As Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings prepares for a restart of cruise operations, the company announced important information regarding crew vaccinations and approved vaccine brands in a letter sent to its crew members via email. Following a recent crew survey, which NCLH conducted regarding the availability and intend to return to work on board, the company received a large number of inquiries related to vaccinations against Covid-19. According to the company, this survey has indicated that many crew members are already scheduling vaccinations in their home countries in order to prepare for return to service.

“In order to provide the safest cruise experience possible and with guidance from our expert advisors, we will require all officers and crew to be fully vaccinated with an NCLH accepted COVID-19 vaccine in order to work on our vessels once we return to sailing. Vaccines in addition to multi-layered and robust preventive health and safety measures will help us provide a uniquely safe and healthy vacation environment that we believe exceeds all other vacation choices on land and at sea.” NCLH said in a letter sent to the crew.

In the letter, NCLH announced they will follow the guidance of public health agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, The World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency. Therefore NCLH will accept only vaccines that one or more of these agencies have approved for emergency use.

Which vaccine brands are accepted by NCLH?

As of March 31, 2021, the following vaccine brands against Covid-19 are accepted by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brands (Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises): 

• - Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty
• - Moderna 
• - Johnson & Johnson / Janssen
• - AstraZeneca

At this moment NCLH will accept only these vaccines against Covid-19 and will update the list when more vaccines are approved by the global agencies. The company advised its officers and crew who have an opportunity to get the vaccine with an approved brand in their home countries that they should do so as soon as possible. If one of these vaccines is not available in your home country, then the crew must be willing to receive the vaccine on board once they join the ship.

"For any crew member who has already received a vaccination not indicated in the accepted vaccination list above, please do not get re-vaccinated, the one you received may eventually be accepted. If not, then we will mandate a waiting period until an individual can be safely and effectively re-vaccinated with an NCLH accepted vaccine" NCLH said.