Royal Caribbean announced that it will be mandating all passengers on U.S. cruises to undergo testing for the Zika virus, in addition to other infectious diseases, starting in 2018.
Royal Caribbean has announced that effective January 1, 2021, all passengers on U.S. cruises will be required to take a pre-cruise medical exam in order to board their cruise.
If you’re traveling on a Royal Caribbean cruise from a U.S. port in August, regardless of your vaccination status, you’ll need to arrive with a negative COVID test result.
The company has issued a “Important Update For Guests” on sailings five nights or longer from U.S. home ports, since COVID-19 instances have resurfaced in most states.
The new criterion is as follows:
“All visitors aged 2 and above, regardless of vaccination status, must have a COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) performed by an authorized test provider, such as a pharmacy chain or diagnostic lab, no later than 3 days before arriving at the port for embarkation.”
Guests will be asked to provide their negative test results, either on paper or electronically, when they arrive at the airport. Guests will be responsible for the expenses of testing.
The new regulation is in effect for all sailings departing from the United States between July 31 and August 31.
Off the coast of Seattle, there’s a ship called Serenade of the Seas (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean)
As additional cruise ships come to port in the United States, the situation remains unpredictable owing to an increase in cases linked to the COVID-19 virus’s Delta form. Royal Caribbean admits that the situation is fluid on its website.
The line says that “this rule is subject to change as we review public health recommendations,” and that “booked passengers will be informed of the most recent requirements before sailing.”
Unvaccinated travelers were formerly obliged to undergo repeated COVID-19 tests before to departure and during the trip, while fully vaccinated travellers were exempt from this requirement.
The decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution, and to ensure that our passengers, crew, and the communities we visit stay healthy,” according to Royal Caribbean.
The statement from Royal Caribbean continues:
“All other testing rules and criteria remain in place. This is an extra layer of protection to guarantee everyone’s safety aboard. We’ll keep an eye on the public health situation as it changes and make any required changes to our protocols.”
The new regulation comes as several towns and states around the country tighten procedures and renew mask requirements. Walt Disney World said this week that guests would once again be required to wear face masks when inside the park.
READ MORE: [VIDEO] Cruise News Today — July 30, 2021
Tomorrow, the line will provide assistance to guests sailing on the Odyssey.
Royal Caribbean is providing assistance to passengers booked for the July 31 Odyssey of the Seas departure from Fort Lauderdale, which will be the ship’s maiden commercial voyage after completing a two-night test cruise last week.
(Photo courtesy of Broward County’s Port Everglades) The Odyssey of the Seas arrives at Port Everglades.
The line mentioned the new requirement in a mail sent to Odyssey passengers, and provided some help to those already on their way.
“We realize that this is a new and last-minute necessity for many of you. We highly advise that you get a negative test result before to sailing in order to ensure a pleasant boarding experience. As a result, you will be able to complete our standard boarding procedure. If passengers affected by the late change are unable to be tested prior to sailing, we will provide free testing on a limited basis as well as shuttles to a neighboring port for testing.”
Royal Caribbean has not said whether or not this option will be offered on future cruises.
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Royal Caribbean is adding a testing requirement for all on U.S. cruises. The requirement will be in place from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023. Reference: cruise lines that don’t require covid vaccine.
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