Miami, US (tca/dpa) – Royal Caribbean is now allowing unvaccinated travelers who want to cruise in the US an option. But they will have to travel to Florida.
Currently, all Royal Caribbean cruises departing from U.S. reports require guests 16 and older to be fully vaccinated, and by August 1 guests 12 years old and older will need to be fully vaccinated as well. Even younger travelers will need a negative test result.
But the cruise company, headquartered in Miami-Dade County, is making an exception for Florida ports. Sailings from the Sunshine State will not require vaccinations, although the company recommends them.
In July, this Florida exception extends to Freedom of the Seas sailings departing from Miami. Unvaccinated guests, and all others departing from Florida, will have to undergo Covid-19 testing and additional health protocols. On Aug. 1, providing proof of a “valid” health insurance will be one of those protocols.
Royal Caribbean has several benchmarks for what is considered a “valid” health insurance, which includes a minimum of 50,000 dollars per person for quarantine and medical evacuation related to a positive Covid-19 test result.
Even though unvaccinated travelers will be allowed, Royal Caribbean says many of passengers will have already been vaccinated.
“Based on our guest surveys, we expect 90 percent of all our guests to be fully vaccinated,” the company said. Because of that, there will be events on some Florida cruises that will be restricted to guests who are vaccinated.
There is no word yet if this “unvaccinated exception” will be implemented in other U.S. ports, such as Seattle and Texas.
Internationally, Singapore is the only other place that is also allowing unvaccinated travelers on Royal Caribbean sailings.
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald
