Safety is the number one priority for the cruise industry right now. The pandemic made many travelers wary of stepping foot on cruise ships, and the CDC restrictions have made it clear that something needs to change for companies to get back into business. Because of this, the biggest cruise lines in the world have begun to institute new policies and measures to make sure that their guests are as safe as possible. Here is a quick look at what some major cruise lines are doing to up their safety.
Disney Cruise Line
Unlike some of their competitors, Disney is not currently requiring guests to be vaccinated on all of their sailings. Instead, they are focusing on strict testing to make sure that no one with the coronavirus steps onto one of their ships. They are also promoting physical distance with an app and instituting new cleaning measures. Their ships will have all new air purification systems to help filter and circulate air more effectively, and housekeepers will deep clean rooms in order to disinfect all surfaces.
Norwegian Cruise Line
According to Norwegian, every guest old enough to get the vaccine will need to be fully vaccinated to go on a cruise. They are also requiring tests before embarking and disembarking. Norwegian also plans to be a bit stricter on face masks than some other cruise lines, asking for them to be worn both inside and outside. However, when social distancing can take place, masks will not be required.
Royal Caribbean
Like Disney, vaccines are not required on Royal’s ships. You can read about the details here, but the gist of it is that vaccines are highly recommended rather than necessary. They will, however, require all of their crew members to be vaccinated. They too upgraded the air filtration systems on their ships and are using a new technology called electrostatic fogging to disinfect surfaces.
Carnival
Carnival is currently abiding by the 95% vaccination requirement recommended by the CDC, and guests must show their vaccination cards to get onto their ships. They hope to open up their ships to non-vaccinated travelers in the future. They have also stated that social distancing will be emphasized onboard, though it does not look like testing will be required for vaccinated guests. Masks will not be required, but guests will need to undergo health screenings before coming on board.
We expect that many of these restrictions and health measures will change over the course of the next few months, but it’s great to see cruise lines taking safety seriously. We’ll keep you updated on any new health measures that cruise lines begin to implement!
