Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty told USA TODAY in a July interview that the company would monitor the situation and "modify protocols as needed.". I'll never sell, share, or misuse your information. Get free advice, information, and assistance with your next getaway. Bahamas closes its borders to cruise ships, Royal Caribbean creates expert panel to develop cruise ship health policies, Celebrity Cruises will accept mixed vaccines following CDC update, Study finds most would cruise if there were few cases, new protocols and a vaccine, Royal Caribbean will cover cost of international passenger Covid tests in January, Royal Caribbean extends suspension of cruises an additional 30 days due to coronavirus, Unvaccinated guests aged 2-11 must present a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR or antigen) taken within. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! We are collaborating with local governments throughout the Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for additional itineraries, the spokesperson added. Royal Caribbean published updates to its testing requirements, NCLH announced revisions to its SailSAFE health and safety protocols, vaccination requirements for certain cruises, Carnival Processes 1M Guests Utilizing VeriFLY Digital Travel App, Carnival Further Updates Testing and Vaccine Requirements, Royal Caribbean Cancels Cruises Due to Omicron, Royal Caribbean Group Cancels Most June Cruises, How to Cruise for Cheap: Top Tips and Advice, Complete Guide to Drink Packages on Celebrity Cruises (2023), Everything You Need to Know About Norwegian's Free at Sea in 2023, Complete Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages, Complete Guide to Drink Packages on Carnival (2023), Complete Guide to Drink Packages on MSC Cruises. Boarding Requirements. Royal Caribbean has emailed guests booked on upcoming sailings with the updated health and safety protocols. 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. 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. Vaccinated guests aged 12 and over will no longer have any pre-cruise COVID-19 related protocols. Royal Caribbean International | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols "Virgin Voyages has responded immediately to the CDCs decision to discontinue their voluntary COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships and will mirror the rest of the travel industry in removing pre-embarkation testing for sailings from July 24 on EU sailings, and from July 27 on U.S. sailings," the cruise line said in a news release. Cruise ship crime: What to know if youre sexually assaulted on a cruise. - Specific requirements per destination as can be found on Silversea's website. Royal Caribbean Drops Vaccine Requirement for Some Cruises In addition to Royal Caribbean ships, Carnival Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, Viking Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and other lines also visit the port. Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for sailing lengths of 5 nights or less. Royal Caribbean will require vaccinated guests 5 and older to test on U.S. cruises 10 nights or longer beginning Sept. 5, according to its website. First published on August 4, 2022 / 8:55 PM. In Honduras, Roatan island is a favorite port of call, visited by several cruise lines. Testing Requirements. The change comes as cruise travel is returning to normal more than two years after the pandemic brought the industry to a halt. Read Also: Cheap Cruises From Florida 2022. So, will you need a vaccine to cruise? When Royal Caribbean resumed cruises in summer 2021, vaccine requirements were in place and remained so until now. 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. Research what is offered in your local area far in advance to ensure you do not run into any surprises when trying to schedule a Covid test. As noted previously, guests who have submitted a Certificate of Recovery in lieu of a pre-departure negative Covid-19 test may not be eligible to disembark in some ports. Your email address will not be published. That policy did not seem to be consistent, but it appeared that there was at least some level of verification . For Australians, anyone currently looking to sail internationally will need to be fully vaccinated. The cruise line indicated that these protocols better aligned with the travel and hospitality sector and met destination regulations. As part of updated testing requirements, Royal Caribbean has added new guidelines for those guests who have previously contracted Covid 19. Princess Cruises will also begin welcoming a small amount of unvaccinated adults onboard. Now, Royal Caribbean drops vaccine requirements for some cruises as well. She is a self-confessed thrill seeker, obsessive planner, and over-packer. Carnival Cruise Line willonly require pre-cruisetesting for vaccinated passengerson trips 16 nights or more, or where local rules mandate it, startingSept. 6, according to a press release. 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 CDC has discontinued thecruise shipcolor status page on its website, but the agency said in the Frequently Asked Questions section thatcustomers can reach out to cruise linesabout outbreaks on their ship. We give you our exclusive bonus offers , plus all qualifying cruise line offers , plus all of the cruise line loyalty program benefits. Drop us an anchor below to share your thoughts on this recent cruise news. Joel is a co-owner of JJ Travel Associates (a Dream Vacations franchise), blogger-in-chief at JoelKnowsTravel.com, lover of all things travel (especially UNESCO World Heritage Sites), wannabe comedian, and the person you should call if you're thinking of planning a vacation. the organization will continue to monitor and offer guidelines to ships. 