The phrase "as a result of a declaration of a public health emergency or government order" has been removed. See testing r. What are the top things to know after I have booked a Royal Caribbean cruise? At first, the rules were somewhat fluid, but for. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. 0:00. Royal Caribbean previously dropped its vaccine requirement for many sailings in September, but unvaccinated guests were still required to test before boarding. Since then, more itineraries opened up to unvaccinated cruisers. Guests confirmed on U.S. sailings departing on or before August 7, 2022, should adhere to protocols previously communicated. Those aren't onerous requirements for many. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean finishes test cruise, sets COVID-19 rules for - WFTV Royal Caribbean announced Wednesday that the cruisewill notstop in Curacao or Aruba as planned. Updated regularly with new information. Under the CDC guideline for Highly Vaccinated sailings, with at least 95% of guests fully vaccinated, the ships are considered a vaccinated community, so identification via bracelets is not required. If needed, well offer complimentary testing on Day 5 or 6 of the cruise. Royal Caribbean highlighted three changes they believe are the most important. If not, just leave blank, Royal Caribbean releases updated health protocols for cruise ships through April 14, 2022, Royal Caribbean pushes back final payment for April and May 2022 cruises, Royal Caribbean extends ability to cancel cruise for a credit until July 31, 2021, Royal Caribbean extends all Future Cruise Credits through April 30, 2022, Royal Caribbean's flexible cancellation program is about to end, Spotted: Later check-in times for Royal Caribbean cruises, Royal Caribbean is considering extending Future Cruise Credits. "We are still learning how easily it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, and how well available vaccines and medications work against it. Airplanes, theme parks, casinos, and hotels no longer require any such Covid protocols and have not had any requirements for months. That led Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, and the rest of the cruise industry to make changes to their rules. Due to local regulations, sailings to or from Australia, Bermuda, Canada or Singapore still require guests to be vaccinated. Starting Wednesday, travelers to the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia will need to complete a new digital form ahead of arrival. Moreover, vaccinated guests had to get their test done within 2 days of sailing. Royal Caribbeanasks that guests make a reservation before bringing their child to Adventure Ocean on port days the ship is in port just stop by Adventure Ocean on boarding day to reserve time, or throughout your cruise. There are two notable changes with this policy update: allowing unvaccinated from Florida ports, as well as Oasis of the Seas from Cape Liberty. Saga, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, P&O Cruises, Princess and Fred Olsen all have different rules around coronavirus vaccination and testing requirements. Having vaccine requirements and mask-related rules may have been the right thing for passenger safety, but it was not good for business. The only mixed MRNA vaccines accepted are combinations of Pfizer and Moderna. Royal Caribbean and Carnival join cruises dropping some vaccine rules Embarkation Day: All guests 2 years and older regardless of vaccination status are required to take a complimentary embarkation day antigen test and receive a negative test result. "In an abundance of caution for the well-being of our guests and crew, adjustments have been made toOdyssey of the Seasschedule of shows and activities on board the Dec. 18 sailing," Royal Caribbean said in thestatement shared by Sierra-Caro. Royal Caribbean will begin accepting results from self-administered home tests on most sailings. Non-residents ages 2 years and older regardless of vaccination status, non-residents extending their stay in Puerto Rico after sailing must complete a COVID-19 test after their cruise, and upload the results to Puerto Rico's TravelSafe Declaration form within 24 hours of departing the ship. Registration details will be provided onboard. Credit: Jennifer Martins . 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. 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. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! This will let us help guests plan the next steps of their cruise and keep them informed. 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. Things got a lot more serious when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally lifted its "No-Sail Order" in favor of its "Conditional Sailing Order." Unvaccinated guests from two to 17-years-old living in the UK will be required to take a complimentary rapid antigen test on arrival at the cruise terminal and receive a negative result in order to sail, and will be asked to present their negative PCR test result. Royal Caribbean International has further rolled back its COVID-19 requirements. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Odyssey of the Seas was classified as "Yellow", A cruise line didn't provide a COVID test to a symptomatic passenger, Odyssey of the Seas, makes brief return to port due to COVID, 48 people test positive for COVID on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas ship, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Royal Caribbean rules dictate that all travelers on board a ship aged 12 and above must be fully vaccinated and test negative before departure. ". Royal Caribbean informed travel agents that they willno longer be using bracelets toidentify vaccinated guests. Fully vaccinated guests will only have to show a test result at boarding if the sailing is 6 nights or longer. Additionally, there have been no COVID-19 related hospitalizations, medical evacuations, ventilator use, or deaths from this ship.". The health agencyis working closely with Royal Caribbean and will "consider multiple factors" before marking the ship as "Red" status at which point it would be required to return to port. ", Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. Starting with September 5th, for U.S. cruises that dont visit Canada or Bermuda: This change greatly makes it easier for vaccinated cruisers to go on a cruise without a test at all, unless they take a longer sailing. 