", Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean made headlines a week ago when it announced that it would begin sailing from Florida in early July with ships where vaccinations would be recommended but not required. 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no longer be the case as the federal agency has shown: As of July 18, 2022, CDCs COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships is no longer in effect. 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. COVID-19 vaccines no longer will be required for Celebrity sailings from European countries with the exception of Iceland and sailings from . If not, just leave blank, Royal Caribbean drops pre-cruise testing requirement for almost all cruises, Royal Caribbean Group CEO says decision will be made if covid vaccine will be mandatory to cruise, Royal Caribbean has not decided on any more cancellations following Norwegian Cruise Line announcement, Two crew members with coronavirus evacuated from Oasis of the Seas, Royal Caribbean stock surges after COVID-19 vaccine tests are more than 90% effective, Royal Caribbean bolsters financial situation with $3.48 billion in backup financing, You might have to take a COVID-19 test to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise in the future. 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. - As of the winter 2022 Caribbean and Central America season, Star Clippers no longer requires COVID-19 vaccinations for passengers. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. "We have followed the science and used our learnings about COVID-19 to develop comprehensive health and safety protocols to make cruising safer by preventing and mitigating the spread of infectious diseases, in general, and of COVID-19, in particular. Several luxury cruise lines are implementing new vaccine protocols, each requiring guests to show proof of having received a booster shot to board. Virgin Voyages Becomes First Major Cruise Line to Eliminate Pre-embarkation COVID Testing in the U.S. Margaritaville at Sea Becomes Latest Cruise Line to Ease Pre-boarding COVID Testing Requirement, Where Can Americans Travel Right Now? October 15th or later. Guests can take advantage of in-person, telehealth, and self-swab tests. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. The cruises will depart from Bermuda and the Bahamas, and adult passengers must be. While there, I noticed most of the passengers in this area were parents with young children. Her favorite cities include London; Amsterdam; Krakow, Poland; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Dawson City, Yukon; and anywhere known for outstanding pizza and theater. 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. Starting Sept. 5, Royal Caribbean will welcome both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers of all ages, according to the cruise line. After all, rarely do you hear someone ask, is that person wearing a full business suit or just a suspender man thong? Samantha started at WKMG-TV in September 2020. In the testing area, they were each given an on-site rapid antigen test. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Of all the new health protocols and changes, perhaps no single rule is as hotly debated right now as if cruise lines, Norwegian Cruise Line announced on Tuesday it will extend its cruise cancellations through the end of September (minus, Two crew members from Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas were evacuated off Oasis of the Seas in Port Everglades on, If you own Royal Caribbean stock, today is a great start to your portfolio for the week.Royal Caribbean, and the entire, Royal Caribbean's recent filingwith the SEC indicates it has taken advantageof$3.48 billion in backup financing, Taking a test for COVID-19 before you get on a Royal Caribbean cruise might be one of the many steps the cruise line. The Royal Caribbean cruise line plans to drop its COVID-19 testing requirement for some guests starting on Aug. 8, according to a statement on its website. Plus Ups are excluded. Royal Caribbean will require vaccinated guests 5 and older to take a pre-cruise test on sailings from the U.S . That's why precruise testing is likely to go away but the vaccination requirement for all passengers ages 12 and over will remain. But at the time, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said these boycott demands were based on a "misconception.". Enrollment required. The new order outlined detailed guidelines for resuming cruise operations in U.S. waters. When you strongly recommend that proper clothing be worn to a business meeting, technically that slingshot mankini is still fair game. 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 . Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. This insurance would cover the cost of repatriation on a private charter flight and/or medical care if they tested positive during the sailing. Please review this document and acknowledge acceptance via the tick On CocoCay, everyone was allowed to go ashore on their own and no masks were required. More than 2.7 million people have died worldwide and more than 69.9 million have recovered as of Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. 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. I will be boycotting the company instead. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Travelers to be Screened for COVID-19. Unvaccinated travelers can join us for almost all U.S. "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. Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Many cruise fans and potential passengers may expect that this CDC decision means that vaccine requirements and precruise testing may soon go away. Royal Caribbean announced Thursday its no longer requiring vaccinated guests to take a COVID-19 test prior to embarking on cruises six nights or less. The company said all crew members will be vaccinated. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. The cruise company's new sailings from the Bahamas will require all adult guests "to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The order was most recently extended on September 30 last year but on October 30, "a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order" was issued by the CDC. Royal Caribbean wont require passengers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 on select sailings beginning in September. While vaccination is not required, they kindly ask passengers to disclose their vaccine status during check-in. Related: Cruise hack: 6 ways to turn a voyage on a mass-market ship into a luxury experience. Ron DeSantis bars businesses, schools and government entities across Florida from asking anyone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). 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. Or do we need the physical card? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a "No Sail Order" for cruise ships from March 14, 2020, as the national health body had "reason to believe that cruise ship travel may continue to introduce, transmit, or spread COVID-19.". 