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. Royal Caribbean Group announced it would no longer require vaccinated passengers to take a coronavirus test before boarding voyages of six nights or less. Tests must be taken no more than72hours prior to scheduled boarding time on embarkation day. Editors note: This post has been updated with new information. Unvaccinated children will still need to show a test result to board all sailings, regardless of length. Vaccine requirements will remain in place, but the cruise line said it "is currently evaluating this policy and will announce further updates in the near future." 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. 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. Royal Caribbean Cruises Vaccination Requirements Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will drop all pre-cruise requirements for vaccinated passengers age 12 and older beginning Sept. 3. COVID-19 Protocols, Listed by Cruise Line | TravelAge West Missing from this list are cruises that visit destinations in The Bahamas or Eastern Caribbean. 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. Unvaccinated guests aged 2 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date. Royal Caribbean cruises that don't require vaccination include sailings that leave from European ports, Los Angeles, Galveston, Tex. I wish they had cruises where no one was injected. Beginning September 5, Royal Caribbean will allow guests on U.S. cruises the choice of taking a home test or a test professionally administered by a health professional. Additionally, no COVID-19 testing is required for vaccinated guests on sailings of nine nights or less. Guests who are fully vaccinated and up-to-date on their vaccination, including . For sailings from the United States (except Puerto Rico), on or after March 11, 2022,a Certificate of Recovery will be accepted for a positive COVID-19 case at least 11 days before boarding, but no more than 90 days ago. It can be professionally proctored at your doctor or drugstore, or it can be a test you administer to yourself at home without supervision. The changes are subject to local rules at various destinations, and the cruise-line operator "continues to strongly recommend all guests be up to date on vaccination protocols and test at their convenience prior to travel," per the release. . Now, Royal Caribbean drops vaccine requirements for some cruises as well. Masks are required for all children aged 2 and older while at the Adventure Ocean youth program. Here's what passengers can expect. Royal Caribbean released a further update to its protocols on Wednesday, which will go into effect in September 2022. With this update, only guests who will be visiting Colombia, taking transatlantic sailings, or cruising from Australia will require pre-cruise COVID-19 tests. Margaritaville at Sea also scrappedits pre-embarkation testing requirementfor vaccinated passengers, according to a press release. For a limited time download a free copy of my book. Stay up to date with the latest cruise news and travel updates! Royal Caribbean currently requires guests 12 and older to show proof of vaccination before they can sail from North America, according to its website. To avoid the chance of you missing your next cruise, whether domestic or international, we suggest being fully vaccinated. Below, we break down each lines list of regulations to sail as well as what travelers need to know to plan. There was no thorough check or attempt to match the card to my identification but there was at least a perfunctory effort. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Unvaccinated guests 5 and older have to take atest within threedays of their trip, no matter the sailing's length. Stretch Your Vacation Budget: 9 Strategies That Will Save You Thousands. also eased testing requirements for . New protocols for Mediterranean sailings for spring and summer 2022 have yet to be released. Sailings longer than 10 nights may have additional onboard testing requirements. Onboard: For sailings that are 5 nights or longer, unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 will take a complimentary antigen test prior to debarkation. The cruise line will drop the vaccine requirement on select sailings from the U.S. and Europe. Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests. Good news for Royal Caribbean guests who have recovered from Covid-19. We're here help you make the most of your adventure. Here are the websites of the current protocols by country: Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. ", Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbeanasks that guests make a reservation before bringing their child to Adventure Ocean. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? There will be no testing or vaccinationrequirements for guests age 11 and younger. Previously, pre-cruise testing was also required for all cruises visiting Haiti or Honduras, both popular ports of call with private resort destinations. The only exception are on sailings to or from Canada, Bermuda, Australia and Singapore. Royal Caribbean sent out an update on Wednesday with new protocols that have removed the need to conduct a pre-cruise Covid-19 test, even if you are unvaccinated. NCL's policy also applies to sister brands Oceania and Regent Seven Seas. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. Just a few weeks ago, when I boarded Royal Caribbeans Celebrity Summit, the person checking in asked to see my vaccination card. Royal Caribbean will accept self-administered Covid-19 tests| Royal