Testing Requirements: All guests 2 and older are required to submit a negative test regardless of vaccination status. 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. Crew will be tested regularly while on board. For customers looking to board Lindblad for an adventure cruise, they will need to abide by the new regulations in place. Prior to this sweeping vaccine mandate, Royal Caribbean had been announcing select "fully vaccinated" cruises. Royal Caribbean has announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for guests. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. User @joanwetz agreed with the boycott, noting: "I am. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and more to drop vaccination requirements for select sailings. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. The tweet received at least 145 likes since it was first posted. 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. 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. It is typically fairly obvious if someone is wearing a slingshot mankini. Now, abruptly, the CDC has dropped its voluntary program and has stopped regulating or tracking covid on cruise ships. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. It felt normal in many ways, but compared to two other recent cruises I took, it was a bit more controlled. The major cruise line previously mandated the covid vaccine for crew members only. Our intention is to comply with all federal, state and local laws, she said via email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. In a press release Friday announcing . -10. "This Order introduces a phased approach for resuming passenger cruises. Charleston. if you received your final dose on October 1st, your 14 day countdown In the U.S., kids younger than 5 are exempt from testing and vaccination requirements. 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. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Adventure of the Seas: "June 5 to October 14, 2021: Instead of offering sailings from Barcelona, Spain, Adventure of the Seas will now offer sailings from Nassau, Bahamas beginning June 2021," the company said. This bracelet allowed me to access areas of the ship reserved for vaccinated passengers. 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. 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. "Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. Many and most of the destinations that we visit require a high degree of vaccination, and they expect our crew to be vaccinated.". 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. Where was one of the first places that SARS-CoV2 outbreaks were being noticed? "We are continuing to adapt our protocols to align more closely with how the rest of society and other travel and leisure businesses are operating. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. For cruises longer than 16 nights self-testing is not accepted for unvaccinated travelers. Silversea also provides complimentary rapid antigen tests for all disembarking passengers. 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. 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. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. 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. Lindblad, Silversea, Azamara cruise lines will require the additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for those eligible starting March 1. You're supposed to take a covid test two days before either at a testing center or with a proctored testing kit that they sell on their website and the test kit does have an app to show your results. Essentially, while the CDC set parameters, the cruise lines have been policing themselves for months. | Become a News 6 Insider (its free!)]. However, passengers on U.S.-based voyages should be aware that protocols are likely to differ by cruise line, ship and departure state. Royal Caribbean has updated its healthy sail protocols. "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. Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible, the company said in a statement. 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. All guests aged 4 and older are required to have a negative COVID-19 test before boarding. On Friday, Royal Caribbean announced new seven-night cruises aboard the Adventure of the Seas cruise ship that will depart from Nassau in the Bahamas starting in June. 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 Shares Huge News on Covid Testing, Vaccine Rules President Michael Bayley gave some straight answers on pre-cruise covid testing and potentially dropping vaccine. sailings.". But against the context of everything we've seen, [that's] truly been a remarkable success.". Travelers to be Screened for COVID-19. Get ready for cruise ships carrying people who are not vaccinated against Covid-19. 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. 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 SARS-CoV2 is still actively spreading in the U.S. and throughout different parts of the world. The post has had over 7,200 likes since it was first shared on Monday. Interestingly, certain shows -- such as the ice show in Studio B -- required reservations due to their lower capacity. Starting September 5, 2022, all guests can sail with Royal Caribbean, regardless of vaccination status. Here, I'll explain how various facets of the sailing look for both vaccinated and unvaccinated cruisers. Viking Cruises already has the booster requirement in place. 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. Several cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages have already mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for its guests, crew, or both. Unfortunately, the announcement didn't come in time for this voyage. In a statement, Royal Caribbean said that while all crew members will be vaccinated against COVID-19, guests are "strongly . Unvaccinated passengers can cruise with negative results from any commercially available test, including self-tests. 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. That means, as of July 1, the Florida state government could . St. Maarten / St. Martin : open to vaccinated and unvaccinated . People still get covid, as do crew members, but only two people have died, and very few have gotten seriously ill. Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Guests under this age requirement who haven't been vaccinated will instead have to be tested for the virus. decision to sail less than 95% vaccinated, areas and services unvaccinated passengers can access, Will I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise? The CDC has dropped its voluntary program to monitor cruise ships. 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. When I reached the third floor on my way to the gangway, I passed by a small waiting area with several groups of bored-looking people. After 14 days pass, you can get onboard on Day 15. However, the cruise ship company has now done an a boat face, so to speak. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. For more information on protocols specific to your sailing, visitGetting Ready To Cruise. Cov. 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. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. Maarten.". As part of the Australian Federal and State Government protocols all COVID-19 vaccines no longer will be required for Celebrity sailings from European countries with the exception of Iceland and sailings from . Visitors must still fill out a health screening form prior to arrival. No testing is required for vaccinated passengers on voyages of nine nights or fewer. 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.". Learn more. One can download it through The app or from browser on The phone, and there is this QR-code to "check" it. 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. The cruise company's new sailings from the Bahamas will require all adult guests "to be . Please review this document and acknowledge acceptance via the tick Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. 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. Royal Caribbean will now require all guests to get tested for COVID-19 for certain cruises, regardless of their vaccination status. Masks were not required outdoors or while eating or drinking, but I found myself constantly worrying about whether I needed to have a mask on or not. Under the voluntary program, the CDC had been tracking covid levels on ships, assigning color levels based on positive tests and exposures. 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. Fully vaccinated guests and guests ages 11 and younger are exempt. Thats what you may see as soon as next month with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic still a public health emergency. ", Odyssey of the Seas: "May 9 to October 28, 2021 sailings departing from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy. The cruise line Royal Caribbean is requiring passengers and crew members 16 or older . 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"Lindblad Expeditions has announced that effective March 1, 2022, all guests 12 years of age and over who completed their primary vaccination series more than 5 months ago, are required to present proof of booster prior to embarkation," the cruise line said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. 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.