Royal Caribbean launched ‘fully vaccinated’ cruises to Bahamas and Mexico

• Royal Caribbean has just announced a new series of seven-night cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico.
• Summer cruises will depart from Royal Caribbean’s new home port in the Bahamas from June through August.
• All adult guests and crew should be vaccinated against COVID-19.
• See more stories on the Insider business page.

Royal Caribbean just announced a new collection of seven-night summer cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico, but don’t consider reserving a spot unless you plan to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The mega cruise line recently embarked on vaccination mandates. In February, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told Insider he would expect to require his crew members to receive the vaccine before departures return. And earlier this month, the company expanded that requirement by announcing its first “fully vaccinated” cruises – crew and guests – departing from Israel.

Now, Royal Caribbean is applying that same protocol to its new collection of summer crossings: all adult passengers must be vaccinated against COVID-19, while passengers under 18 must test negative for the virus.

“Vaccines are a clear game changer for all of us, and with the number of vaccinations and their impact growing rapidly, we believe starting with cruises for vaccinated adult guests and crew is the right choice,” Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said in the press release. “As we move forward, we anticipate that this requirement and other measures will inevitably change over time.

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Royal Caribbean International

This new series of “fully vaccinated” voyages will sail on the Adventure of the Seas ship starting June 12 from the cruise line’s new home port in Nassau, Bahamas. The cruise will then hit islands like Grand Bahama, Cozumel, Mexico and Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day on CocoCay Island. The latter is filled with warm-weather amenities like a water park, beach club, and freshwater lagoon, all of which will be operated by a vaccinated crew.

“I am particularly pleased that Royal Caribbean … has chosen the Bahamas as its home port when it resumes navigation,” Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, said in a press release. “Cruising is a vital part of the Bahamian economy and the return of Royal Caribbean and its customers to our shores will go a long way in restoring and reviving tourism.”

Royal Caribbean International

Customers will also need to comply with the country’s travel requirements, which include submitting a negative PCR test before traveling and testing again after arrival.

Royal Caribbean is just one of many cruise lines that have made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for guests, crew, or both. More recently, on Wednesday, P&O Cruises – owned by Carnival Corp – similarly announced a collection of summer cruises that will sail along the UK coast, only for vaccinated UK residents.