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. 1:48 Nathan Diller USA TODAY Hear this story Many major cruise lines have eased their COVID-19 rules, including dropping vaccine requirements. This includes vaccination of all crew and keeping them up to date with boosters when eligible, routine surveillance of all crew, enhanced testing and treatment capabilities in our onboard medical centers, and much more. Guests under the age of 12 years, who are considered fully vaccinated, should follow the guidance for vaccinated guests below. More Cruise Lines to Start Allowing Unvaccinated Passengers - Leisure Do you know about when you'd like to sail? 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. Royal Caribbean drops pre-cruise testing requirement for almost all The new Electronic Immigration Form, requires travelers to submit their itinerary and contact information within 72 hours of arrival. In a statement, Royal Caribbean says this change in protocols are "tomore closely align with the broader travel industry.". Last week, Mr. Bayley posted on Facebook that Royal Caribbean cruise ships will sail at 80% vaccinated, leaving the extra 20% for unvaccinated. The island's tourism department points out that the form can even be completed upon an arriving flight with in-flight wifi, to help expedite the arrival process for passengers. "All cases appear to be mild or asymptomatic. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. This blog post is not to serve as offering legal advice of any kind. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Royal Caribbean Adjusts Protocols for Certain Sailings - Cruise Hive ", The website does include language that points to a change, but no policy shift has happened yet, "We are continuing to work with our destination partners to evolve and finalize other travel protocols, as we begin transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us. Starting with September 5th,for Europe cruises that don't visit Greece: Starting September 5th, guests who are not vaccinated can also sail on European cruises. These measures include the routine monitoring and vaccination of all crew members and keeping them up to date with boosters when they are eligible, enhanced testing and care capabilities in every onboard medical center, and more. The first sailings in July 2021 actually had a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers with masks required in common areas and basically any indoor space where people weren't eating and drinking. All passengers 2 and older sailing from Australia also need to test prior to boarding, as do those 5 and up on transatlantic cruises. TRAVEL + LEISURE is a registered trademark of Travel + Leisure Co., registered in the United States and other countries. Sailings longer than 10 nights may have additional onboard testing requirements. ", "This means that we're transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us while always working with our destination partners to meet their regulations.". 2 shots of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, etc., or 1 shot of Johnson & Johnson). Beginning Dec. 1, 2022, the company plans to drop the vaccine requirement for departures from the U.S. and Europe. Post-Cruise: If a guest is staying in Puerto Rico after the cruise, or they live in Puerto Rico, an additional test will be needed. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. The rules took a few months to settle in, and where you needed to wear a mask onboard changed a few times, but there were a few very clear rules followed by Royal Caribbean International (RCL) - Get Free Report, Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) - Get Free Report, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) - Get Free Report, and every other cruise line that sailed from U.S. ports: There were nuances, and slight changes based on ports, but those were the core rules Royal Caribbean and its rivals followed. Travel Wells Fargo to Pay Record $3.7 Billion Over Banking Violations Royal Caribbean Quietly Changes a Key Policy The cruise line has made a move that some passengers will applaud and others. "This is a unified approach, ensuring that our commitment to welcoming travelers is of a global standard.. The last highlighted change is to choosing where a lawsuit would be heard. Disney Cruise Line continues to "highly" recommend that all passengers be fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean, "strongly recommends" guests get boosted before their cruise. Travelers to the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia will need to complete a new digital form ahead of arrival. Children with one dose of a vaccine do not count as fully vaccinated for the purpose of our sailing. Passengers age 5 and older on sailings through Nov. 13 must either provide proof of vaccination or the results of a test taken between one and two days prior to sailing. Pre-cruise testing costs and scheduling are the guest's responsibility. The U.S. Centers, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed its warning against going on a cruise ship due to. Adults-only cruise line Virgin Voyages also removed all vaccine and testing requirements for all its ships on Oct. 30, according to the company.. Currently published testing and vaccination requirements remain in place for cruises from Australia and Singapore; cruises that depart from or visit Canada or Bermuda; and transatlantic sailings, until further notice. This means whichever country you live in primarily at the time of booking will be which contract applies to you. Embarkation Day: In addition to the pre-cruise test requirement, unvaccinated guests 2 to 11 years old will be required to take a complimentary embarkation day antigen test. