The policy applied to ships in Florida and Texas, states that recently passed laws against vaccination requirements. In a statement, the cruise lines president and CEO, Michael Bayley, thanked elected officials including Gov. With the Bahamas requiring all cruise passengers 12 years old and over to be fully vaccinated, Royal Caribbean has updated its protocols for September. In a statement, Royal Caribbean said that while all crew members will be vaccinated against COVID-19, guests are "strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated" but will not be mandated to do so nor show verification. Norwegian Cruise Line, which has not been approved to restart, has said it will initially require everyone on board to be vaccinated. Royal Caribbean Will Not Allow Any Unvaccinated Guests Worldwide According to the statement made by Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean will not be allowing any guests onboard who have not been. "We want you to be more comfortable walking on board a ship than walking down Main Street.". But there's a catch. The letter must include the full name and date of birth for the guest requesting the accommodation. Sign up for notifications from Insider! 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. The move from Royal Caribbean does not come entirely as a surprise. The cruise line has announced a further easing of its protocols by dropping the vaccine requirements on select sailings from September 5, 2022. Nor is there any vaccine requirement for US citizens. The letter must be signed by the MD or DO. 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. Coast Guard Rescues 4 Passengers from 3 Cruise Ships in 24 Hours, Holland America Opens Alaska Season With Special 150th Events, Viking Vessel Launches Toronto 2023 Cruise Season, MSC Cruises Announces First-Ever Winter Season in Japan. DeSantis and fellow Florida politicians for "their steadfast support of our industry." Readers react to an op-ed on period weirdness after covid vaccines. Display as a link instead, Upload or insert images from URL. - More information on Royal Caribbean's COVID-19 protocols can be found on the company's website. On July 2, Royal Caribbean plans to sail from Miami on the Freedom of the Seas to its private island, CocoCay. I think we are talking about people who are vaccinated, and there are lots of different ways to show that". Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Royal Caribbean announced Friday that passengers will not be required to show proof of vaccination. We strongly recommend that fully vaccinated guests also get a booster dose when they become eligible to do so. Before requesting a vaccination accommodation, there are several things to keep in mind. In the past few weeks the CDC has laid out detailed instructions on how cruise operators can hold trial runs to test their coronavirus protocols. In a statement, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley thanked Gov. Paste as plain text instead, Share . According to the statement made by Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean will not be allowing any guests onboard who have not been fully vaccinated worldwide. In many cases inocul. Celebrity kept its vaccine requirement for sailings from Florida and a number of other places. While the cruise line is almost forced to implement the rules by the Bahamas, earlier this month, the US Virgin Islands implemented the same rules and regulations. "If it happens on the ship you'll be treated exactly the same as you are onshore, and that will protect from this becoming a bigger outbreak.". Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Cruise giant Royal Caribbean is dropping its COVID-19 vaccine requirement but there's a catch, This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. 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. 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. Mr Fain is hopeful that customers will be encouraged to return soon by a range of new safety measures, including reduced capacity, social distancing and enhanced cleaning processes. The two . Monique Giese, who tracks the shipping industry for the consultancy KPMG says it's important for the industry that cruise ships do get back to sea this summer, particularly before the good weather disappears in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Effective September 3. A All guests must ensure that they are medically and physically fit for travel. There have been outbreaks on some of the few cruises that have run around the world since the pandemic began. We recommend that you check with your health care professional or a Travel Medicine Specialist certified by the WHO for guidance. Many of those who work in the cruise industry are crew who have returned to their homes around the world and sought alternative employment during the pandemic. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and more to drop vaccination requirements for select sailings. Following August 1, this age requirement will fall to 12 years old or older. Planning a cruise? If your vaccination accommodation request is granted. 7,232 posts. 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.. announce an end to their COVID-19 vaccination requirements, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Better make your plans now. For its part, Royal Caribbean has already been approved to start test sailings later this month ahead of its planned restart this summer. All guests must ensure that they are medically and physically fit for travel. Royal Caribbean will now require all guests to get tested for COVID-19 for certain cruises, regardless of their vaccination status. 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. Cancel only the unvaccinated guest(s) from the booking, if the remainder of the traveling party still wishes to sail. | Become a News 6 Insider (its free!)]