royal Caribbean wont require passengers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 on select sailings beginning in September. For those looking to check current COVID-19 trends onboard the CDC urges direct contact with the cruise line, and the organization will continue to monitor and offer guidelines to ships. 3 Puerto Rico. . Beginning September 3, cruisers that are 12 or older who are unvaccinated or don't show proof of vaccination will be allowed onboard as long as they can show the results of a negative antigen or PCR test taken in the 72 hours before boarding. Specifically, all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, can now cruise on the following itineraries as long as they meet any testing requirements to board: What do you think of the news that Royal Caribbean drops its vaccine requirement for some cruises? Where they sail: Margaritaville at Sea offers 3-day cruises to Grand Bahama Island departing from the port of Palm Beach. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide guidelines as to which vaccinations are required in each country. Unless significant changes come within the next few weeks, the health protocols as released by Royal Caribbean this week will be valid through April 14, 2022. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Wow: Inside Amex's glistening new Centurion club in midtown Manhattan, The best places to see cherry blossoms around the US this spring, Looking back: How my points and miles strategy has changed over the years. Apr 12, 2022 10:20 AM EDT. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Each ship can perform rapid molecular tests on board. These Cruise Lines Just Dropped Their COVID-19 Testing Rules, Norwegian Cruises to Allow Unvaccinated Passengers Starting in September, These Major Cruise Lines Just Dropped COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Shorter Sailings What to Know, More Cruise Lines to Start Allowing Unvaccinated Passengers on Board, These Cruise Lines Will Accept At-home Covid Tests for Unvaccinated Passengers, Canada to Drop All COVID-19 Travel Restrictions on Oct. 1 What to Know, A Country-by-country Guide to COVID-19 Entry Requirements in Europe, Where Can Americans Travel Right Now? Who needs the vaccine: All guests 12 and older need to be vaccinated before boarding. In May, Royal Caribbean said it would require vaccinations for passengers. Guests who are eligible must have a booster. The most important change may be the following: Guests who are not vaccinated can sail on any cruise from the U.S. or Europe (*except. 2 shots of Pfizer, Moderna,AstraZeneca, etc.,or 1 shot of Johnson & Johnson). Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. "We are working with local governments in the Eastern Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for more itineraries. Find out more: Royal Caribbean International. Royal Caribbean. Who needs the vaccine: All guests are encouraged to be vaccinated but unvaccinated travelers, or vaccinated guests without proof of vaccination, will have to present the negative results of a PCR or antigen test taken no earlier than 3 days before sailing. Royal Caribbean will require the COVID-19 vaccine for all passengers over 16 years old. The changes began shortly after the CDC ended a pandemic-era policy of publicly displaying COVID-19 cases onboard, different cruise lines to the public in July 2022. These Cruises Will Set Sail This Summer to the Caribbean - Travel What other safety measures are in place: Guests are not required, but requested to test before departing from home (this policy is subject to change as COVID-19 trends change,) as the company states passengers should test to "be a good citizen". Unvaccinated children aged 12 years and younger are exempt. All guests must ensure that they are medically and physically fit for travel. Of the major cruise lines, Royal Caribbean has issued some of the most confusing protocol changes to date. Even there, the vaccine is not required unless the . What other safety measures are in place: All ships have been equipped with High Efficiency Particular Air (HEPA) filters and buffets have been eliminated. However, Mr Fain doesn't think he will face any staffing shortages. The world's largest cruise line late Wednesday said it was eliminating the requirement only for some of the itineraries it offers around the world. Cruise giant Royal Caribbean is dropping its COVID-19 vaccine She is a self-confessed thrill seeker, obsessive planner, and over-packer. Planning a cruise? Royal Caribbean to Require Crew to Be Vaccinated In a statement, Royal Caribbean said that while all crew members will be vaccinated against COVID-19, guests are "strongly . All crew will continue to be fully vaccinated and boosted when eligible, and tested regularly. Your email address will not be published. But their announcements, too, came with an asterisk: The lines said COVID-19 vaccines still will be required for cruises in some places where local regulations call for one. Royal Caribbean's Plan To Carry Unvaccinated Passengers Draws Mixed Find the right card for you. Are you ready to embark on your journey to sea the world, one port at a time? "I don't think we're talking about a vaccine passport. Furthermore, besides the cruise industry itself there are a lot of suppliers that are suffering as well.". Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Royal Caribbean drops the vaccine requirement from select U.S. homeports on departures from September 5, 2022. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. NCL's rule change is subject to certain local guidelines, so cruises visiting Canada, Bermuda, or Greece will still require adults to be vaccinated. Outside of the CDC's remit, sailings from several Caribbean islands, Greece and within UK waters are due to put the new safety protocols through a sterner examination in the next few weeks. Royal Caribbean International - Guests no longer need to be vaccinated nor tested to board Royal Caribbean International on most sailings. