Royal Caribbean announced that the cruise line has extended its health protocols for European departures.
Health protocols have been extended for European sailings that depart on or before July 31, 2022. Travel advisors and passengers were notified of the update this week.
The existing protocols have been extended without any notable changes to vaccine, testing and onboard health requirements.
Vaccine Requirements
Royal Caribbean requires all guests 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Guests must provide proof of vaccination with the final dose being administered no later than 14 days before sailing.
Guests must have received their most recent vaccine dose no more than 9 months (270 days) ago. This includes either a booster dose or the final dose of the original vaccine series (or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson).
For clarification purposes, Royal Caribbean states that guests who have received a booster vaccine dose will qualify as up to date regardless of the amount of time that has passed since the dose was administered.
Vaccines must be on the list of EMA-approved vaccines, which include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Nuvaxovid.
Children age 11 years old and under do not require Covid-19 vaccinations to cruise. Those aged 5 to 11 can choose to provide vaccination proof to be considered up to date for their sailing and follow health protocols of up to date guests. Children who have received only one dose of a vaccine will not qualify as fully vaccinated (unless they received Johnson & Johnson).
The health protocols also encourage guests to be “up to date” on their Covid-19 vaccination per the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Of note, for sailings departing from Stockholm, the age requirement states that all guests 18 years and older are required to be fully vaccinated.
Testing Requirements
All guests are required to present a negative Covid-19 test prior to boarding European departures.
- Fully vaccinated guests must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test no more than 2 days prior to boarding
- Unvaccinated guests must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test no more than 1 day prior to boarding.
Royal Caribbean continues to recommend that guests traveling from the United States take advantage of eMed antigen testing kits that provide supervised virtual video visits and can be accessed 24/7.
Notably, guests traveling back to the United States are no longer required to present a negative Covid-19 test prior to flight departures.
Depending on the departure port, testing requirements can vary slightly, so it's best to confirm country-specific policies before sailing.
Onboard Testing
Royal Caribbean requires that unvaccinated guests (by EMA standards) or those not up-to-date with their vaccines will require additional testing during European sailings.
- Onboard testing will be at the expense of guests if they are 12 years or older and considered to be unvaccinated or not up-to-date. Tests are $55 USD each
- For unvaccinated guests age 6-11 years old who require testing, onboard testing will be complimentary
- Guests who are 2 years and younger will not require any testing
- Guests will receive registration information once onboard. Guests 12 years or older (6 years and older for Italian ports) will have additional requirements during the cruise. Additionally, these guests might be required to test prior to disembarking depending on country requirements
Masks
Royal Caribbean states that masks for fully vaccinated guests are optional onboard. The cruise line continues to recommend masks for unvaccinated children while onboard.
Guests under 2 years old will not be required to wear a mask at any time.
In terminals, masks are optional unless required by the country’s local policies and regulations.
Some destination ports might have masking requirements in place, which will need to be followed by guests.
Policies remain subject to change.
