Another Cruise Line Signals That Vaccine Mandates Are The Way Forward

Cruise lines are warming to the idea of vaccine mandates for passengers.

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As major cruise lines prepare to resume sailing at the end of April (or soon thereafter), one of the most pressing questions has been whether passengers will need to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

There’s evidence that cruise lovers approve of vaccine mandates and, increasingly, cruise lines seem to be warming to the idea, too.

The trend is sailing slowly, but surely, in the same direction. In January, Saga Cruises, a small-ship cruise line operating from the United Kingdom, announced that it will require all cruise passengers to be vaccinated at least two weeks prior to boarding.

Weeks later, Indiana-based river cruise line American Queen Steamboat Company and its sister line, Victory Cruise Lines, announced a similar directive that will take effect July 1. The rule will be in place for American Queen’s four riverboats and the three vessels operated by Victory Cruise Lines.

Next, in mid-February, luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises announced it will require passengers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 when sailing resumes this year. Though Crystals’ two ocean liners — the 980-passenger Serenity and 848-passenger Symphony — are large ships, they are considerably smaller than the behemoths operated by some of the mass-market lines.

Then came another kicker, just yesterday, when Royal Caribbean announced that all passengers and crew older than 16 must be vaccinated when its newest ship, the 4,198-passenger Odyssey of the Seas, begins sailing in May to the Mediterranean.

“Until now, most large lines showed an interest in at least requiring vaccines among crew, but no line of this size had announced an actual guest mandate,” says Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic. “It’s also worth highlighting that this is just one ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet – not its other ship currently sailing in Asia, or others in its fleet.”

Royal Caribbean’s choice for the Odyssey’s first home port is downright remarkable. The ship will set sail from Israel, the first country in the world to vaccinate more than 50% of its population. Nearly 90% of Israelis over the age of 50 have been fully vaccinated.

“Thanks to the millions of vaccines we have brought, I am proud that Israel will be the first country in the world to launch Royal Caribbean’s new flagship,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s lightning-speed vaccine program has allowed a loosening of Covid-19 restrictions, giving vaccinated “green pass” holders access to gyms, theaters, concerts and travel, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post. Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein called it “the first step back to an almost normal life.”

McDaniel says Royal Caribbean’s decision to base a ship in Israel is part of a pattern where cruise lines are focusing on countries where Covid cases are on the decline. “To start, Odyssey of the Seas will carry only Israeli guests, which is similar to other lines sailing in Europe – and Royal Caribbean’s own Quantum of the Seas in Singapore,” she says.

Cruise enthusiasts in the U.S. appear to be very supportive of vaccine mandates, says McDaniel. “And anecdotally, we’re hearing from a number of cruisers that it’s the only way they’d feel comfortable returning at this time.”

In a recent survey of nearly 3,000 Cruise Critic readers, a healthy majority believed vaccines will be important to the restart of cruising. More than eight in 10 (81%) respondents said they would cruise if a vaccine were mandated prior to setting sail. Only 5% said that a vaccine requirement would deter them from cruising, while the remaining 14% were unsure.

“It’s difficult to say what other lines will do at this time,” says McDaniel, “though we’ve now seen lines announce mandates in countries where vaccines are prevalent – Israel – and also on cruise lines whose audiences tend to skew a bit more mature like Crystal Cruises and some U.S. river lines.”

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