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Pre-Cruise: All guests 2 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result. Royal Caribbean updates Covid protocols to open more sailings to Cruises from Australia are also not included in this policy change. This means no more vaccinated zones in the theater, spa, or gym, among other locations. Should protocols for your sailing change upon that confirmation, and you are unable to travel due to your vaccination status, Royal Caribbean will move you to a new sailing where your vaccination status is accepted or provide you a refund. Royal Caribbean CEO Talks When It Will Fully Drop Covid Testing The major change is in testing for passengers sailing from the U.S. August 8 - August 14th, 2022. When Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Free Report cruise ships began sailing from American ports after the cruise industry's covid-related shutdown, there were a lot of rules. Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense. Many recent cruise. 'Was it worth the risk? Guests who are not vaccinated can sail on any cruise from the U.S. or Europe (*except itineraries that visit Canada or Bermuda). 02 Nov 2022 By: Matt Hochberg With few exceptions, Royal Caribbean has dropped its pre-cruise testing requirements across the board. Starting Wednesday, travelers to the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia will need to complete a new digital form ahead of arrival. Other protocols includeenhanced cleaning, a vaccine requirement for passengers and crew, and the use of masks, among others. The. Guests 12 and older who are not fully vaccinated on cruises from the United States and the Caribbean with stops in Colombia, Haiti or Honduras need to take a test within three days before their cruise. It encompasses protocols and policies related to guest conduct and expectations during a cruise. The fine print associated with a Royal Caribbean cruise has been updated. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! "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)." One of the biggest changes appears to be the cruise contract now varies depending on where you live. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Guests age 12 and up who are not fully vaccinated have 3 days to take a test before their cruise, regardless the duration of the cruise. Royal Caribbean releases updated health protocols for cruise ships This includes unsupervised testing. Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean and more to drop vaccine requirements This new change gives vaccinated guests more time to get a test completed and unvaccinated kids the choice to take a rapid antigen test instead. A recent study has debunked yet another stereotype about cruises, this time about the air circulation onboard.An, While cruise ships are sailing again, there is still confusion about Covid-19 vaccine requirements, and Royal Caribbean, There is a risk of catching Covid-19 everywhere in life, including on cruise ships. With vaccinations required among all crew members and guests 12 and older, 95% of those on board were fully vaccinated, according to Royal Caribbean. All rights reserved. If you are currently booked on a voyage that departs on or after April 12, 2023, the new legal terms will apply. Fully vaccinated guests and guests ages 11 and younger are exempt. Like what you see? The Covid testing and vaccination requirements are different for different cruise lines, so it's crucial you follow the right ones. Royal Caribbean also said that protocols are still subject to change, due to the fluidity of the situation with Covid. Royal Caribbean's business has basically returned to pre-pandemic levels, he explained. There's been no change as of yet to the vaccination requirements, despite Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirming a change was coming. "After two years of successfully working with us, the CDC has transitioned from enforcing protocols and policies for the cruise industry to suggestions and recommendations to be in line with the travel and tourism sector," he added. Royal Caribbean will determine the primary country of residence based on what'sindicated by you, your agent, or other representative at the time of booking the cruise or at online check-in. The cruise line says the the Cruise Ticket Contract or Booking Conditions applicable to your cruise purchase are now determined by your Primary Country of Residence. Cruise lines dropped COVID-19 rules. How did that affect cases? We got 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 cruise ship prevented from entering 2 island - CNN You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. COHEN v. ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. The likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on cruise ships is "high because the virus spreads easily between people in close quarters aboard ships," Daigle said. Royal Caribbean says this update reflects the, "government mandates, the changes based on our voluntary opt-in to the US CDC Cruise Program, plus shore excursion requirements for unvaccinated children and their families." Royal Caribbean also said that protocols are still subject to change, due to the fluidity of the situation with Covid. USA TODAY. Make sure you don't fall foul of Covid cruise rules, Most cruise companies still have Covid related rules, Most liners have dropped mandatory testing, UK airport warns of new crackdown on Brits having pre-holiday pints, Disney Cruise Line buys huge 1.4billion cruise ship destined for the scrap yard, Crafty older traveller's trick for sneaking more hand luggage on a plane revealed, Couple miss dream TUI cruise to celebrate cancer remission after passport mistake, Women livid after being served chicken nuggets for breakfast at 'five star' TUI hotel. