Cruise operator Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd revealed plans to require mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all guests and crew when it restarts sailings from US ports in July.
This announcement follows the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance, released last week to the cruise ship industry, including the need for COVID-19 vaccinations.
The cruise company has taken a hit for over a year due to the pandemic, resulting in heavy annual losses and plunging revenue, forcing it to take new steps to ensure customers can set sail again, Reuters reported.
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In a bid to end a one-year pause in operations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Caribbean also announced plans recently to resume sailings of some of its cruises in the Caribbean with vaccinated adult guests, in June.
The announcement concerns the 311-metres-long ‘Adventure of the Seas’ and the 294-metres-long ‘Celebrity Millennium’ cruise ships. The two ships will also have vaccinated crews and accept children under the age of 18 with a negative COVID-19 test.
Both cruise companies have also set up an expert panel to safely resume operations.
We believe that through a combination of 100% mandatory vaccinations for guests and crew and science-backed public health measures … we can create a safe, ‘bubble-like’ environment for guests and crew,
…Norwegian Cruise’s CEO Frank Del Rio said in a statement.
In a letter to the CDC, Norwegian Cruise Line said it will begin trips at a reduced capacity of 60%. It then plans to gradually ramp up its fleet departing from US ports and increase capacity by 20% every 30 days.