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Passports are required to travel to all regions. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. Beginning August 4, vaccinated passengers on Carnival company sailings that last less than six days will no longer be required to provide a negative PCR or antigen test result before boarding. Testing requirements have not been finalized, All sailings departing from the UK and Europe (with the exception of Iceland), All sailings departing from Los Angeles to Mexican Riviera. Accepted Tests: Any FDAapproved PCR or antigen test supervised in person or by a telehealth professional meet this requirement. Royal Caribbean sister brand Celebrity Cruises made a similar announcement about its COVID-19 vaccine policy late Wednesday, removing its vaccine requirement effective Sept. 5 for some but not all sailings. Royal Caribbean Won't Require Covid-19 Vaccination To Ride U - Forbes The health guidelines released this week align mostly with what Royal Caribbean had already implemented: Also Read: Royal Caribbean Provides Update to Guests Booked on Sailings to Russia. In another caveat, passengers on Europe sailings who aren't up to date on a COVID-19 vaccine series per European standards will need to take a COVID-19 test on board in order to get off the ship in Greece and Spain. | 2043026. Vaccine required? December 2020: How Covid cruise ships are navigating troubled waters. Asked about forgeries he replied: "We don't think many people would would even bother to do so. Royal Caribbean did not answer a question about whether its decision not to require vaccinations for passengers was a result of the states' bans. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide guidelines as to which vaccinations are required in each country. Where they sail: Seabourn's mid-size luxury cruises head all around the world, from Alaska to the Caribbean. That is key to remember. See our What Vaccines section to learn more. Bookings are almost back to pre-pandemic levels with customers paying higher fares, something it says is a sign of strong long-term demand. Masks will be required on board indoors, and all shore excursions will be with vetted operators. A Royal Caribbean-owned cruise line just announced a vaccine requirement. The cruise line indicated that these protocols better aligned with the travel and hospitality sector and met destination regulations. Who needs the vaccine: All guests will be required to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before boarding one of Windstar's yachts. In many cases inocul. Some countries are only. In general, Royal Caribbean said guests "are strongly recommended" to have been vaccinated before boarding, and all crew will be vaccinated. We'll send you a weekly newsletter to your inbox. What other safety measures are in place: Masks are recommended onboard in most indoor venues and the casinos are frequently sanitized. But local rules in some destinations that its ships visit, such as the Caribbean, mean it's not practical to do away with the requirement completely for now. Florida's ban on vaccination proof requirements complicates U.S. cruise We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. We strongly recommend that fully vaccinated guests also get a booster dose when they become eligible to do so. What other safety measures are in place: Vaccinated travelers will no longer need a negative test on sailings shorter than 10 nights. COVID-19 vaccines no longer will be required for Celebrity sailings from European countries with the exception of Iceland and sailings from Los Angeles. Royal Caribbean has announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for guests. I am glad you brought this up because I had considered that cruise and now I will not. One important change to the onboard policies is that Royal Caribbean has removed the vaccinated and unvaccinated areas. Royal Caribbean: Avoid Florida If You Want An All-Vaccinated - Forbes "Ports around the world are opening up and opening up very quickly. To be considered up to date by all European countries, your vaccination must meet both of the following requirements: 1. Where they sail: Royal Caribbean sails large ocean ships all over the world, including many popular itineraries throughout the Caribbean and Asia. Mexico Plans on Increasing Protocols for Incoming Tourists, Could This In a statement sent to TPG, Royal Caribbean suggested it hoped to eventually make its new "no vaccine required" policy more universal. What other safety measures are in place: Testing is no longer required for any passenger regardless of vaccination status with the exception of local government mandates. Norwegian Cruise Line made headlines when it announced it would end its vaccine requirement. Caribbean travel: Covid entry rules, island by island - Travel Weekly Royal Caribbean won't require COVID-19 vaccination to ride cruises What other safety measures are in place: All crew members must be vaccinated for COVID-19 and the cruise line states there are vaccination requirements on board (but does not specify). In general, Royal Caribbean said guests "are strongly recommended" to have been vaccinated before boarding, and all crew will be vaccinated. Where they sail: The brand-new cruise line is launching mini sailings from England for UK residents, and has cruises throughout the Caribbean, and transatlantic options. Cruises 6 nights or more: All guests aged 2 years and older, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date. On top of that, shows in Studio B were only accessible during select hours, as was the case for the gym. What other safety measures are in place: Cunard has "enhanced" their onboard ventilation systems and implemented mandatory mask-wearing policies indoors. Learn more. What other safety measures are in place: All guests are required to undergo a COVID-19 test at the terminal. 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