Two U.S. cruise lines requiring COVID-19 vaccinations before boarding

Two US cruise lines will require proof of coronavirus vaccination before passengers are allowed to board from July.

The requirements, set out by American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines, are part of guidelines called “SafeCruise” that companies have established to ensure the safety of passengers and staff while traveling.

“Vaccination requirements for our guests and crew are the most prudent next step in ensuring that we provide the safest cruising experience possible,” said John Wagoner, CEO and Founder of American Queen Steamboat Company to Condé Nast Traveler.

Guidelines from both companies state that passengers and crew must be vaccinated against the coronavirus from July 1 to travel.

The industry has been hit in the wake of the pandemic, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) docked cruises from March through October last year.

The two companies will resume cruises from April, instituting coronavirus precautions such as masks and temperature checks, although the vaccination mandate will begin in July.

The companies said they were not worried about the requirement, as many of their customers are older and eligible for the vaccine. The crew are also eligible for the vaccine under the CDC’s Phase 1c priority system, as they are employees of a transport company, the two companies said, Conde Nast Traveler reported.

The United States has focused on vaccinating two of its most vulnerable populations – the elderly and healthcare workers – since Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were approved.

The Biden administration has pledged to administer 100 million vaccines within the first 100 days of President Biden’s tenure as it ramps up efforts to distribute the vaccine.

Public health officials, including an infectious disease expert Anthony FauciCommissioner Anthony FauciNFL offers stadiums as vaccination sites CDC says schools are safe, but Biden continues to ignore science, with doctors Jill Biden and dogs appearing in ad promoting the use of masks for the Puppy Bowl PLUS, predicted that more than 75 percent of the population will need to be vaccinated for the country to return to a version of normalcy.