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. ", Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Quantum of the Seas: "Alaska sailings departing April 5 to October 14, 2021: In order to allow additional time for our preparation, Quantum of the Seas will remain in the Asia-Pacific region. Strongly recommended is certainly different from required. Ron DeSantis maintains a threat of fines under an executive order banning "vaccine passports." Who else is with me? Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. Further, unvaccinated guests may embark with a negative . The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas (left) prepares to set sail from PortMiami during the first U.S. trial cruise testing Covid-19 protocols on June 20, 2021 in Miami. Up until now, only unvaccinated guests under the age of 12 have been allowed on Royal Caribbean ships. 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. Passengers who didn't voluntarily show proof of vaccination, either because they weren't vaccinated (primarily children, according to Royal Caribbean executives) or didn't have their vaccine cards, were directed to a testing area. User @joanwetz agreed with the boycott, noting: "I am. 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. Overall, the sailing was pleasant and it was great to be back on board a sailing from Florida. Her favorite cities include London; Amsterdam; Krakow, Poland; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Dawson City, Yukon; and anywhere known for outstanding pizza and theater. - As of the winter 2022 Caribbean and Central America season, Star Clippers no longer requires COVID-19 vaccinations for passengers. Unvaccinated adults and vaccine exemptions. The CDC has dropped its voluntary program to monitor cruise ships. How do you count the 14 days for full vaccination, exactly? For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs new cruise newsletter. 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. 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. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Previously, certain areas onboard. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all require anyone 12 and older sailing on their ships to be fully. 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. Royal Caribbean Cruises In addition to having more rules in place than some other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean also enforced those protocols more strictly, with crew checking for wristbands in vaccinated-only venues and checking for masks in indoor places accessible to everyone. Royal Caribbean will now require all guests to get tested for COVID-19 for certain cruises, regardless of their vaccination status. While vaccination is not required, they kindly ask passengers to disclose their vaccine status during check-in. 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. It is especially important that people with an increased risk of severe illness avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises.". User @FunTimeFred1 wrote: "I'm 100% with you, Simone Any company that make this a requirement will go bust," in a reply to the message by @drsimonegold. That was about three weeks ago (June 28) and the CDC ruling suggests that the testing requirement could change in August, but almost certainly will by September. Enrollment required. [TRENDING: Is it illegal in Florida to back into a parking space? When I arrived at the Port of Miami, I had to pass through a checkpoint. It is typically fairly obvious if someone is wearing a slingshot mankini. Get tested again after cruise travel. User @drsimonegold tweeted: "WOW: @RoyalCaribbean cruises is now requiring you to get an experimental vaccine to book a cruise with them. Unfortunately, the announcement didn't come in time for this voyage. 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. 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. Signage was almost over-the-top prevalent to remind passengers to stay socially distant, sanitize their hands and wear a mask. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Symphony of the Seas (WPLG) Royal Caribbean announced Thursday it's no longer requiring vaccinated guests to take a COVID-19 test prior to embarking on. This includes unsupervised testing. 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. So, is the Florida government essentially not allowing businesses to do something that would help keep their customers and staff safer? However, the cruise ship company has now done an a boat face, so to speak. On CocoCay, everyone was allowed to go ashore on their own and no masks were required. Currently the CDC recommends that "all people avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, because the risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high. Viking Cruises already has the booster requirement in place. 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. NOW WATCH: This is what it takes to be a cruise ship performer. 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. Royal Caribbean has updated its COVID-19 protocols to allow more people to sail on their ships, according to the RoyalCaribbeanblog. The cruise company's new sailings from the Bahamas will require all adult guests "to be . In the testing area, they were each given an on-site rapid antigen test. Royal Caribbean recommends guests be fully vaccinated and boostered against Covid19. This app allowed us to check in for the voyage, set up an onboard account, fill out a pre-boarding health questionnaire and complete the e-muster drill (which replaces traditional muster drills where people gather in large groups). Those with the vaccine were able to go anywhere onboard, and areas specially allotted for passengers who had their shots had no mask-wearing rules. This voyage included calls on Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island, in the Bahamas. 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. Passengers also had to select specific check-in times for embarkation day, ensuring that crowds stayed thin at the terminal during the boarding process. Find the right card for you. Follow her adventures on Instagram. It can be professionally proctored at your doctor or drugstore, or it can be a test you administer to yourself at home without supervision. Oh ship. The cruise line will still require unvaccinated guests and vaccinated guests embarking on cruises six nights or longer, to take a COVID-19 test within three days of their departure date. 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. 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. . Time is running out on free COVID tests and vaccines; what then. 