Royal Caribbean Further Eases Restrictions For Two Destinations
Royal Caribbean International is dropping pre-cruise test requirements for visits to Haiti and Honduras, welcome news for cruises to Labadee.
Royal Caribbean International has once more updated its health and safety protocols, eliminating pre-cruise testing for guests traveling to Haiti or Honduras on cruises departing from U.S. or Caribbean homeports from November 9, 2022, regardless of vaccination status.
With this update, only guests who will be visiting Colombia, taking transatlantic sailings, or cruising from Australia will require pre-cruise COVID-19 tests.
Are Vaccines Mandatory For Cruises
For Australians, anyone currently looking to sail internationally will need to be fully vaccinated. For domestic sailings, this will be entirely dependent on your chosen cruise line and their cruise vaccination requirements and the current laws of the state or territories you plan on travelling from/to. To avoid the chance of you missing your next cruise, whether domestic or international, we suggest being fully vaccinated. This ensures you can sail stress-free knowing you wont have your voyage cut short due to any cruise vaccination policy when entering another state or territory.
Other Cruise Lines Recent Updates To Testing And Vaccination Protocols
Other brands like Carnival Cruises and MSC Cruises followed suit with very similar updates to their testing protocols as Royal Caribbean.
However, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings , parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas cruises, was the first to update its vaccination requirements in addition to testing requirements.
On August 8th, NCLH announced revisions to its SailSAFE health and safety protocols which further align the Company to the broader travel, leisure, and hospitality industry worldwide.
Vaccinated guests aged 12 and over will no longer have any pre-cruise COVID-19 related protocols. Further, unvaccinated guests may embark with a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to departure, subject to local regulations.
This policy goes into effect across Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises for all sailings that commence on or after September 3, 2022.
The Company does note that requirements may differ for guests traveling on voyages departing from or visiting destinations with specific local regulations, including but not limited to Canada, Greece, and Bermuda.
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Carnival Royal Caribbean And More To Drop Vaccination Requirements For Select Sailings
Four major cruise lines are dropping their vaccination requirements for some sailings next month, the cruise lines said.
Carnival Cruise Line will no longer require unvaccinated guests to apply for an exemption in order to sail as of Sep. 6, according to a news release. That does not include voyages in Australia or trips that are 16 or more nights, and the changes are subject to local restrictions.
Princess Cruises will also remove vaccination requirements on “most voyages of less than 16 days so that anyone can cruise” starting Sept. 6, according to a news release Friday. Princess currently requires unvaccinated guests to have a vaccine exemption before they can sail, according to its website.
Similarly, Royal Caribbean will welcome all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, as well on sailings from Los Angeles, New Orleans, Galveston, Texas, and Europe beginning Sept. 5 “as long as testing requirements are met,” a spokesperson told USA TODAY via email Thursday.
“We are collaborating with local governments throughout the Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for additional itineraries,” the spokesperson added.
Royal Caribbean currently requires guests 12 and older to show proof of vaccination before they can sail from North America, according to its website.
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A Guide To Every Major Cruise Line’s Health Requirements For Safe Sailing
Travel + LeisureT+L
Cruise lines have shifted their requirements for passengers, making cruising accessible to practically everyone. Many popular cruise lines have eliminated the vaccine and pre-embarkation test as the industry is beginning to shift away from mandatory vaccines and testing.
The changes began shortly after the CDC ended a pandemic-era policy of publicly displaying COVID-19 cases onboard, different cruise lines to the public in July 2022. For those looking to check current COVID-19 trends onboard the CDC urges direct contact with the cruise line, and the organization will continue to monitor and offer guidelines to ships.
Below, we break down each line’s list of regulations to sail as well as what travelers need to know to plan.
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Royal Caribbean And Celebrity Drop Vaccine Requirement On Most Voyages
In a move that lots of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity fans were waiting for and expecting would be soon, the sister cruise lines have announced that they will be opened up nearly all of their sailings to unvaccinated travelers starting September 5.
Here are the specific requirements for each cruise line:
Royal Caribbean
- Unvaccinated guests can cruise with negative results from any commercially-available test, including self-tests.
- No testing is required for vaccinated guests sailing on cruises that are nine nights or less.
- For all sailings, guests ages 5 and younger have no vaccine or testing requirements.
- On 10+ night cruises, all passengers vaccinated or not must provide a negative test within three days of their sailing date.
Due to local regulations, sailings to or from Australia, Bermuda, Canada, and Singapore still require that guests be vaccinated.
Celebrity Cruises
The following protocols from Celebrity Cruises apply to voyages sailing from United States and European ports.
- Fully-vaccinated guests no longer need to test to board cruises from the U.S. that are nine nights or shorter .
- A negative test result from a simple, unsupervised and self-administered test will be accepted for all sailings .
