Royal Caribbean Starts Cruising, But There’s A Catch For Passengers

Royal Caribbean (RCL) is heading back to sea in May, but passengers of the cruise line will need to get their COVID vaccination in order to board the ship.

The first fully vaccinated cruise, which will sail from Israel to Cyprus and the Greek Isles, will be the first to require all crewmember and guests over the age of 16 to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, the method of providing proof of vaccination has yet to be determined.

Royal Caribbean said the decision to require COVID vaccinations was made in conjunction with Israel’s health and tourism authorities, and that “additional health and safety measures to be implemented by Israel and Royal Caribbean will be announced at a later date.”

“Thanks to the millions of vaccines we have brought, I am proud that Israel will be the first country in the world to launch Royal Caribbean’s new flagship,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

He continued by saying, “We will continue our program – the ‘green passport’ – so that we can get out of the COVID-19 virus in peace. Just as we made Israel the world champion in vaccines, we will make it the world champion in economics and tourism in the post-Corona era.”

Israel had inoculated 32% of its population with two doses of the COVID vaccine as it neared the end of February, after starting vaccinations on Dec. 20, ABC News reported. As many as 80% of individuals that are 60 or older have also received two doses of the drug, however, Israel is not currently vaccinating residents 16 and under, USA Today reported.

In comparison, the U.S. has vaccinated 7.7% of the population as of Tuesday with two doses of the COVID vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The cruise will sail from Haifa, Israel, on a combination of three-to-seven-night cruises that will visit the Greek Isles and Cyprus onboard the new Odyssey of the Seas ship.

Bookings for the sailings will go on sale on March 9.

Israeli passengers will be the first guests on board the Odyssey of the Seas ship, which will make its inaugural voyage for the May cruising season. This is the first-ever cruise departure from Israel for Royal Caribbean, USA Today said.

“Sailing from Israel is an opportunity we have had our sights on for quite some time,” Michael Bayley, president and CEO at Royal Caribbean International, said in a statement. “We greatly appreciate the government of Israel for their collaboration and confidence in us to deliver memorable cruise experiences to their residents, and look forward to delivering on that promise aboard our newest ship – the first ‘Green Island’ at sea.”

Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Costa Cruises have all said that they intend to vaccinate their crewmembers, but the companies have not made a commitment to fully vaccinated cruises until now, according to USA Today.

Cruise ships were seen as superspreader sites for the coronavirus during the height of the pandemic, as many ships were stuck at sea due to large numbers of infections of the virus.

Royal Caribbean announced in January that U.S. sailings were canceled through April 30.

Shares of Royal Caribbean were trading at $91.70 as of premarket hours, up 35 cents or 0.38%.