. NOW WATCH: How 30,000 meals a day are made on the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas. Bahamas and Caribbean cruises that leave from Florida ports the busiest in the world still have vaccine rules in place. Some ships can hold more than 5,400 passengers at two to a room. "I didn't like having to do it. Re: covid vaccine fter 8-2022 required for usa citizen to return. Rivals such as Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line have felt similar financial pain. Royal Caribbean Completes First Test Sailing to Resume Cruises in the U.S. Carnival Cruise Line Strengthens Mask Policy Amid Omicron Variant Spread, Disney Cruise Line Will Require Kids 5 and Older to Be Vaccinated Starting in January What to Know, Royal Caribbean required guests 16 and older to be fully vaccinated, recommended all passengers and crew get the jab, vaccinated passengers can potentially ditch their masks. Everyone has choices. Before joining the News 6 team, Samantha was a political reporter for The Villages Daily Sun and has had freelance work featured in the Evansville Courier-Press and The Community Paper. "The combination of the vaccines and testing and contact tracing, all these kinds of protocols really helps us reach our objective, which is to make cruising safer than in your home community," Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean's CEO, told the BBC. If the islands decide that they do not want unvaccinated people on their island, thats their choice, just like those that choose not to get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide guidelines as to which vaccinations are required in each country. Guests can rest assured that their health and safety are our top priority and measures will be communicated in a timely manner ahead of our return to sailing., Latest on the cruise comeback: Rogue wave incident | Overboard passenger saved | Covid hits Sydney cruise | Carnival fining unruly passengers | Unvaccinated passengers welcomed | Cheap cruises | No more CDC stats | Record bookings | Rape lawsuit | Carnival fire | Passenger bill of rights | CDC drops cruise warnings | Passenger overboard | Crystal ships seized, Local guides, travel tips and the latest industry news. Cruise giant Royal Caribbean International on Friday announced plans to bring back six more ships including some of its largest for U.S. sailings starting July 2. Related bookings (family, friends, etc. | Trust Index: Do COVID booster shots make you more susceptible to the virus? This will mean 13 of the company's 59 ships are in operation. By smokeybandit 3 minutes ago in Royal Caribbean News and Rumors. When Royal Caribbean resumed cruises in summer 2021, vaccine requirements were in place and remained so until now. 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. Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines sailing with unvaccinated guests have all managed to sail reasonably successfully over the last few months; while a few cases have been reported here and there, there have been no significant outbreaks or other issues onboard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended all passengers and crew get the jab before boarding, said vaccinated passengers can potentially ditch their masks, and waived the need for volunteer test sailings for cruise companies where 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean cruises are back but vaccinations will be optional. Along with the USVI order a couple of weeks ago, it means all of our ships sailings from Florida and from all USA ports and ports around the world require all eligible guests to be fully vaccinated. "Actually that's a very important part of cruising , the opportunity to go other places". Under current CDC regulations, cruise lines can resume business on the condition that its crew is fully vaccinated and that it completes a test trip with volunteer passengers to demonstrate its ability to ensure safety protocols. 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. To find out more about the new guidelines issued, click here. The policy applied to ships in Florida and Texas, states that recently passed laws against vaccination requirements. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Cruise lines can skip that step if they will have 95 percent of crew and passengers vaccinated. However, the move from the Bahamas will also meet significant backlash from those opposed for one way or the other to vaccinations at this time. The cruise line's vaccine mandate will apply to guests who are at least 16 years old aboard ships sailing from the US or the Bahamas, according to Royal Caribbean's frequently asked questions page. However Mr Fain think this will soon change. Our receipt of your vaccination accommodation request in no way implies or guarantees an approval. At this time,only the following sailings have COVID-19 vaccination requirements: Guestsage12 and older must be fully vaccinated againstCOVID-19in order to sail: Vaccines that are fully approved or authorized for emergency use by theWorld Health Organization (with the exception of CanSino), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), will be accepted by the ports we sail to. Vaccines will be needed to get on ships such as Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Sea, seen here in Miami in March By Jonathan Josephs Business reporter, BBC News One of the world's biggest. 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. Cruise lines have restricted their ships to only allow adults that are fully vaccinated onboard since sailings restarted in late 2020. The reversal comes on the heels of efforts by Florida Gov. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Travel + Leisure. Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. updated guidance from the major cruise line. Other informational resources can be accessed on theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention traveler's health websiteor by calling toll-free (877) FYI-TRIP and on theWorld Health Organization website. On July 3, the Odyssey of the Seas will sail from Fort Lauderdale on 6- and 8-night Caribbean cruises, followed by sailings out of Port Canaveral, Seattle, and Galveston later in the summer. The just-announced cruises will depart from Florida, which has passed a law prohibiting companies from requiring proof of vaccination, and Texas, where lawmakers just passed a similar bill, according to the Texas Tribune. We'll send you a weekly newsletter to your inbox. Bayley noted . Pasted as rich text. Reply. Royal Caribbean International - Guests no longer need to be vaccinated nor tested to board Royal Caribbean International on most sailings. Vaccinations are optional. [TRENDING: Is it illegal in Florida to back into a parking space? Unvaccinated