Offers may be subject to change without notice. "The no vaccine question is is a huge question that none of us know the answer to," Bayley said. Travelers to be Screened for COVID-19. The update on the health protocols for Royal Caribbean ships came in a letter sent to travel agents, which are now also available online. Guests who are fully vaccinated or age 17 and younger do not have any testing requirements. "Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on cruise ships," the CDC warns. Passenger operations continue to be suspended during the initial phases of this Order. The SARS-CoV2 is still actively spreading in the U.S. and throughout different parts of the world. Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. Rather, we focus on discussions related to local stories by our own staff. The recently passed Florida law crafted by the Republican-controlled state Legislature and promoted by Gov. The CDC has so far approved nine cruise ships, including Freedom of the Seas, Carnival Horizon and MSC Meraviglia from PortMiami, for test cruises, meaning the ships wont meet a CDC threshold of 95% of passengers and 98% of crew be vaccinated, and two ships Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Equinox from Port Everglades for revenue cruises. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Carnival cruise lines are easing their pandemic-era protocol by allowing unvaccinated travelers on more sailings, as well as accepting at-home COVID-19 tests. Carnival will follow with the same at-home test allowance on Sept. 6. Vaccinated guests aged 12 and over will no longer have any pre-cruise COVID-19 related protocols. Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley, who was also on the sailing, said he expects the CDC to roll back mask mandates on ships with a large percentage of vaccinated passengers as early as this week. [TRENDING: Is it illegal in Florida to back into a parking space? Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. "The new itineraries departing through August, which will sail with vaccinated crew, will be available to adult guests who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those under the age of 18 with negative test results," the statement said. Royal Caribbean will now require all guests to get tested for COVID-19 for certain cruises, regardless of their vaccination status. After 14 days pass, you can get onboard on Day 15. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. However, it shied away from creating a blanket COVID-19 vaccine mandate for guests, although the cruise line previously said it would expect crew members to be vaccinated before sailings return. All guests aged 4 and older are required to have a negative COVID-19 test before boarding. One can download it through The app or from browser on The phone, and there is this QR-code to "check" it. Many cruise fans and potential passengers may expect that this CDC decision means that vaccine requirements and precruise testing may soon go away. This includes more contagious variants that now have sorority and fraternity sounding names, as I recently covered for Forbes. Ron DeSantis maintains a threat of fines under an executive order banning "vaccine passports." 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 and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. We would appreciate if you could take a moment to provide your COVID-19 vaccination status ahead of your cruise. Charleston. In the testing area, they were each given an on-site rapid antigen test. The company plans to "resume further operation in June" but noted updates on extended suspensions for the following ships and sailings: The company warns: "Health and safety protocols, guest conduct rules, and regional travel restrictions vary by ship and destination, and are subject to change without notice. Royal Caribbean's vaccine policies out of U.S. and Caribbean ports are remarkably consistent: For cruises from Seattle, guests who are 16 years of age or older must be fully vaccinated. - Only non-vaccinated guests will be required to present a negative test (an antigen test taken within 48 hours or a PCR test taken within 72 hours) to board. First and foremost, it's worth noting that. "We want you to be more comfortable walking onboard a ship than walking down Main Street.". Of course, nothing is foolproof: Royal Caribbean recently canceled the first sailings of its newest ship, Odyssey of the Seas, after eight crew members tested positive for Covid; six were. A line-by-line guide. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. 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. Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said that "vaccinations will be required for the upcoming sailings from [the] Bahamas and St. Please review this document and acknowledge acceptance via the tick For customers looking to board Lindblad for an adventure cruise, they will need to abide by the new regulations in place. 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. The 14 day time period starts the day you get your last dose. But there is an important difference between wearing a slingshot mankini and being fully vaccinated. The CDC dropped its cruise covid-19 reporting program last month, prompting cruise lines to announce they would loosen testing requirements for vaccinated passengers and in most cases . Royal Caribbean Cruises Fully vaccinated guests and guests ages 11 and younger are exempt. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Royal Caribbean clarified its vaccine policy this week, stating that it will require certain guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on cruises departing. Our intention is to comply with all federal, state and local laws, she said via email. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. While vaccination is not required for guests under 12, we kindly ask that you fill out their status below. For more information, please see here . You can still get Covid-19 after being fully vaccinated, albeit your chances are much lower compared to those who have not been vaccinated. St. Maarten / St. Martin : open to vaccinated and unvaccinated . Its difficult to tell. By contrast, you cant really tell whether someone has been vaccinated unless you actually see that persons Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card and somehow verify that its not a fake. Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise. In the past when Royal Caribbean relaxed travel requirements, they've reinforced their ships are still a step ahead of other travel in terms of protocols, "We continue to maintain additional layers of protection that far exceed any other vacation experience. For non-U.S. guests, the line will also accept Astra-Zeneca.". Joe Raedle / Getty . (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images), Florida Gov. Royal Caribbean cruises are back but vaccinations will be optional. That appears to no longer be the case as the federal agency has shown: As of July 18, 2022, CDCs COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships is no longer in effect. Health, Travel & Risk Acknowledgement. No, you need to bring the card. Crew members were also positioned at the entrances to restaurants, the theater and even at the Freestyle soda machines to push the buttons for passengers. Essentially, while the CDC set parameters, the cruise lines have been policing themselves for months. The new protocols will not apply to cruises that visit Bermuda or Canada where testing and vaccine rules will still apply. Additionally, Celebrity Cruises will allow unvaccinated travelers starting Sept. 5 on all cruises that depart from a U.S. or European port, excluding cruises that visit Canada, according to the company. Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. This will continue to evolve as new research and technology becomes available," the spokesperson added. "Guests . The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols, which will be announced at a later date.. Therefore, the chances of someone bringing the virus on board a cruise ship is still quite high. The announcement of these select vaccinated cruises later resulted in boycott demands in late March across Facebook and Twitter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have removed the COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships as of Monday. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. NOTE: All Royal Caribbean guests aged 12 and older must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. "This Order introduces a phased approach for resuming passenger cruises. Well, heres what Dolven tweeted: Apparently, Dolven is referring to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signing into law a ban on Covid-19 vaccine passports. That means, as of July 1, the Florida state government could fine a cruise ship operator $5,000 each and every time the cruise ship operator requires proof of vaccination to use their services. While vaccination is not required for guests under 12, we kindly ask that you fill out their status below. However, passengers on U.S.-based voyages should be aware that protocols are likely to differ by cruise line, ship and departure state. This protocol will go into place starting Aug. 8. Additionally -- following the first departure of Adventure of the Seas two weeks ago when two teenagers tested positive and were flown home at Royal Caribbean's expense -- unvaccinated cruisers had to purchase special travel insurance. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! As summer travelers prepare to sail, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is lowering its threshold for cruise ships to meet a highly vaccinated status. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Currently, Royal Caribbean requires travelers 12 and older to be vaccinated on U.S. cruises. Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results, a clear photo of your self-test result, or your actual self-test in hand. The change comes just over a week after Royal Caribbean first eased vaccine requirements for cruises departing from Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans, and any European homeport as well as weeks after Royal Caribbean eliminated testing for vaccinated passengers on shorter sailings. That's because testing two days before is at best imperfect and it may not have done much to stop covid from spreading. With few exceptions, Royal Caribbean has dropped its pre-cruise testing requirements across the board. While Americans filled arenas for concerts and sporting events, theme parks operated without any restrictions, and pretty much every business returned to normal, the CDC kept its thumb on the cruise industry. Overall, the sailing was pleasant and it was great to be back on board a sailing from Florida. Eager cruisers looking to resume sailing with Royal Caribbean will now have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to updated guidance from the major cruise line. Under the current voluntary CDC guidelines, 95% of passengers must be vaccinated. Signage was almost over-the-top prevalent to remind passengers to stay socially distant, sanitize their hands and wear a mask. For cruises longer than 16 nights self-testing is not accepted for unvaccinated travelers. A guest is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the required number of doses in their vaccine series have been fully administered (e.g. When I learned that the line would be creating some separate spaces and mandating masks, I wondered if the rules would be enforced and, if so, how strictly. User @HardLinesBlog tweeted: "I'm saying goodbye to all venues moving to this requirement," in response to the tweet by @drsimonegold. The US hasn't mandated the COVID vaccine for all eager cruiser goers, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that cruise lines with 98% of crew and 95% of passengers vaccinated can skip the "simulated voyages" that would otherwise be necessary for cruise lines to resume "restricted passenger voyages" again. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty spoke about the change during an earnings call with investors earlier this year and said the change is a move to be more like other forms of leisure travel, such as theme parks, casinos, or air travel. Royal Caribbean wont require passengers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 on select sailings beginning in September. