Royal Caribbean will not require passengers on its cruise ships to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The cruise line announced it won’t require vaccinations for passengers on most routes, a reversal of previous policy that required all passengers to be vaccinated. Unvaccinated passengers are required to be tested for COVID-19 and “follow other protocols.” Royal Caribbean will announce the additional protocols at a later date.
Passengers will still be required to show proof of vaccination on certain routes, including cruises to Alaska.
Michael Bayley, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, expects the majority of his customers will be vaccinated.
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE REQUIREMENTS LEAVE VOLCANO REFUGEES IN A LURCH
“90% of all vacationers booking with Royal Caribbean are either vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated in time for their cruise,” Bayley said in a statement announcing the resumption of the cruise line’s operations. Royal Caribbean “strongly” encouraged all passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before they board the ship.
The policy is an apparent reversal from previous statements. The axed requirements required all passengers to submit a vaccination record. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation banning vaccine passports in May. The prohibition, which goes into effect July 1, banned businesses and government entities from requiring proof of vaccination. Businesses that violate the rule will be fined $5,000 per customer.
Lyan Sierra-Caro, a spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean, told the Miami Herald that the vaccination requirements applied only to the simulation cruises required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio expressed his displeasure with the ban on vaccine passports, warning he may take the cruise line’s business to other states.
“God forbid, we can’t operate in the state of Florida for whatever reason, then there are other states that we do operate from,” Del Rio told investors in May. “And we can operate from the Caribbean for ships that otherwise would have gone to Florida.”
DeSantis has been outspoken in his frustration with the CDC’s cruising rules, calling the conditional sail order an”absolute farce” and warning the regulations would not stop cruises but force cruise operators to depart from foreign ports. The order requires 95% of passengers and 98% of crew members to be vaccinated and mandates cruise operators implement a laundry list of COVID-19 prevention measures. Cruise lines are also required to undergo 60 to 90 days of test sailing and preparation.
“The problem is the CDC. The problem is not Florida. Oh, by the way, if you’re sunbathing, you have to make sure they’re wearing a mask while they’re sunbathing. Are you kidding me?” DeSantis said in May. “So, we’re challenging the authority of the CDC to be involved to this extent.”
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the order, arguing that the CDC had overstepped its authority by implementing the requirements.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“With each passing day that cruises — a singled-out industry — cannot operate, Florida suffers irreparable harm,” Moody wrote in the lawsuit. “As Florida’s cruise lines and ports address the CDC’s constantly changing labyrinth of requirements for safety plans and simulations, and businesses and employees suffer, time is of the essence.”
The cruise industry has been decimated by a year of lockdowns, restrictions, and job losses. In Q3 of 2019, Royal Caribbean announced revenue of $3.19 billion. One year later, earnings fell to just $33.69 million.
