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Are we finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? With the number of new Covid infections dropping rapidly, cruise lines have recently announced changes to face mask and testing requirements.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Starting March 1, Norwegian Cruise Line will no longer require passengers who sail from the U.S. to wear face masks on board in any area. (Face masks are still required on European cruises due to local mandates).
NCL will no longer test passengers for Covid at the pier prior to embarkation. Guests will be required to provide a negative test result within two days prior to embarkation from U.S. ports (or 3 days prior from non-U.S. ports). Third party antigen or PCR tests will be accepted as well as medically supervised home tests.
Lastly, NCL will allow unvaccinated children under the age of 5 to cruise. This is the only age group that will be exempt from the vaccine requirement. Previously, all guests had to be 100% vaccinated.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean just announced that its stricter mask protocol will end on February 14, 2022. Beginning February 15, vaccinated guests are no longer required to wear masks indoors in “vaccinated only” areas. These areas include the fitness center, casino, and select bars, dining rooms and theatre shows. Smoking will be allowed in the casinos again.
Royal Caribbean does not require children under the age of 12 to be vaccinated. Therefore, families traveling with kids in this age group will not be able to enter the vaccinated only areas with their entire family.
Opinions are Mixed
As with anything Covid-related, opinions about these changes are mixed. Nobody can agree on anything. Will Carnival and Disney Cruise Line follow with similar protocol changes?
What do you make of these recent announcements?
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
If the cruise ship wants my money, they can lift the vaccine mandate. The whole thing is a political tool to control the population. Masks do nothing to prevent the spread, the vaccine does nothing to protect or prevent infection. It’s all a game. Kind of like Nazi Germany where you have to show your papers to go anywhere or do anything. Shameful that our once great America has come to this.
I feel like you are infringing on the religious rights of those who do not choose to be vaccinated. you take a chance on getting a lot of diseases when you travel God is bigger than any sickness you could come across
Seems ripe for a bunch of headaches. Despite the steep decline of cases, we’re still at a daily average of 280,000 cases in the U.S. What happens when a bunch of people start getting sick and ports start turning them away? Just bob along the ocean for 7 days?
@projectx I’m still glad I postponed my March cruise so I can see how everything plays out these next few months. Before Omicron, there were almost no cases on cruise ships. The easier protocols might be premature, but I guess we’ll see what happens.
Actually with Omicron vaccinated and boosted people have gotten the virus. Masked people have gotten the virus. I say if you want to isolate yourself, fine, otherwise let people choose what they are comfortable with.
The science now admits that masks do nothing to prevent the spread of covid. Was always totally useless and simply for optics. People will always get sick, get the flu, have heart attacks, get norovirus – the ships are like small cities. We have to learn to live with this virus not panic every time someone gets sick.
Im sailing RCCL soon – with all vaccinated people including kids. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Not a fan of smoking in the casino again. Not sure we need that
@Momma To Go I hope all goes well on your cruise with no hiccups!