- Kids under 5 sailing from the U.S. and kids under 12 sailing from Europe do not need to test prior to boarding.
Watch our special report news brief on the requirement changes:
Getting Ready To Cruise From Vancouver
Here are the latest protocols for our guests sailing from Vancouver, British Columbia. Protocols are subject to change and we are committed to keeping you informed if they do. Whenever possible we will provide prior notice for any changes. Just the same, we’ll let you know if any requirements are reduced or eliminated.
Guests traveling into the Canada from another country should be sure to look into any requirements your own home country may have for exiting or re-entering its borders.
Testing Requirements
Guests 5 and up who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless the duration of their cruise.
On sailings 10 night or longer, fully vaccinated guests age 5 and up must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day. Testing is not required for fully vaccinated guests on itineraries of 9 nights or fewer.
Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, can be completed using any type of PCR or antigen COVID-19 test. It can be professionally proctored at your doctor or drugstore, or it can be a test you administer to yourself at home without supervision.
Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense.
Cruise Ready Recap
Follow these steps for a smooth boarding day.
Onboard the Ship
Mask Guidance
Going Ashore in Ports of Call
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Royal Caribbean No Longer Checks Vaccination Cards
Before you can board a Royal Caribbean ship you must answer whether you have been vaccinated, whether you have had your vaccine booster, and whether you have any symptoms of illness. Just a few weeks ago, when I boarded Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Summit, the person checking in asked to see my vaccination card.
There was no thorough check or attempt to match the card to my identification but there was at least a perfunctory effort. That policy did not seem to be consistent, but it appeared that there was at least some level of verification .
On my latest sailing on the same ship, no effort was made to check my vaccination card and it appears that policy has been fully dropped. Now, anyone can say they’re vaccinated with no fear of being caught.
It’s not a major change, and it’s possible the policy has been the de facto rule since vaccine requirements were dropped, but very clearly Royal Caribbean has, aside from requiring crew members to be vaccinated, decided that covid is no longer a thing to worry about.
More Testing Requirements Dropped
Royal Caribbean has emailed guests booked on upcoming sailings with the updated health and safety protocols.
Effective November 9, 2022, all travelers on U.S. sailings regardless of vaccination status will no longer require pre-departure testing ,the email read.
Previously, pre-cruise testing was also required for all cruises visiting Haiti or Honduras, both popular ports of call with private resort destinations.
In Haiti, Royal Caribbean ships frequently call on Labadee, the cruise lines private island on the northern coast. Several ships routinely visit Labadee each week.
In Honduras, Roatan island is a favorite port of call, visited by several cruise lines. In addition to Royal Caribbean ships, Carnival Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, Viking Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and other lines also visit the port.
Guests do not need to be vaccinated to sail to either destination, but previously, unvaccinated guests age 12 and older had to present negative COVID-19 test results before their cruise.
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Royal Caribbean Celebrity Dropping Vaccine Requirement For Select Cruises
Pax Global Media
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are dropping their vaccine requirements for cruises leaving from select homeports in the U.S. and Europe starting in September.
According to an update posted to Royal Caribbeans website, a COVID-19 vaccination is not required for sailings departing from home ports in California, Louisiana or Texas on or after Sept. 5, 2022.
Royal Caribbean still strongly recommends that guests are fully vaccinated, if eligible, with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing, the company notes.
For these sailings, documentation of vaccination is not required to board, but the cruise line says it will ask passengers to disclose their vaccination status during check-in.
READ MORE:Norwegian, Regent, Oceania will drop vaccine mandate on Sept. 3
We recommend you bring your vaccination documentation with you, in case authorities or local businesses in a destination request to see it, the cruise line says.
Guests who are not fully vaccinated will need to bring a negative test result for any COVID-19 test taken within the three days before boarding day.
Guests that are not up to date on their vaccination per EMA standards will need to take a COVID-19 test aboard to get off in Greece or Spain, the company said.
for Royal Caribbeans testing requirements FAQ.
- All sailings departing from the UK and Europe
- All sailings departing from Los Angeles
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Royal Caribbean To Drop Vaccine Requirement On Select Cruises
Royal Caribbean drops the vaccine requirement from select U.S. homeports on departures from September 5, 2022.
Royal Caribbean released a further update to its protocols on Wednesday, which will go into effect in September 2022. The cruise line will drop the vaccine requirement on select sailings from the U.S. and Europe. Its another step to normality and follows other recently relaxed requirements.
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Dropping Covid Rule Has Been Good For Business
Having vaccine requirements and mask-related rules may have been the right thing for passenger safety, but it was not good for business. Some people chose not to get vaccinated, others couldn’t get vaccinated, and some people dId not want to cruise until all rules were dropped.
