In the last year during the coronavirus pandemic, cruising the seas has mostly been out of everyone’s reach worldwide, along with many other forms of travel. However, gradually steps are being taken to make cruises available again and safe for passengers and crew alike.
Royal Caribbean crew members to be vaccinated
A company spokesman says that going forward, Royal Caribbean will require all its crew members to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The cruise line resumed sailings in Singapore in December and is currently working on a timeline for the vaccinations in order to be able to expand their reach. According to the spokesman there has not yet been a decision taken as to whether passengers would also need to be vaccinated.
The cruise line sent a letter to employees. In the letter, they wrote that they have been working hard, in collaboration with government entities, scientists and experts to continue to develop their plan to keep their guests, crews and the communities they visit safe. They wrote that the new COVID-19 vaccines do present an opportunity to do this. In fact, these vaccines are a way to build protection for the crew members, their loved ones and Royal Caribbean’s guests.
“So far, several vaccines have shown to be effective at preventing both mild and severe symptoms of COVID-19, and we intend to make them a key component of our healthy return to service,” the letter continued. “Therefore, we expect vaccinations will be required for our crew as part of our plan for your return to working on our ships.”
Other cruise lines introduce COVID-19 vaccinations
The decision by Royal Caribbean follows after Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line said last month that they are looking into vaccinating all their crew members before returning to the seas. It also comes after a number of cruise lines, including two in the U.S. have announced that passengers will require to be vaccinated prior to boarding.
The idea isn’t just for cruise ships, however. Earlier in February, Etihad Airways became the first airline in the world to vaccinate all of its pilots and cabin crew. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines is working towards the same goal. On top of this, a number of countries have also planned for the idea of vaccine passports, including Denmark, Iceland and the Seychelles.
In the meantime, and according to the company, the majority of Royal Caribbean’s sailings are on pause through to at least April 30th. However, the popular cruise line is still looking ahead to the future. Royal Caribbean still has to set a date for the test sailings. These tests are required as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Conditional Sail” Order. However, in the meantime the cruise line has plenty of potential passengers lining up for when the test sailings begin. It does give those who love sailing the seven seas some hope for the future.
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