Guests can take advantage of in-person, telehealth, and self-swab tests. When you strongly recommend that proper clothing be worn to a business meeting, technically that slingshot mankini is still fair game. NOTE: All Royal Caribbean guests aged 12 and older must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. When I arrived at the Port of Miami, I had to pass through a checkpoint. Royal Caribbean will now require all guests to get tested for COVID-19 for certain cruises, regardless of their vaccination status. Most major cruise lines require proof of vaccination for all passengers age 12 and up, and some require them for kids as young as 5 years old (Pfizer's . - Only non-vaccinated guests will be required to present a negative test (an antigen test taken within 48 hours or a PCR test taken within 72 hours) to board. Royal Caribbean expects to require its crew members to receive the vaccine before sailings return, a spokesperson told Insider. Get tested again after cruise travel. Silversea also provides complimentary rapid antigen tests for all disembarking passengers. Plus Ups are excluded. 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. 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. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Of course, nothing is foolproof: Royal Caribbean recently canceled the first sailings of its newest ship, Odyssey of the Seas, after eight crew members tested positive for Covid; six were. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. We didn't need a card at all because for the most part they don't require masks anymore. 2 shots of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, etc., or 1 shot of Johnson & Johnson). From there, I went to the second floor to check in. 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. Unvaccinated travelers can join us for almost all U.S. 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. 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. The Seattle Times does not append comment threads to stories from wire services such as the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post or Bloomberg News. I will be boycotting the company instead. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all require anyone 12 and older sailing on their ships to be fully. Further, the onboard mask rules were confusing. "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. All rights reserved. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. 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 . That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Several cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages have already mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for its guests, crew, or both. Then I was allowed to proceed to the check-in area. Royal Caribbean International has announced it won't require US passengers to get vaccinated to go on several ships set to sail this summer. The CDC may not be directly saying that it's done all it can, but the cruise lines clearly have taken reasonable precautions, and given the state of covid in the U.S., that's all that anyone can reasonably expect. A positive test would preclude them from embarking on the cruise. The post received nearly 100 likes since it was first tweeted. starts on October 1st, and you would be permitted to board the ship on Previously, certain areas onboard. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. An attendant who was monitoring the entrance told me they were passengers waiting for their test results. Royal Caribbean Will Not Allow Any Unvaccinated Guests Worldwide According to the statement made by Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean will not be allowing any guests onboard who have not been. The new order outlined detailed guidelines for resuming cruise operations in U.S. waters. 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. Many cruise fans and potential passengers may expect that this CDC decision means that vaccine requirements and precruise testing may soon go away. "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)." The only guests who will need to test . Well, heres what Dolven tweeted: Apparently, Dolven is referring to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signing into law a ban on Covid-19 vaccine passports. That means, as of July 1, the Florida state government could fine a cruise ship operator $5,000 each and every time the cruise ship operator requires proof of vaccination to use their services. Without very high vaccination rates among passengers and crew members, it can be difficult for a cruise ship to prevent the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) once the virus has made it on board. The graphic below, produced by Statista, illustrates countries with the most COVID-19 vaccine doses administered per 100,000 people. - As of the winter 2022 Caribbean and Central America season, Star Clippers no longer requires COVID-19 vaccinations for passengers. Thats The order was most recently extended on September 30 last year but on October 30, "a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order" was issued by the CDC. Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. Under the voluntary program, the CDC had been tracking covid levels on ships, assigning color levels based on positive tests and exposures. -10. Prior to this sweeping vaccine mandate, Royal Caribbean had been announcing select "fully vaccinated" cruises. "We have followed the science and used our learnings about COVID-19 to develop comprehensive health and safety protocols to make cruising safer by preventing and mitigating the spread of infectious diseases, in general, and of COVID-19, in particular. 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. "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. Related: Cruise hack: 6 ways to turn a voyage on a mass-market ship into a luxury experience. 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. #CancelCulture." Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Learn more. This will continue to evolve as new research and technology becomes available," the spokesperson added. 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. Our intention is to comply with all federal, state and local laws, she said via email. Does that mean covid-testing requirements and vaccine mandates will be dropped? Travelers to be Screened for COVID-19. Starting with August 8, 2022 departures, these updates include: . 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. 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. The about-face is an apparent submission to Gov. Charleston. 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. Further, unvaccinated guests may embark with a negative . Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results, a clear photo of your self-test result, or your actual self-test in hand. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider If your Royal Caribbean cruise visits Labadee, Roatan, or somewhere in Colombia, then unvaccinated will still need to test. Over the past few months that program became voluntary and masks went away while other restrictions eased. 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. With NewsGuard's HealthGuard browser extension, users can verify if a website is a trustworthy source of health information. 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. ", Odyssey of the Seas: "May 9 to October 28, 2021 sailings departing from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy. It is unclear if cruise companies will be allowed to ask passengers if they have been vaccinated as part of the boarding process, even if they dont require vaccination to board. Under the law, which takes effect on July 1, businesses can be fined up to $5,000 per violation. Royal Caribbean wont require passengers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 on select sailings beginning in September. 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. 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. Ron DeSantis bars businesses, schools and government entities across Florida from asking anyone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. The US hasn't mandated the COVID vaccine for all eager cruiser goers, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that cruise lines with 98% of crew and 95% of passengers vaccinated can skip the "simulated voyages" that would otherwise be necessary for cruise lines to resume "restricted passenger voyages" again. Vacation cruising has nearly returned to normal. 2023 TheStreet, Inc. All rights reserved. Royal Caribbean International has announced plans to begin sailing six of its cruise ships out of southern U.S. ports this July and August. "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. 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. Passenger operations continue to be suspended during the initial phases of this Order. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. 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. Following August 1, this age requirement will fall to 12 years old or older. What if I am not feeling well in the days leading up to my cruise? The venue was open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers. Bayley noted that the CDC shared some information with him about the "millions" of people who have sailed from U.S. ports over the past 12 months. 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. After all, rarely do you hear someone ask, is that person wearing a full business suit or just a suspender man thong? That has worked to keepcovid under control. After 14 days pass, you can get onboard on Day 15. 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. Carnival Cruise Line As summer travelers prepare to sail, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is lowering its threshold for cruise ships to meet a highly vaccinated status. 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. In the U.S., kids younger than 5 are exempt from testing and vaccination requirements. Several luxury cruise lines are implementing new vaccine protocols, each requiring guests to show proof of having received a booster shot to board. That means, as of July 1, the Florida state government could . The major cruise line previously mandated the covid vaccine for crew members only. 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. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. ", "At Silversea, our top priority has always been to safeguard the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit," the company wrote. But all the major cruise lines that sailed from the U.S. opted into the CDC program. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card.