Cruise Vacation Begins New Chapter With Loser Mask Rules

Carnival Cruise Line recommends wearing a mask on board from March 1st—but it’s not required. The same policy holds for Norwegian Cruise Line ships departing from US ports. Royal Caribbean Cruises eased its mask requirements for fully vaccinated guests in February. They are optional for fully vaccinated guests.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February reduced the risk advisory for cruises from “very high” to “high.” The agency now advises passengers to stay up-to-date with vaccinations before cruise ship travel. In January some cruise lines were canceled or postponed as a result of the Omicron version of COVID-19.

Many of the mask policies come after cruise ships opted into the CDC’s updated Voluntary COVID-19 Program, which has the option to drop mask requirements throughout the ship if at least 95% of both crew and passengers are fully vaccinated. is included.

The Cruise Lines International Association said reducing the threat level is “a step in the right direction,” noting that nearly everyone has been vaccinated and that the ships have on-site medical, isolation and quarantine facilities.

Between February 12 and February 25, cruise ships operating in US waters reported 1,050 Covid-19 cases among passengers and crew, according to CDC data. There were 5,013 Covid cases among passengers and crew on ships between 15 and 29 December.

Masks are still required during the ascent and descent process, as the federal mask mandate lasts at least March 18. Under the policy, face masks must be worn over the mouth and nose by all passengers on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses. , taxi and ride-share and inside airports, bus or ferry terminals, train or metro stations and seaports.

Disney Cruise Line still requires guests 2 and older to wear face coverings indoors, except when they are in their stateroom or are actively eating or drinking. The cruise line requires all eligible guests 5 and older to be fully vaccinated at the time of sailing.

Carnival says that while not widely mandated, masks may be required in some venues and events.

Under the CDC program, cruises can waive children under the age of 5 when calculating a ship’s vaccination rates.

Norwegian previously required all cruise line guests to be fully vaccinated, but starting March 1 will allow children under the age of 12 to be vaccinated. A spokesman said all guests and crew aged 12 and older should be fully vaccinated. Guardians of unvaccinated travelers under the age of 12 should be aware of any travel restrictions at arrival destinations and be prepared for additional tests when sailing and disembarking from a US port.

Booster shots are recommended, but usually not required. A Norwegian spokesperson noted that many countries, particularly in Europe, now require booster shots to see if guests have been fully vaccinated over a certain number of months.

Several cruise lines say they expect to operate their full fleets by the summer and increase the number of guests onboard.

Carnival says the cruise line has no self-imposed capacity restrictions at this time. The cruise line expects many ships to move fully into spring break.

Others are still restricting traveler yoga. Virgin Voyages says it has no immediate plans to increase capacity, which it has limited to 50%. Royal Caribbean Group says it expects to return the full fleet before the summer of 2022 and passenger numbers will reach pre-pandemic levels later this year.

Several cruise lines have stopped at Russian ports after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Norwegian removed all St Petersburg calls by the end of the year. Carnival says it is revising its routes in the coming week after alternate ports are confirmed.

This story has been published without modification to the text from a wire agency feed