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. During one performance, I went to the theater's upper level (where anyone, including unvaccinated passengers, was able to sit) to see what it was like. 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. Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. As Taylor Doven reported for the Miami Herald, Royal Carribean issued a statement on Friday that said, Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible. Visitors must still fill out a health screening form prior to arrival. Learn more. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. The new Florida law can leave businesses like cruise ship lines caught between a rock and a hard place. Further, unvaccinated guests may embark with a negative . 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. Instead, Odyssey will begin her inaugural season out of a new homeport, Haifa, Israel from June to October 2021. When not writing, she enjoys travelling and performing improv comedy. Going forward, the cruise line will make pre-departure. . starts on October 1st, and you would be permitted to board the ship on Lindblad, Silversea, Azamara cruise lines will require the additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for those eligible starting March 1. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. 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. 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. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Assuming that you have hundreds or even thousands of people on your cruise ships, a quick calculation with your fingers and toes will show that defying this order from the Florida state government could quickly put you out of business. Please complete the short form below. "This Order introduces a phased approach for resuming passenger cruises. The announcement of these select vaccinated cruises later resulted in boycott demands in late March across Facebook and Twitter. Under the current voluntary CDC guidelines, 95% of passengers must be vaccinated. Travel + Leisure magazine may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Vaccines must be approved for use by the WHO or U.S. FDA, with the exception of CanSino. This decision seems shocking only because the CDC, at least during the period where the cruise industry was shut down from U.S. ports, seemed to have an adversarial relationship with the companies it regulated. Essentially, while the CDC set parameters, the cruise lines have been policing themselves for months. CDC stops reporting coronavirus cases on cruise ships. Reminders going from indoors to outdoors and vice-versa were especially helpful. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Prior to this sweeping vaccine mandate, Royal Caribbean had been announcing select "fully vaccinated" cruises. Each person sailing was required to download the Royal Caribbean app. Heres a hint. Guests are also required to wear masks in all indoor public areas, in terminals, and during shore excursions, and take a COVID-19 rapid antigen test before boarding. On the other hand, a single Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak can end up costing a cruise ship company a whole lot, including reputational damage. Rather, we focus on discussions related to local stories by our own staff. 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. In a statement CEO Michael Bayley thanked DeSantis and other elected officials for their support of the industry, which has been paralyzed since it was forced to shut down in March 2020 after COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths on several ships. Royal Caribbean will accept a variety of tests as proof to board, including simply taking a photo of a self-administered home test, a new rule that Bayley also noted on social media. Carnival will follow with the same at-home test allowance on Sept. 6. 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. 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. #CancelCulture. Thats what you may see as soon as next month with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic still a public health emergency. As part of the Australian Federal and State Government protocols all Joe Raedle / Getty . User @joanwetz agreed with the boycott, noting: "I am. That's likely only partly true because Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, and the rest of the industry must also be protective of optics -- they want the easiest, most inclusive rules, but they also want customers to feel safe. Interestingly, certain shows -- such as the ice show in Studio B -- required reservations due to their lower capacity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have removed the COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships as of Monday. Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. "Two is terrible. Over the past few months that program became voluntary and masks went away while other restrictions eased. 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. Required testing can be completed using any type of PCR or antigen COVID-19 test. The post has had over 7,200 likes since it was first shared on Monday. Follow her adventures on Instagram. Silversea also provides complimentary rapid antigen tests for all disembarking passengers. 2023 TheStreet, Inc. All rights reserved. After 14 days pass, you can get onboard on Day 15. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images), Royal Caribbean International has announced. "The no vaccine question is is a huge question that none of us know the answer to," Bayley said. But keeping track of which places were which on this voyage made my head spin. decision to sail less than 95% vaccinated, areas and services unvaccinated passengers can access, Will I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise? Does Royal Caribbean accept a photo of the vaccine card as proof? Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. This voyage included calls on Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island, in the Bahamas. For cruises longer than 16 nights self-testing is not accepted for unvaccinated travelers. When Royal Caribbean resumed cruises in 2021, Covid-19 protocols were a major component to the onboard experience. "We're making it easier for more guests to sail with Royal Caribbean. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Hmm in my country there are no physical vaccination cards. Royal Caribbean extended the suspension of sailings for its global fleet through May 31 (excluding cruises aboard the Quantum, Spectrum, Voyager and Odyssey of the Seas cruise ships) "in order to allow additional time for our return to service preparations," the company said in a statement on March 19. Wristbands were also diligently checked in spaces intended for vaccinated cruisers. Royal Caribbean has updated its healthy sail protocols. The Miami Herald reported that Royal Caribbean International previously planned to only allow vaccinated passengers onto its ships, but announced in a Friday press release that they were. A line-by-line guide. 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.

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