guests age 5 and up will need to test within three days before boarding . Bookings are almost back to pre-pandemic levels with customers paying higher fares, something it says is a sign of strong long-term demand. They'll still be required for most passengers on sailings out of all other U.S. states including Florida, where the line has many of its biggest hubs, and several other countries. It's why, he says, procedures will be in place to isolate any passengers who show symptoms. Wait for a response to your request before booking travel arrangements such as flights and hotel accommodations. Be aware that we may not be able to process requests submitted less than 14 days to sailing. "The combination of the vaccines and testing and contact tracing, all these kinds of protocols really helps us reach our objective, which is to make cruising safer than in your home community," Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean's CEO,told the BBC in May. - Facial coverings onboard are optional. Be aware that approvals or denials for vaccine accommodation may be issued up to 2 weeks prior to sailing or later. 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 COVID-19. By Royal Caribbean senses financial improvements are on the horizon. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. "The combination of the vaccines and testing and contact tracing, all these kinds of protocols really helps us reach our objective, which is to make cruising safer than in your home community". Previously, Royal Caribbean required guests 16 and older to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before embarking on a cruise with plans to drop that to 12 and older after Aug. 1. Can onboard rollercoasters save the cruise industry? Cruise giant Royal Caribbean is finally doing away with its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for adults. Royal Caribbean International has announced it won't require US passengers to get vaccinated to go on several ships set to sail this summer. Guests under this age requirement who haven't been vaccinated will instead have to be tested for the virus. traveling on another booking) remain subject to the standard cancellation penalty schedule. By contrast, the company reported a profit of $1.7bn in 2019. TRAVEL + LEISURE is a registered trademark of Travel + Leisure Co., registered in the United States and other countries. Your previous content has been restored. Only those guests in the impacted booking are eligible to receive a full refund. Four major cruise lines are dropping their vaccination requirements for some sailings next month, the . The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide guidelines as to which vaccinations are required in each country. smokeybandit Prior to this sweeping vaccine mandate, Royal Caribbean had been announcing select "fully vaccinated" cruises. "We want you to be more comfortable walking onboard a ship than walking down Main Street.". 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. Ron DeSantis whose staff has said cruise lines could be fined $5,000 per violation for requiring proof of vaccination for their support and for helping crew get vaccinated. Like Norwegian which also mandated the COVID-19 vaccine in April this request for proof of the vaccine could setRoyal Caribbean up for a skirmish with Florida, which has already barred vaccine passports and local businesses from requiring them. Effective from September 3 until November 1, 2021, no passengers will be allowed to enter any Bahamas ports, including private islands, unless several requirements are met, including a vaccination requirement. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. In February, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Insider that it will expect . The letter must come from a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). ", "We've actually surveyed our guests and the vast bulk of the people that have booked our cruises have already been vaccinated, and they're volunteering it, they want it. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide guidelines as to which vaccinations are required in each country. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. A similar policy that bans certain companies for requesting vaccine verification was enacted by Texas Gov. The mega cruise line has recently been dabbling with vaccine mandates. CRUISE HIVE LTD 2008-2023. Cruise giant Royal Caribbean is finally doing away with its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for adults. The major cruise line previously mandated the covid vaccine for crew members only. But there's a catch. All guests must ensure that they are medically and physically fit for travel. The move is a reversal from a May policy that mandated vaccines for all travelers over age 16. The Checkup With Dr. Wen: Who should get a second bivalent booster? What vaccines are required to travel on a Royal Caribbean cruise? "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," Royal Caribbean said on Friday. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty spoke about the change during an earnings call with . However, Mr Fain doesn't think he will face any staffing shortages. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider You can post now and register later. To be considered fully vaccinated by the countries we visit: A guest is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the required number of doses in their vaccine series have been fully administered (e.g. Michael Bayley, the president, and CEO for Royal Caribbean, said the following: The Bahamas has introduced an Executive order which only allows cruise ships to enter any Bahamian port (including private destinations) only if all guests over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean reversed course on its vaccine policy last week, making the jab optional for most of its cruises after the company initially planned to require it. The only exception to this rule will be those under the age of 12 and guests who are not eligible for any of the COVID-19 vaccines due to medical contraindications. "We want you to be more comfortable walking on board a ship than walking down Main Street," Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean's CEO, told the BBC. 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