Cruise operations resumed in Jamaica on August 17.
CCL-Carnival Cruise Line's ship Carnival Sunshine called at Port Ocho Rios and became the first liner with international passengers to visit a Jamaican port since the start of the COVID crisis.
This marked a major step in the phased reopening of the tourism sector, which was adversely impacted by the global pandemic.
Under the strict measures governing the restart of cruises, ~95% of the crew members and passengers are fully vaccinated and all travelers are required to provide evidence of negative results from a COVID test taken within 72 hours of cruising,
In the case of unvaccinated guests, a PCR test is mandated, and all passengers are also screened and tested on disembarkation. While onboard, the crew is also required to adhere to strict protocols mandated by Conditional Sailing Order's official framework. This requires preventative measures, surveillance, and response mechanisms to be present onboard at all times.
Passengers are allowed to disembark the ship to participate in trips within the COVID-19 Resilient Corridors, which have been in place for stop-over tourists with a demonstrated record of performance for more than a year. The positivity rate within the corridors is at 0.6%.
The corridors are monitored by the Tourism Product Development Company, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Transport and Mining, and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.