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You're supposed to take a covid test two days before either at a testing center or with a proctored testing kit that they sell on their website and the test kit does have an app to show your results. Long story short: They were, very strictly. In a press release Friday announcing cruises for sale on eight of its ships from U.S. ports this summer, starting with Freedom of the Seas from PortMiami on July 2, the company said it will recommend passengers get the COVID-19 vaccine, but not require it. Royal Caribbean also said it will continue to maintain a high percentage of fully vaccinated guests, and crew members will continue to be fully vaccinated and boosted as well as tested regularly when eligible. You can follow her daily exploits, both at sea and on land, on Instagram or Twitter @slyjabroni. Guests under this age requirement who haven't been vaccinated will instead have to be tested for the virus. Royal Caribbean up for a skirmish with Florida, arnival and Royal Caribbean salaries revealed: From $32,000 to $383,000, here's how much the cruise industry's power players pay some of their employees, announcing select "fully vaccinated" cruises, resulted in boycott demands in late March across Facebook and Twitter. Vaccinated travelers will be exempt from testing on cruises that are shorter than 10 nights, while unvaccinated travelers 5 and older will have to show proof of a negative test taken within three days of embarking on a sailing. As a side note, the ship's Windjammer buffet was not open for dinner during the sailing. Under the law, which takes effect on July 1, businesses can be fined up to $5,000 per violation. Thats what you may see as soon as next month with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic still a public health emergency. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. These new sailings are available for residents of Israel only.". As of today, 90% of all vacationers booking with Royal Caribbean are either vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated in time for their cruise, Bayley said in a statement. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Royal Caribbean no longer says Florida cruise passengers must receive the coronavirus vaccine, instead noting the shots are "strongly recommended." The reversal comes as Gov. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Visitors must still fill out a health screening form prior to arrival. Enrollment required. starts on October 1st, and you would be permitted to board the ship on This includes vaccination of all crew and keeping them up to date with boosters when eligible, routine surveillance of all crew, enhanced testing and treatment capabilities in our onboard medical centers, and much more. Starting September 5, 2022, all guests can sail with Royal Caribbean, regardless of vaccination status. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. A line-by-line guide, 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise, Cruise hack: 6 ways to turn a voyage on a mass-market ship into a luxury experience, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. As on most ships these days, there were also Purell hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrances to all restaurants, bars, lounges and other public areas, as well as in stairwells and elevator alcoves. It can be professionally proctored at your doctor or drugstore, or it can be a test you administer to yourself at home without supervision. Carnival Cruise Line Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible, the company said in a statement. Royal Caribbean just announced a new collection of seven-night summer cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico, but don't consider booking a spot unless you plan on being fully vaccinated against. Check directly with your cruise line about their COVID-19 testing or vaccination protocols before travel. Airplanes, theme parks, casinos, and hotels no longer require any such Covid protocols and have not had any requirements for months. In order to board these ships, all adults, including the crew, will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. Royal Caribbean International will no longer require its cruise passengers to be vaccinated for COVID-19 as it had previously planned to. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. The Seattle Times does not append comment threads to stories from wire services such as the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post or Bloomberg News. In recent weeks, several cruise lines have been forced to cancel sailings (and some have implemented stronger mask policies) amid the emergence of the omicron variant. 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. Bayley noted that the CDC shared some information with him about the "millions" of people who have sailed from U.S. ports over the past 12 months. Staff would later identify these passengers by holes punched in their SeaPass cards. ", The cruise industry came to a halt last year amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Several people on social media have made calls to boycott cruises with Royal Caribbean after the company announced its new sailings from the Bahamas will require adult guests to be "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" in a statement on Friday. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. These may not be available during your voyage, may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice. Coronavirus has infected more than 123.3 million people, including over 29.8 million in the U.S., since it was first reported in Wuhan, China. This comes more than a week after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed its voluntary COVID-19 reporting program for cruise ships on July 18. Royal Caribbean Shares Huge News on Covid Testing, Vaccine Rules President Michael Bayley gave some straight answers on pre-cruise covid testing and potentially dropping vaccine. After all, enormous amounts of open space may not be the first thing that you think of when it comes to cruise ships. "Finally!!! Richard Fain, chief executive of Royal Caribbean, told . Royal Caribbean recommends guests be fully vaccinated and boostered against Covid19. Lindblad, Silversea, Azamara cruise lines will require the additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for those eligible starting March 1. The graphic below, produced by Statista, illustrates countries with the most COVID-19 vaccine doses administered per 100,000 people. