Feel free to visitourFAQsfor full details on vaccination requirements. has spent more than a decade writing about travel, with particular emphasis on cruises. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. The only guests who will need to test . This protocol will go into place starting Aug. 8. Business reporter, BBC News. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Guests can take advantage of in-person, telehealth, and self-swab tests. To find out more about the new guidelines issued, click here. Heres a hint. Follow her adventures on Instagram. The new protocols will not apply to cruises that visit Bermuda or Canada where testing and vaccine rules will still apply. Cov. "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. Up until now, only unvaccinated guests under the age of 12 have been allowed on Royal Caribbean ships. Lindblad, Silversea, Azamara cruise lines will require the additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for those eligible starting March 1. Royal Caribbean has announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for guests. 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. If they are more likely, then you could easily end up on a ship where less than half of the passengers are fully vaccinated. The cruise company's new sailings from the Bahamas will require all adult guests "to be . Travelers to be Screened for COVID-19. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. 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. Reminders going from indoors to outdoors and vice-versa were especially helpful. 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. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. 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. 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. 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. Vaccinated travelers will not be required to get tested for cruises that are 9 nights or less. if you received your final dose on October 1st, your 14 day countdown The new Florida law can leave businesses like cruise ship lines caught between a rock and a hard place. Royal Caribbean expects to require its crew members to receive the vaccine before sailings return, a spokesperson told Insider. Thats what you may see as soon as next month with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic still a public health emergency. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. 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. Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. After all, rarely do you hear someone ask, is that person wearing a full business suit or just a suspender man thong? The CDC has dropped its voluntary program to monitor cruise ships. Royal Caribbean has greatly relaxed its covid rules. 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. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images) Due to changing vaccine regulations in the Bahamas, which is a frequent stop for many cruise lines, Royal Caribbean's policy for voyages leaving from Florida will now be the same as its policy for those from all other U.S. embarkation ports -- proof of inoculation is required -- from Sept. 3 through at least Nov. 1, 2021. 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. 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. Several cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages have already mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for its guests, crew, or both. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention kept Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Free Report, Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) - Get Free Report, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) - Get Free Report and every other cruise line from sailing from ports in the U.S. from March 2020 through July 2021. 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. Guests under this age requirement who haven't been vaccinated will instead have to be tested for the virus. News 6 is Getting Results. In Nassau, vaccinated passengers were allowed to explore however they wished, but unvaccinated cruisers were required to take ship-sponsored excursions to leave the ship. "We want you to be more comfortable walking onboard a ship than walking down Main Street.". You can follow her daily exploits, both at sea and on land, on Instagram or Twitter @slyjabroni. Image source: Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. Travelers looking to set sail with Viking Cruises must take a COVID-19 PCR laboratory test before leaving their home country 72 hours prior to departure of the first flight, or 24 hours before with a laboratory certified antigen test. October 15th or later. 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. 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. Both crew members and guests over 16 years old will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to sail on the . Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. 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. 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. At this time, only the following sailings have COVID-19 vaccination requirements: Guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to sail: Cruises from Australia Learn more about cruising from Australia Transatlantic and Transpacific Sailings The Miami-based operator. While vaccination is not required, they kindly ask passengers to disclose their vaccine status during check-in. 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. Please complete the short form below. Royal Caribbean Internationals sister brand Celebrity Cruises (both owned by Royal Caribbean Group) is still requiring all passengers 16 years old or older be vaccinated on its seven-night Caribbean cruises that are restarting from Port Everglades on June 26. #BoycottRC pic.twitter.com/5xSNzyz0It. Wristbands were also diligently checked in spaces intended for vaccinated cruisers. Offers may be subject to change without notice. I saw a couple of crew members nicely ask passengers to pull their masks up over their noses in public spaces (and they complied). For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs new cruise newsletter. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider CDC stops reporting coronavirus cases on cruise ships. Get tested again after cruise travel. 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. #BoycottRC." COVID-19 Vaccination is no longer required to sail, with a few exceptions. Several luxury cruise lines are implementing new vaccine protocols, each requiring guests to show proof of having received a booster shot to board. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, An aerial view of Royal Caribbeans Navigator of the Sea cruise ship docked in Miami, Florida on March 2. Airplanes, theme parks, casinos, and hotels no longer require any such Covid protocols and have not had any requirements for months. Bayley said during the President's Cruise that testing would "be around for another couple of months.". Vaccines must be approved for use by the WHO or U.S. FDA, with the exception of CanSino. The announcement of these select vaccinated cruises later resulted in boycott demands in late March across Facebook and Twitter. Vacation cruising has nearly returned to normal. The major cruise line previously mandated the covid vaccine for crew members only. regardless of vaccination status, can cruise on the . 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. "Boosters can be received any time prior to embarkation. Royal Caribbean recommends guests be fully vaccinated and boostered against Covid19. