Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are ending their vaccination requirements for select sailings starting next month. The news comes just days after Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced the dropping of the vaccination requirements on all three brands.
Royal Caribbean will welcome all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, on sailings from Los Angeles, New Orleans, Galveston, Texas and Europe beginning Sept. 5 "as long as testing requirements are met," a spokesperson told USA TODAY via email. mail on Thursday.
Rules are subject to local restrictions.
"We are working with local authorities across the Caribbean to coordinate vaccination requirements for additional routes," the spokesperson added.
Royal Caribbean currently requires guests 12 and older to show proof of vaccination to sail from North America, according to its website.
Beginning on the same date, Celebrity Cruises will also welcome all test-compliant travelers from Los Angeles, the United Kingdom and Europe – excluding Iceland – to its website.
The changes came after Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. announced plans to adjust its COVID-19 rules, allowing all passengers to board.
Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity, also rolled back its testing requirements this month, following the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 program for cruise ships. The company requires vaccinated passengers to be tested only on sailings of six nights or longer, but testing is still required for unvaccinated passengers on all sailings.
