P&O Cruises has decided to temporarily remove the obligation of the pre-boarding swab testing for passengers on selected sailings.
Eliminating the Swab tests would mean takeing out a big brake on the resumption of bookings but on the condition that the coronavirus is downgraded to a simple influence. In a letter addressed to its guests, P&O Cruises announced that it would eliminate the need to undergo the test before a cruise aboard its flagship "Iona": this provision would only be valid for a limited time, from 25 June to July 23, 2022.
By removing Covid tests for a ship, the company hopes to create an experimental base and then, in the event of a successful results, expand it to the entire fleet, which would effectively bring cruises back to 2019 level.
During the five selected trips, passengers considered fully vaccinated will no longer have to purchase or make an antigen test before boarding the ship: "As health protocols for Covid-19 continue to evolve around the world, P&O Cruises will change its policy on Iona to remove pre-departure testing for all guests. You can rest assured that the protection of your health and well-being is as always very important to us and we still have a number of protocols in place to help you relax and enjoy your holiday "reads the letter to the guests.
The cruises in question are the departures on 25 June, 2, 9, 16, and 23 July. All cruises have the same itinerary. Setting sail from Southampton, the ship will call in Stavanger, Olden, Hellesylt, Geiranger, and Haugesund, before returning home to the UK. Britain's lack of entry restrictions leaves room for P&O Cruises to remove the testing requirement, excluding unvaccinated passengers (so we're talking about children under 12).
Furthermore, this brand is the first Carnival Corporation brand to make this decision. If successful, it will ensure additional favorable data that Carnival can use to persuade US health authorities to take the same steps in the US.
P&O Cruises is not the first company to remove tests for vaccinated guests. Last week Viking Ocean Cruises made the same move, even if under very strict conditions and not for cruises departing from the United States.
In any case, after the removal of the obligation to wear masks on board and the possibility of returning to disembark autonomously from the ships, this would probably be the decisive move to return the cruise product to pre-Covid normality. We will then see if this decision is not yet premature.
