Three of the world's biggest cruise ships are expected to return to the ocean as soon as July
Date: 2021-06-20
All crew and passengers must be vaccinated before boarding.
Three of the world's biggest cruise companies have announced plans to return to the ocean in the coming weeks after a year of losses, the Bangkok Post reported recently.
On May 24, Norwegian Cruise Lines announced that its ships based in the United States would resume sea travel in early August. Earlier this month, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean International said their luxury cruises would start sailing again in July after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave passengers a "green light" to travel in early May. Of course, everyone on board will have been vaccinated by then.
"We've been waiting for this moment for a long time, and more than a year later, we're thrilled to restart the amazing Seattle-Alaska route." "Said Norwegian Cruise President Somermer in an official statement.
Richard Fine, CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said: "This has been a difficult year for everyone, particularly with pent-up demand for cruises, and we are all eager to turn the page."
On March 14, 2020, the CDC issued a "navigation injunction" to prevent the further spread of novel coronavirus. However, COVID-19 continued to break out on multiple cruise ships. While some cruises resumed operations in Europe and elsewhere last year, the U.S. ban has not been lifted.
According to the report, the three companies have not relaxed their vigilance for epidemic prevention and control. Norwegian says all crew members and passengers must be vaccinated before boarding. Carnival Corp. is also requiring passengers to complete vaccinations at least two weeks in advance. Royal Caribbean International, for its part, requires passengers over 16 to be vaccinated and has implemented new rules for all passengers over 12 years of age to be vaccinated after Aug. 1.
Royal Caribbean International ships will be the first to depart on July 19. On July 24, Carnival Corporation's Horme Cruise will begin sailing. On August 6, Norwegian Cruise Lines will begin its week-long voyage. In a separate development, Disney Cruise Lines announced in early May that it had canceled all of its sea trips through the end of July, with no word on when they would resume.