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. The update on the health protocols for Royal Caribbean ships came in a letter sent to travel agents, which are now also available online. Wristbands were also diligently checked in spaces intended for vaccinated cruisers. Royal Caribbean has announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for guests. Learn more. Starting September 5, 2022, all guests can sail with Royal Caribbean, regardless of vaccination status. The venue was open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers. MAGAs are starting to boycott Royal Caribbean because they are requiring vaccinations for adult passengers and crew members when they start sailing again in June. 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. 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. Action Alerts PLUS is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. 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. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. 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. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Now, its not clear whether the unvaccinated half may be more or less likely to ride cruise ships. Where was one of the first places that SARS-CoV2 outbreaks were being noticed? Testing Requirements: All guests 2 and older are required to submit a negative test regardless of vaccination status. 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. 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. The SARS-CoV2 is still actively spreading in the U.S. and throughout different parts of the world. Lindblad, Silversea, Azamara cruise lines will require the additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for those eligible starting March 1. 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. About half of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated, which means plenty of people still have not been vaccinated. Unvaccinated travelers can join us for almost all U.S. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images), Florida Gov. 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. The company had originally required guests 18 years and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and provide proof of vaccination to board their ships. The recently passed Florida law crafted by the Republican-controlled state Legislature and promoted by Gov. 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. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 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. While vaccination is not required, they kindly ask passengers to disclose their vaccine status during check-in. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Some destinations may also require testing, so no change in policy is likely to be absolute, but the CDC's decision does seem to pave the way for the cruise lines to mostly drop the testing requirement. 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. "Guests . Interestingly, certain shows -- such as the ice show in Studio B -- required reservations due to their lower capacity. One can download it through The app or from browser on The phone, and there is this QR-code to "check" it. The new order outlined detailed guidelines for resuming cruise operations in U.S. waters. This insurance would cover the cost of repatriation on a private charter flight and/or medical care if they tested positive during the sailing. Under the voluntary program, the CDC had been tracking covid levels on ships, assigning color levels based on positive tests and exposures. On the one hand, no business wants to shell out $5,000 (which would be equivalent to at least 2,500 hot dogs) per customer just for the heck of it. 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. 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. But keeping track of which places were which on this voyage made my head spin. This includes more contagious variants that now have sorority and fraternity sounding names, as I recently covered for Forbes. All guests aged 4 and older are required to have a negative COVID-19 test before boarding. 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. Joe Raedle / Getty . 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. Why the change in Royal Caribbean policy? But there is an important difference between wearing a slingshot mankini and being fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean Updates to Testing Protocols. If youre planning to sail on a Disney Cruise out of Port Canaveral, youre more than likely making a stop at Disneys private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. That's why precruise testing is likely to go away but the vaccination requirement for all passengers ages 12 and over will remain. 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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. People still get covid, as do crew members, but only two people have died, and very few have gotten seriously ill. Passenger operations continue to be suspended during the initial phases of this Order. Richard Fain, chief executive of Royal Caribbean, told . Heres a hint. On my way, I passed lots of hand sanitizer dispensers and signs reminding people about social distancing and masks. When you strongly recommend that proper clothing be worn to a business meeting, technically that slingshot mankini is still fair game. This bracelet allowed me to access areas of the ship reserved for vaccinated passengers. 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. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. 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 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. box below. "The no vaccine question is is a huge question that none of us know the answer to," Bayley said. as well as other partner offers and accept our. regardless of vaccination status, can cruise on the . 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. Vaccinated guests aged 12 and over will no longer have any pre-cruise COVID-19 related protocols. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. On sailings of a certain length, further requirements for unvaccinated passengers include two more tests after embarkation: one during the sailing and one just prior to departure from the ship. Similarly, passengers 18 years old or older sailing from other international ports will also have to be fully vaccinated. St. Maarten / St. Martin : open to vaccinated and unvaccinated . 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. The major cruise line previously mandated the covid vaccine for crew members only. 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.