Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Disney may have gone through the trouble of simulated voyages that open the door for unvaccinated guests to sail, but a new policy in the U.S. Virgin Islands will thwart some from sailing.
The policy requires all cruise passengers ages 12 and over to be fully vaccinated or the territory will not allow the ship to enter into its ports.
Royal Caribbean had plans to sail to St. Thomas on its first revenue sailing of Allure of the Seas set to depart Port Canaveral on Sunday, but the line had to inform its guests of the update, which could mean some may be prevented from sailing.
“To comply with this requirement, guests ages 12 and older must provide proof of vaccination in order to sail on itineraries visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands,” the letter to Allure of the Seas passengers read. “Guests unable to show proof of vaccination will not be allowed to sail. Guests under the age of 12, who are currently not eligible for the vaccine, will be able to sail with a negative test result at boarding and must follow certain protocols.”
Cruise lines have had to juggle vaccine requirement policies to restart cruising from the U.S., but specifically in Florida where a law is in place as of July 1 that would fine companies $5,000 per incident if they require proof of vaccination.
Norwegian Cruise Line, which has yet to sail from Florida, has sued the state in federal court over the law.
Lines had one of two options to get back to sailing from the U.S. as part of a conditional sail order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has given out conditional sailing certificates to ships whose lines attest that at least 95% of passengers on board would be vaccinated. The alternative is for cruise lines to perform a simulated sailing to show its COVID-19 safety protocols work.
Cruise lines like Celebrity and Carnival opted to limit its sailings to those who have been vaccinated, although they shifted language and policies to circumvent the Florida law that puts more of a financial burden on unvaccinated guests such as requiring travel insurance and footing the cost of required COVID-19 testing.
Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Disney, though, which expect more child passengers, many of whom aren’t eligible for a vaccine, opted for the test sailing route.
For Royal Caribbean and Disney, the door was at least open more readily for unvaccinated passengers to book, although they also could face more limitations on the ships than those that sail only with vaccinated passengers. Royal Caribbean, for instance, limits some entertainment and dining as vaccine-only venues.
Now, though, any cruise line with the U.S. Virgin Islands on the schedule, would have to have 100% vaccinations among those 12 and older in order for the ship to enter into port.
Disney Cruise Line only has Disney Dream officially set to resume sailing starting Monday, Aug. 9, and those sailings will only visit the Bahamas. Disney Fantasy, though, which would also sail from Port Canaveral, is in line to perform a simulated sailing this month to prepare for a potential restart on Sept. 4. That sailing currently has St. Thomas on the schedule.
Royal Caribbean has offered refunds or options to move the sailing for any guests affected by the shift in policy.
The line features St. Thomas on one of ship itinerary through September, that of Symphony of the Seas out of PortMiami.
Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line also have stops planned in the coming months in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Carnival Cruise Line and MSC Cruises, though, do not.
