A line-by-line guide. 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. In order to board these ships, all adults, including the crew, will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. But against the context of everything we've seen, [that's] truly been a remarkable success.". October 15th or later. TPG values it at $1,600. Vacation cruising has nearly returned to normal. What the CDC Decision Means for Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruisers Each person sailing was required to download the Royal Caribbean app. This includes unsupervised testing. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Here, I'll explain how various facets of the sailing look for both vaccinated and unvaccinated cruisers. 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. Royal Caribbean no longer requires vaccinated guests to take COVID test No, you need to bring the card. "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. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. 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. The new Florida law can leave businesses like cruise ship lines caught between a rock and a hard place. A Country-by-country Guide, Carnival Cruise Line to Lift Mask Requirement on Board Starting March 1, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Will No Longer Require Face Masks, Spain Now Requires Booster Shot For Travelers What To Know, Every Caribbean Island's COVID-19 Travel Policies and What You Need to Know to Plan Your Trip, Anguilla Becomes Latest Caribbean Island to Ease Entry Protocols for Vaccinated Visitors, Traveling to Italy Just Got Easier With Easing of COVID-19 Testing Requirements, Countries That Are Open to COVID-19 Vaccinated Travelers, A Country-by-country Guide to COVID-19 Entry Requirements in Europe, made its guidance optional for cruise lines. 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 . You can still get Covid-19 after being fully vaccinated, albeit your chances are much lower compared to those who have not been vaccinated. Starting Thursday, Carnival Cruise Line announced, fully vaccinated passengers will not need to take a test before boarding if the trip is . Time is running out on free COVID tests and vaccines; what then. Royal Caribbean Faces Boycott Calls as Only Vaccinated - Newsweek 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. No Covid test, proof of vaccination or quarantine is required. Offers may be subject to change without notice. sailings.". If they are more likely, then you could easily end up on a ship where less than half of the passengers are fully vaccinated. 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. 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. Guests who have certain pre-existing medical conditions,. 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. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? NOW WATCH: This is what it takes to be a cruise ship performer. The industry-wide trend comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially ended its pandemic-era program for cruise ships last month. Many and most of the destinations that we visit require a high degree of vaccination, and they expect our crew to be vaccinated.". Sign up for notifications from Insider! Lindblad, Silversea, Azamara cruise lines will require the additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for those eligible starting March 1. I showed mine, and the agent gave me a purple rubber bracelet to wear. Previously, certain areas onboard. 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. "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. 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. 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. 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. CDC stops reporting coronavirus cases on cruise ships. Passengers no longer have to wear masks onboard while they are indoors, and while capacities have not returned to 100% . Required testing can be completed using any type of PCR or antigen COVID-19 test. Passenger operations continue to be suspended during the initial phases of this Order. Get ready for cruise ships carrying people who are not vaccinated against Covid-19. 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. On all itineraries departing Sept. 6 or later vaccinated guests will not need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test except on cruises 16 days or longer, according to Carnival. Starting July 2, Royal Caribbean ships will not be requiring passengers to have covid vaccines for sailings from the U.S. I just disembarked Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, the line's first cruise ship to sail from a U.S. port in more than 15 months. Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean and more to drop vaccine requirements Carnival Cruise Line "We want you to be more comfortable walking onboard a ship than walking down Main Street.". 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. Unfortunately, the announcement didn't come in time for this voyage. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. Cruise COVID Testing Rules For Vaccinated, Unvaccinated Travelers - NBC If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean Won't Require Covid-19 Vaccination To Ride U - Forbes "Finally!!! 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. Hawaii. Children will be allowed to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within . Who else is with me? #BoycottRC." I will be boycotting the company instead. 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. Royal Caribbean Reverses Vaccine Mandate on Ships in Florida - Insider 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. In the U.S., kids younger than 5 are exempt from testing and vaccination requirements. "Guests . 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. Royal Caribbean: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for All Guests - Business Insider Our intention is to comply with all federal, state and local laws, she said via email. These restrictions include wearing a mask in most public spaces and limitations on areas and services unvaccinated passengers can access. The only guests who will need to test . An aerial view of Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Sea cruise ship docked in Miami, Florida on March 2. In the testing area, they were each given an on-site rapid antigen test. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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 first to set sail will be the Freedom of the Seas ship out of Miami, Florida, on July 2. 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. 