Royal Caribbean gained’t require vaccinations on U.S. cruises, besides in Seattle

Royal Caribbean International will no longer have its cruise passengers vaccinated against COVID-19 as previously planned.

In a Friday press release announcing cruises for sale on eight of its ships from U.S. ports this summer, starting with Freedom of the Seas from PortMiami on July 2, the company said it would recommend passengers to the COVID -19 vaccine but not needing it. The announcement is a reversal of previous statements and vaccination protocols the company made to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month, which mandate vaccination for all passengers 18 years and older.

“Guests are strongly advised to set out to sea fully vaccinated if they are authorized to do so,” the company said in a statement. “Those who are not vaccinated or cannot verify vaccination must undergo tests and follow other protocols that will be announced at a later date.”

The U-turn is an obvious submission to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has insisted that cruise lines no exception to a newly enacted Florida law punish the company with a US $ 5,000 fine every time they ask a patron for proof of vaccination -Dollars occupied. Royal Caribbean International’s sister brand Celebrity Cruises (both owned by the Royal Caribbean Group) still requires all passengers 16 and older to be vaccinated on their seven-day Caribbean cruises departing from Port Everglades on June 26th.

Lyan Sierra-Caro, a spokesman for Royal Caribbean International, said the plans to vaccinate passengers the company presented to the CDC only applied to its test cruises. Under CDC rules, cruise ships that fail to meet certain vaccination limits for passengers and crew must first conduct a successful test cruise before they can resume revenue cruises.

“Our intent is to comply with all federal, state, and local laws,” she said via email.

On May 26, the cruise line updated its website to say that passengers 16 and over must be vaccinated on their cruises from Seattle and the Bahamas. Previously, the website stated that passengers 16 and older were required to meet the requirement on all of the company’s U.S. cruises.

In a statement, CEO Michael Bayley thanked DeSantis and other elected officials for their support of the industry, which has been paralyzed on multiple ships since it closed in March 2020 following COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths.

“To date, 90% of all vacationers who book with Royal Caribbean are either vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated in time for their cruise,” Bayley said in a statement. The company announced that all crew members will be vaccinated.

The recently passed Florida Act, drafted by the Republican-controlled state legislature and sponsored by Governor Ron DeSantis, prohibits corporations, schools, and government agencies across Florida from requiring anyone to have proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Under the law, which goes into effect July 1, companies can be fined up to $ 5,000 per violation.

It is unclear whether cruise lines are allowed to ask passengers if they have been vaccinated as part of the boarding process, even if they do not need a vaccination to board.

More about the COVID-19 pandemic

The summer cruises announced by Royal Caribbean International on Friday are yet to be approved by the CDC after each ship successfully completes a test cruise with volunteer passengers.

The CDC has so far approved nine cruise ships, including Freedom of the Seas, Carnival Horizon and MSC Meraviglia of PortMiami, for test cruises, and two ships – Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Equinox of Port Everglades – for cruises with revenue.