Cruise Update: You Can Travel On This Major Cruise Line Without Being COVID Vaccinated

Travelers looking to book a cruise will no longer have to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) as it has changed the requirements for boarding its ships.

The cruise line announced changes to its COVID policies on Monday, with Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, saying in a statement that the decision would make "it simpler and easier for our loyal guests to cruise on our three best-in-class brands."

Norwegian operates its namesake cruise brand as well as Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Changes to the sailing requirements now allow fully vaccinated passengers aged 12 and older to board Norwegian cruise ships or Oceania and Regent vessels without undergoing any pre-cruise COVID-19 protocols. This means a negative COVID test is no longer required, and only proof of full vaccination will be needed to board.

Unvaccinated passengers aged 12 and older will now be allowed to board Norwegian cruise ships with only a negative PCR or Antigen COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to embarkment, depending on local regulations. Passengers aged 11 and under are not required to be vaccinated or provide a negative COVID test, according to Norwegian.

The new policy will go into effect across all three cruise brands effective Sept 3. Until this date, Norwegian will continue to require all passengers aged 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to its website.

"Our long-awaited revisions to our testing and vaccination requirements bring us closer in line with the rest of society, which has learned to adapt and live with COVID-19..." Del Rio said.

COVID policies may differ on some voyages depending on where they are departing from or the specific local regulations in a visiting destination. These locations can include Canada, Greece, and Bermuda, Norwegian said.

The change from Norwegian comes as several other cruise lines make changes to their COVID policies, dropping the requirement for COVID testing prior to boarding for all vaccinated passengers in most destinations and sailings.

Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Azmara, Virgin Voyages, and Margaritaville at Sea have all eliminated their COVID testing requirements for vaccinated passengers in some capacity.

As of Monday premarket hours, shares of Norwegian were trading at $13.54, up 33 cents, or 2.50%.