Now that basically all covid rules have gone away, Royal Caribbean has seen business return to near historical levels.
CEO Jason Liberty actually never said “covid” during his remarks in the cruise line’s third-quarter earnings call . Instead, he focused on how business has returned to strong levels.
“Over the past several months, our teams have been very busy and focused on generating strong quality demand, combating inflation, and most of all, delivering the best vacations in the world as we return our business closer to historical load factors while maintaining price integrity and generating $3 billion in revenue and almost $750 million in adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter,” he said.
Royal Caribbean’s business has basically returned to pre-pandemic levels, he explained.
“As our third quarter results clearly demonstrate the strength of our vacation platform, which includes our leading global brands, the best and most innovative ships in the industry … Our entire fleet is operating globally in our key destinations, demand for our experiences was very strong, and we achieved 96% load factors overall with the Caribbean at close to 105% at record pricing and high satisfaction scores” he added.
Not Yet For Eastern Caribbean
Whats notably missing are Eastern Caribbean cruises, such as those that sail to the Bahamas. Currently, the island nation requires all cruise ship passengers 12 and over to be fully vaccinated to enter the port. This also includes cruise line private islands, such as Royal Caribbeans Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Royal Caribbean said, We are working with local governments in the Eastern Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for more itineraries. We want to ensure a great experience going ashore at these ports, for guests of any vaccination status, while meeting local health regulations.
The cruise line is working with the ports and says it will share information to travel agents and guests as it becomes available.
This news comes as the cruise industry starts to relax its protocols and aligns with other travel sectors, such as flights. With the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ending its cruise ship program on July 18, 2022, multiple cruise lines have already announced updated protocols to allow more unvaccinated guests to sail and to reduce pre-cruise testing.
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Find Out The Cruise Vaccination Requirements For Your Next Voyage
Its understandable why many voyagers can get muddled on what they need to do in relation to COVID-19 vaccination requirements for their next cruise. As with any rapidly changing scenario like this one, laws, and regulations change at a rapid pace, and this often affects your cruise vaccination requirements as well. In turn, each operator has prepared their own cruise vaccination policy that is designed to work across all destinations they service. If you want to ensure you have a worry-free voyage, we strongly suggest reading these cruise health policies carefully. Not sure where to go? Have no fear, we provide all the relevant links and information you need for all of the major cruise lines below.
Will I Need A Covid
Editors note: This post has been updated with new information.
When the first cruises allowing Americans restarted in spring 2021, all major lines were sailing with at least 90% of passengers vaccinated against COVID-19. That meant they required just about everyone on board to have their shots, with few exceptions allowed for young children and people who cant be vaccinated due to medical conditions or religious beliefs.
But now, little more than a year later, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has withdrawn its opt-in guidance for cruise lines, and many are now allowing more unvaccinated passengers to sail.
So, will you need a vaccine to cruise? Click on your favorite cruise line below to find out.
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Note: In order to be considered “fully vaccinated,” passengers must have received their final shot at least 15 days prior to embarkation. Most lines only accept vaccines recognized and approved by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Generally, proof of inoculation must include your name, the type of vaccine you received and the dates on which you received all required doses.
Check out our recap of youth immunization policies for details on cruise vaccination requirements for kids. For general information on testing, please refer to our article on cruise testing requirements.
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Royal Caribbean Drops Vaccine Requirement For Some Cruises
Royal Caribbean drops its vaccine requirement for some cruises starting with September 5th departures, not including FL sailings.
Just two weeks ago, Royal Caribbean published updates to its testing requirements. The cruise line indicated that these protocols better aligned with the travel and hospitality sector and met destination regulations. Now, Royal Caribbean drops vaccine requirements for some cruises as well.
Royal Caribbean To Welcome Unvaccinated Cruisers On Most Sailings
A little more than a week after dropping vaccination requirements on some cruises, Royal Caribbean has opened up most of its sailings to unvaccinated cruisers.
Starting September 5, unvaccinated guests can cruise with a negative result from any commercially available COVID-19 test, including self-tests. The only exception are on sailings to or from Canada, Bermuda, Australia and Singapore.
Additionally, no COVID-19 testing is required for vaccinated guests on sailings of nine nights or less. Previously, testing was required for sailings of six nights or longer. Anyone sailing on a cruise of 10 nights or longer will need to provide proof of a negative test result taken within three days of their sail date.
For all sailings, kids 5 years and younger have no vaccine or testing requirements.
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Cruise Vaccine Requirements & Policies
Before you sail away on your next adventure, we at Cruise Guru strongly recommend you check that youve met all cruise vaccine requirements well before the voyage. With much discussion about cruises and vaccines, it can quite become quite confusing to determine your specific cruise vaccination requirements. Not to worry, we provide a complete breakdown of your chosen cruise lines cruise vaccination policy below.