Royal Caribbean international to sail six ships from Texas and Florida ports
The cruise line plans to begin sailing six ships from ports in the southern states this July and August, starting with Freedom of the Seas in Miami on July 2. The company had already announced plans to sail from Seattle to Alaska on round-trip itineraries starting in July.
“This is it. Vacationers can finally plan to take their precious time off this summer and truly get away after what has been a challenging time for everyone,” Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said in a Friday news release.
Summer cruises are available to book, according to the release. The company plans to reintroduce its full global fleet by the end of the year and said more details would be made available in the coming weeks.
Royal Caribbean announced last month plans to resume cruising this summer.
According to the release, all crew members will be vaccinated against COVID-19, while passengers are “strongly recommended” to be fully vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify their vaccinations will need to undergo testing and follow other protocols. However, Royal Caribbean has not laid out all of its policies yet.
Protocols are more stringent for cruises to Alaska. Passengers on Alaskan-bound ships in July who are 16 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and the age requirement drops to 12 starting Aug. 1. Those departing from international ports must meet the travel requirements of that country.
Bayley said as of Friday, 90% of vacationers booking with Royal Caribbean were either vaccinated or planned to get vaccinated in time for their cruise.
According to Royal Caribbean, cruises will be cancelled not on the list through the end of August, and affected customers will have the option to receive a full return.
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