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. All of this have prompted a fair number of tweets to use the words petri dish. For example: Think back to February 2020 right before the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak officially became a pandemic. The SARS-CoV2 is still actively spreading in the U.S. and throughout different parts of the world. Since then, more itineraries opened up to unvaccinated cruisers. But there is an important difference between wearing a slingshot mankini and being fully vaccinated. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Credit card showdown: Alaska Airlines Visa vs. Alaska Airlines Business Visa, Disney Cruise Lines Castaway Club loyalty program: Everything you need to know, 21 new Hyatt hotels where you can get 500 extra points per night. I am a writer, journalist, professor, systems modeler, computational and digital health expert, avocado-eater, and entrepreneur, not always in that order. Unvaccinated adults and vaccine exemptions. 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. Unvaccinated passengers can cruise with negative results from any commercially available test, including self-tests. Royal Caribbean will now require all guests to get tested for COVID-19 for certain cruises, regardless of their vaccination status. The test cruises will show whether ships can sail safely and follow CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At this checkpoint, an agent told me that if I wanted to present a vaccine card, that was the time to do so. The company said all crew members will be vaccinated. Royal Caribbean has made it a practice to provide periodic . 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. 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. Therefore, the chances of someone bringing the virus on board a cruise ship is still quite high. All rights reserved. Please review this document and acknowledge acceptance via the tick That has worked to keepcovid under control. Royal Caribbean cruises are back but vaccinations will be optional. "Two is terrible. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). 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. It doesn't have anything to do with vaccinations directly, but I think it's worth a mention since it's a change that didn't exist on my first two sailings. 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 for boarding. Gee, what could possibly go wrong? Once you are on a cruise ship how can you then tell who should be following additional precautions such as wearing face masks and staying at least six feet or one Denzel (because Denzel Washington is about six feet tall) away from others? Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. ", Odyssey of the Seas: "May 9 to October 28, 2021 sailings departing from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy. That's because testing two days before is at best imperfect and it may not have done much to stop covid from spreading. St. Maarten / St. Martin : open to vaccinated and unvaccinated . WOW: @RoyalCaribbean cruises is now requiring you to get an experimental vaccine to book a cruise with them. Watch News 6 as they cover breaking local, regional, and national news, plus the latest updates on weather, traffic and sports. User @HardLinesBlog tweeted: "I'm saying goodbye to all venues moving to this requirement," in response to the tweet by @drsimonegold. That's why precruise testing is likely to go away but the vaccination requirement for all passengers ages 12 and over will remain. The new order outlined detailed guidelines for resuming cruise operations in U.S. waters. 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. But at the time, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said these boycott demands were based on a "misconception.". Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. There were physical check-in desks, but I checked in using the app, so I headed straight for the area where port workers were scanning digital SetSail Passes. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! It is typically fairly obvious if someone is wearing a slingshot mankini. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. This includes more contagious variants that now have sorority and fraternity sounding names, as I recently covered for Forbes. Royal Caribbean International's sister brand Celebrity Cruises (both owned by Royal Caribbean Group) is still requiring all passengers 16 years old or older be vaccinated on its seven-night. Viking Cruises already has the booster requirement in place. Joe Raedle / Getty . . 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. 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. Similarly, on Silversea the new policy mandates that eligible passengers must receive a booster "provided the required time has passed after the completion of their primary COVID-19 vaccination series. Crew will be tested regularly while on board. Learn more. Azamara does not require negative test results in order to board unless mandated by local governments in the ports where the line's ships sail. The post has had over 7,200 likes since it was first shared on Monday. Beginning December 1, 2022, the line will waive vaccination requirements for all passengers on Europe and Caribbean itineraries, except where required by local regulations. All cruisers -- regardless of vaccination status -- had to wear masks in indoor spaces unless they were explicitly designated for vaccinated cruisers. 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. 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. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. 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. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images), Florida Gov. The line's decision to sail less than 95% vaccinated (which requires each ship sailing from the U.S. to complete test voyages under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's supervision) means that there are restrictions on board. 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. In late June, the Royal Caribbean cruise line will, be allowed to operate test cruises out of South Florida after receiving approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Apparently, Dolven is referring to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signing into law a ban on Covid-19 "vaccine passports.". Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible, the company said in a statement. 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.. Maarten.". 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. Does that mean covid-testing requirements and vaccine mandates will be dropped? While vaccination is not required for guests under 12, we kindly ask that you fill out their status below. A Country-by-country Guide, Every Cruise Line's Requirements for COVID Vaccines, Testing, Uniworld to Become One of the First River Cruises to Drop Vaccine Requirements next Year, Carnival Cruise Line to Lift Mask Requirement on Board Starting March 1, Every Caribbean Island's COVID-19 Travel Policies and What You Need to Know to Plan Your Trip, Royal Caribbean Launches Hotel Booking Platform for One-stop Trip Planning, These Caribbean Destinations Just Dropped the Pre-arrival Testing Requirement for Vaccinated Travelers, eliminated testing for vaccinated passengers, officially ended its pandemic-era program for cruise ships. 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. 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. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. sailings.". Royal Caribbean sent out an update on Wednesday with new protocols that have removed the need to conduct a pre-cruise Covid-19 test, even if you are unvaccinated. Under the law, which takes effect on July 1, businesses can be fined up to $5,000 per violation. 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. Beginning Sept. 5, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity will also accept at-home tests on trips from U.S. ports that don't visit Canada or Bermuda.