In a press release, they said, “Vaccines are not required for passengers, but all ship crew members will be vaccinated. Guests who are unvaccinated will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols.”

From TravelPulse.com:

On Friday, Royal Caribbean announced a reversal of its previously planned requirement that passengers be fully COVID-19 vaccinated in order to sail aboard its cruises.

This policy change flies in the face of Royal Caribbean’s original mandate that both guests and crew be fully vaccinated in order to board its vessels when the line returns to cruising from U.S. homeports in June 2021. The vaccination requirement will no longer apply for ships sailing out of Florida or Texas, although it holds for cruises departing from anywhere else.

In a statement released June 4, Royal Caribbean wrote that guests ages 16 and over “are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated”, but proof of immunization won’t be required for those boarding their cruises in these two states.

One of the reasons for the big change in attitude is due to legal issues at cruise ship ports in Florida and Texas. A bill passed by Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis will fine any of the state’s businesses $5,000 if they request proof of vaccination from customers. The start of this new rule is July 1st. Texas’ Governor Greg Abbott instituted a similar ban on businesses’ requesting proof of vaccination back in April.

Cruise lines have been shut down for 16 months and are anxious to do whatever is needed to start sailing again. Are you ready to go?

Susan Saunders 6/7/21