Following suit of a majority of the tourist industry globally, Royal Caribbean Group is also lessening restrictions on some of its voyages. The cruise line announced that for voyages that are six nights or less, vaccinated passengers are no longer required to take a coronavirus test before boarding
Whilst the decision was just announced, it will go into effect on August 8 and all voyages up until that date must still follow existing COVID-19 testing protocols. The company urges travelers to also make sure they are fully aware of testing protocols at port destinations as they vary by destination.
For those travelers who remain unvaccinated, they will still be required to take an approved coronavirus test within three days of their departure date.
All employees working on the ships will be fully vaccinated and tested regularly and the company said it would “continue to maintain a high percentage of fully vaccinated guests.”
Royal Caribbean Group’s decision comes shortly after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. Furthermore, just last week the CDC set of recommendations for the cruise industry including:
- Pre-embarkation coronavirus testing within one day of embarkation
- Eligible travelers should be up to date with their vaccination status
- Those with prior medical condition, even if fully vaccinated, should talk to their healthcare provider before booking a cruise