Royal Caribbean has provided some long awaited updates on sailings for unvaccinated guests. At this time it appears the vaccine requirement has not been lifted for sailings out of Florida, but there are a number of sailings for unvaccinated guests to choose from.

While unvaccinated guests will be able to sail out of Galveston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Europe as of September 5, 2022, unvaccinated guests will not be able to get off the ship in Grand Cayman.

Most of the itineraries that allow for unvaccinated guests will call on Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman though unvaccinated guests will need valid proof of full vaccination to get off the ship in Grand Cayman.

Royal Caribbean shared that they are working with local governments in the Eastern Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for more itineraries.

The following communication was sent to travel partners:

Here at Royal Caribbean, you can trust we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit. We continue to work with our destination partners to evolve our protocols and align with the broader travel industry, as we transition to the point that everyone can vacation with us.

Starting with September 5th departures, your clients, regardless of their vaccination status, can cruise on the following itineraries, as long as they meet any testing requirements to board:

• Cruises from Los Angeles, California

• Cruises from Galveston, Texas

  • Please note, currently, only guests that show a valid vaccination record can get off the ship in Grand Cayman.

• Cruises from New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Please note, currently, only guests that show a valid vaccination record can get off the ship in Grand Cayman.

• Cruises from a European homeport

  • Please note, guests who are not “up to date” on their vaccination per EMA standards will need to take a test onboard in order to get off the ship in Greece and Spain.

Vaccination requirements remain in place until further notice for any homeport that is not mentioned above. Visit the Healthy Cruising Hub to view your client’s current protocols by homeport.

Other Homeports & Destinations:

We are working with local governments in the Eastern Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for more itineraries. We want to ensure a great experience going ashore at these ports, for guests of any vaccination status, while meeting local health regulations. We’ll share information as it becomes available to both you and your clients.

Provided below are current pre-arrival testing requirements for these itineraries:

Los Angeles & Galveston departures:

• Cruises 5 nights or less:

  • Unvaccinated guests aged 2 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date.

  • Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for sailing lengths of 5 nights or less.

• Cruises 6 nights or more: All guests aged 2 years and older, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date.

• Accepted Tests: Any FDA‐approved PCR or antigen test supervised in person or by a telehealth professional meet this requirement.

Europe departures:

• Testing requirements remain unchanged

New Orleans departures:

• Testing requirements have not been finalized

We continue to maintain additional layers of protection that far exceed any other vacation experience. This includes vaccination of all crew and keeping them up to date with boosters when eligible, routine surveillance of all crew, enhanced testing and treatment capabilities in our onboard medical centers, and much more.

We thank you for your continued commitment to providing your clients, our guests, the best possible vacation experience!