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Mask rules sort of changed each month and social distancing went away as ships moved to fuller capacities, but vaccination requirements were a key part of the conditions under which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) allowed the cruise lines to operate. The CEO went on to make a comparison to other travel businesses. The cruise industry was battered more than most during the coronavirus pandemic, with the majority of the world's fleet unable to take passengers for over a year. All rights reserved. . What other safety measures are in place: Depending on the port of embarkation. Guests arriving from non-US countries (regardless of vaccination status) will need to provide a negative result from a PCR or antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to boarding a flight to Puerto Rico. Unvaccinated children ages 2 to 11 years: PCR test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to sailing but not on boarding day. Disney Cruise Line will make a similar move later this month. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises are the latest to relax coronavirus protocols. The cruise contract is an important legal document that you agree to when booking a cruise. If not, just leave blank, Royal Caribbean drops testing for vaccinated passengers with new Covid protocols for U.S. sailings, CDC says fully vaccinated Americans dont need masks outside in most cases, CDC begins posting public comments on cruise ships starting up, It looks like Royal Caribbean will vaccinate its crew members, CDC ends Covid-19 program for cruise ships, CDC removes warning against going on a cruise ship. Royal Caribbean has posted its initial Covid-19 health protocols for cruises that include the dropping of Covid-19 testing on short sailings for vaccinated passengers. Unvaccinated guests age 5 and up will need to test within 3 days before boarding, regardless of cruise length. Unvaccinated children will still need to show a test result to board all sailings, regardless of length. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Testing details will be provided onboard. Travel + Leisure magazine may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Covid protocols have been a moving target since ships started sailing again in July 2021. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Royal Caribbean releases cruise ship health protocols for U.S. sailings After disembarking, she tested positive:A cruise line didn't provide a COVID test to a symptomatic passenger, Royal Caribbean's newest ship:Odyssey of the Seas, makes brief return to port due to COVID. 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. Children with one dose of a vaccine do not count as fully vaccinated for the purpose of the sailing. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? During its covid shutdown Royal Caribbean ( RCL) - Get Free Report and rivals, including Carnival Cruise Lines ( CCL) - Get Free Report, and Norwegian Cruise Lines ( NCLH) - Get Free Report. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Vaccinated guests ages 12 years and over: PCR or antigen test must be taken no more than 2 days prior to sailing. Antigen tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty spoke about the change during an earnings call with investors earlier this year and said the change is a move to be more like other forms of leisure travel, such as theme parks, casinos, or air travel. As cruises drop vaccine rules, they're seeing 'huge spike' in bookings Basically, you had to answer questions that determined if you were actively sick. Once that happened testing requirements loosened, masks went away, and vaccination rules were ultimately dropped. 2 min read Royal Caribbean International has further rolled back its COVID-19 requirements. Some ports require all guests, regardless of vaccination status, to purchase tours through Royal Caribbean. 'Was it worth the risk? If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise booked in April or May 2022, you will have more time to decide to make final, Royal Caribbean will extend its flexible cancellation policy that allows more time to be able to change their mind, Royal Caribbean announced on Wednesday it has simplified when guests can use their future cruise credits (FCCs) by, There's just about a day left to book a cruise that qualifies for Royal Caribbean's policy that allows for a last, Guests with Royal Caribbean cruises scheduled for later this year are seeing check-in times that are later than usually, With so many guests having a future cruise credit (FCC) now from cancelled cruises, some guests are curious if the. The cruise line says it "strongly recommends". No testing required for guests under age 2. Vaccinated guests wont have to take a pre-cruise test on cruises that are shorter than 10 nights. Last week, Royal Caribbean Group announced it would not test passengers on short sailings from the U.S. Royal Caribbean's website has been updated with new rules for cruisesdeparting from U.S. homeports on or after August 8, 2022 that do not visit Bermuda or Canada. 636 and the Magistrate Judge Rules of the Local Rules of the Southern District of Florida, the above-captioned Cause is referred to United States Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis to take all necessary and proper action as required by .