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. No Covid test, proof of vaccination or quarantine is required. Since September 2022,all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, were able to cruise on most itineraries, as long as they meet testing requirements to board. The new Florida law can leave businesses like cruise ship lines caught between a rock and a hard place. . The cruises will depart from Bermuda and the Bahamas, and adult passengers must be. October 15th or later. The test cruises will show whether ships can sail safely and follow CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This closure is related to staffing and the logistics of keeping passengers socially distanced, despite the fact that the ship was sailing at less than 30% capacity and 93% of passengers were vaccinated. Ron DeSantis recently signed into law, a ban on "vaccine passports" that would find businesses $5,000 each time they required proof of Covid-19 vaccination to use their services. The tweet received at least 145 likes since it was first posted. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. MIAMI Royal Caribbean International will no longer require any of its cruise passengers to be vaccinated for COVID-19 as it had previously planned to. Read more: Carnival and Royal Caribbean salaries revealed: From $32,000 to $383,000, here's how much the cruise industry's power players pay some of their employees. Up until now, only unvaccinated guests under the age of 12 have been allowed on Royal Caribbean ships. Does Royal Caribbean accept a photo of the vaccine card as proof? "Boosters can be received any time prior to embarkation. Lyan Sierra-Caro, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean International, said the plans to require passengers be vaccinated that the company submitted to the CDC only applied to its test cruises. An attendant who was monitoring the entrance told me they were passengers waiting for their test results. "Effective November 2, 2022, all travelers on U.S. sailings regardless of vaccination status will no longer require pre-departure testing (excludes sailings to Colombia, Haiti, & Honduras)." Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. #BoycottRC pic.twitter.com/5xSNzyz0It. Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. About half of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated, which means plenty of people still have not been vaccinated. If your cruise line does not have a specific testing requirement, get tested as close to time of cruise departure as possible (no more than 3 days before you travel). Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley shared some numbers the CDC had given to him, during his remarks to passengers on the 2022 President's Cruise, Royal Caribbean Blog first reported. On May 26, the cruise line updated its website to say that passengers 16 years old and older on its cruises from Seattle and The Bahamas are required to be vaccinated. In a press release Friday announcing . CDC will continue to publish guidance to help cruise ships continue to provide a safer and healthier environment for passengers, crew and communities going forward. More Cruise Lines to Start Allowing Unvaccinated Passengers on Board, These Major Cruise Lines Just Dropped COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Shorter Sailings What to Know, Norwegian Cruises to Allow Unvaccinated Passengers Starting in September, Anguilla Just Dropped Its Pre-arrival Testing for Vaccinated Travelers What to Know, 10 of the Best Mediterranean Cruises for Every Type of Traveler, New Zealand Eliminates Vaccine, Testing Requirements for Travel What to Know, The CDC Will No Longer Report COVID-19 Cases on Cruises to the Public. I will not do business with anyone requiring a vaccine," in a post that received over 130 likes since it was first shared. Cruise officials said any cruise guests departing before then must adhere to the current protocols in place, which differ depending on where you are leaving from. The only guests who will need to test . Passengers no longer have to wear masks onboard while they are indoors, and while capacities have not returned to 100% . In the U.S., kids younger than 5 are exempt from testing and vaccination requirements. Prior to this sweeping vaccine mandate, Royal Caribbean had been announcing select "fully vaccinated" cruises. I will be boycotting the company instead. Does that mean covid-testing requirements and vaccine mandates will be dropped? User @drsimonegold tweeted: "WOW: @RoyalCaribbean cruises is now requiring you to get an experimental vaccine to book a cruise with them. Silversea currently requires all guests to have received their second vaccine shot, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, at least two weeks before their sail date. User @joanwetz agreed with the boycott, noting: "I am. The vaccine is not perfect. That's why precruise testing is likely to go away but the vaccination requirement for all passengers ages 12 and over will remain. These restrictions include wearing a mask in most public spaces and limitations on areas and services unvaccinated passengers can access. According to CDC rules, cruise ships that dont meet certain vaccination thresholds for passengers and crew must first do a successful test cruise before they can restart revenue cruises. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Twitter user @patriottakes wrote: "MAGAs [Make America Great Again, Donald Trump's campaign slogan] are starting to boycott Royal Caribbean because they are requiring vaccinations for adult passengers and crew members when they start sailing again in June.