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. . "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)." I am a writer, journalist, professor, systems modeler, computational and digital health expert, avocado-eater, and entrepreneur, not always in that order. 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. Passengers also had to select specific check-in times for embarkation day, ensuring that crowds stayed thin at the terminal during the boarding process. Unfortunately, the announcement didn't come in time for this voyage. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. It is typically fairly obvious if someone is wearing a slingshot mankini. 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. Travel + Leisure magazine may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Guests age 12 and up who are not fully vaccinated have 3 days to take a test before their cruise, regardless the duration of the cruise. Royal Caribbean has greatly relaxed its covid rules. 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. decision to sail less than 95% vaccinated, areas and services unvaccinated passengers can access, Will I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise? 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). 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. Vaccinated guests aged 12 and over will no longer have any pre-cruise COVID-19 related protocols. On my way, I passed lots of hand sanitizer dispensers and signs reminding people about social distancing and masks. The initial phase requires crew screening to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 among all crew members currently on cruise ships in U.S. waters," the health body advises. Norwegian, Cunard and more end pre-cruise COVID testing - USA TODAY 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. One of the world's biggest cruise companies says coronavirus vaccinations will be needed to get on its ships. Travel + Leisure magazine may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Royal Caribbean drops vaccine requirement for certain cruise ship Viking Cruises already has the booster requirement in place. The company said all crew members will be vaccinated. Fully vaccinated guests and guests ages 11 and younger are exempt. Both crew members and guests over 16 years old will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to sail on the . Its not great PR to be known as that place where the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak occurred, unless you are specifically running a cruise for viruses who want to have a nice human buffet available. . User @joanwetz agreed with the boycott, noting: "I am. Your sailing is fast approaching, and we're looking forward to welcoming you onboard. The SARS-CoV2 is still actively spreading in the U.S. and throughout different parts of the world. 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. It will be a requirement that cruise lines will happily comply with as most already require a vaccine mandate and . Following August 1, this age requirement will fall to 12 years old or older. Do children need to be vaccinated to cruise? All but 1 major line say But there is an important difference between wearing a slingshot mankini and being fully vaccinated. All guests aged 4 and older are required to have a negative COVID-19 test before boarding. Up until now, only unvaccinated guests under the age of 12 have been allowed on Royal Caribbean ships. At this checkpoint, an agent told me that if I wanted to present a vaccine card, that was the time to do so. The Miami-based operator. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. These Countries Require It for Entry, Where Can Americans Travel Right Now? Or do we need the physical card? 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. Cov. Guests under the age of 12 do not have any testing requirements. They waved me through to security, where my carry-on was screened. 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. Beginning December 1, 2022, the line will waive vaccination requirements for all passengers on Europe and Caribbean itineraries, except where required by local regulations. Royal Caribbean: Avoid Florida If You Want An All-Vaccinated - Forbes Instead, Odyssey will begin her inaugural season out of a new homeport, Haifa, Israel from June to October 2021. 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. #BoycottRC pic.twitter.com/5xSNzyz0It. What if I am not feeling well in the days leading up to my cruise? Royal Caribbean Updates COVID-19 Testing Policy for - Travel + Leisure 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. $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. 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. Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. User @drsimonegold tweeted: "WOW: @RoyalCaribbean cruises is now requiring you to get an experimental vaccine to book a cruise with them. Under the law, which takes effect on July 1, businesses can be fined up to $5,000 per violation. Several cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages have already mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for its guests, crew, or both. Norwegian cruises to drop vaccination requirement, ease testing rules We would appreciate if you could take a moment to provide your COVID-19 vaccination status ahead of your cruise. When you strongly recommend that proper clothing be worn to a business meeting, technically that slingshot mankini is still fair game. Royal Caribbean has updated its healthy sail protocols. Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. Unvaccinated passengers can cruise with negative results from any commercially available test, including self-tests. Wristbands were also diligently checked in spaces intended for vaccinated cruisers. Unvaccinated travelers (who are 5 and older on most U.S. sailings and 12 and older on select European sailings) will be required to get tested within three days of boarding. Gee, what could possibly go wrong? Oh ship. "Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. This bracelet allowed me to access areas of the ship reserved for vaccinated passengers. Strongly recommended is certainly different from required. Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. starts on October 1st, and you would be permitted to board the ship on
Vaccines, however, have clearly helped limit the number of severe cases onboard, and showing vaccination cards is a much smaller ask of passengers than requiring them to get tested no more than two days before their cruises. Royal Caribbean recommends guests be fully vaccinated and boostered against Covid19. The announcement is a reversal from previous statements and vaccine protocols the company submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month that said it would require all passengers at least 18 years old and older to be vaccinated.