RCI-Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity, and Silversea Cruises will require the crew to receive the COVID vaccine before boarding and resuming work on its cruise ships.
While the decision to require passengers to be vaccinated continues, the crew members will be required to receive the vaccine.
Royal Caribbean crew received a letter from the cruise company which reads:
“We have been working hard, in collaboration with government entities, scientists and experts to continue to develop our plan to keep our guests, crew and communities we visit safe. The new COVID-19 vaccines present a new opportunity to do just that. The vaccines are a way to build protection for you, your loved ones and our guests.
"So far, several vaccines have shown to be effective at preventing both mild and severe symptoms of COVID-19, and we intend to make them a key component of our healthy return to service. Therefore, we expect vaccinations will be required for our crew as part of our plan for your return to working on our ships"
Royal Caribbean Group said it was working on the details and did not have all the answers at the moment about how, when, and where the crew members might get the vaccine. The vaccination process might be different depending on the country of residence, the timing of the contract, and whether the crew member is already onboard or travelling. Royal Caribbean will keep updating the crew.
Whether or not passengers will be required to get the vaccine in order to board the cruise ships remains to be decided.
Saga Cruises and the two US river cruise lines, AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company and VCL-Victory Cruise Lines, already announced that they'll require guests to be fully vaccinated prior to boarding.