Nearly all major cruise lines are ditching mask requirements

Thursday, 22 Feb, 2022 0

Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line announced plans to drop shipboard mask requirements, joining rival Norwegian Cruise Line.

It means nearly every major cruise line is ditching its mask mandate.

Royal Caribbean has scrapped a requirement to mask up indoors for fully vaccinated passengers.

Carnival Cruise Line and its other sister brands including Princess Cruises will drop the rule from March 1.

"The public health situation has continued to improve, providing confidence about these changes," said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line.

Virgin Voyages is also scrapping its mask requirement.

It leaves only MSC Cruises and Disney Cruise Line yet to announce a change.

The cruise lines revised their policies after formally agreeing to participate in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s voluntary Covid-19 program.

Cruise lines may lift mask wearing requirements when 95% of passengers and crew members are fully vaccinated under the CDC program.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ three brands also opted into the program.

It means fully vaccinated travelers no longer need to wear masks indoors, although cruise lines still recommend it.

Guests will have to follow all local mask rules when ashore during ports of call.

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

Family-owned Olympic Holidays has been arranging holidays to Greece, the Greek islands and Cyprus for more than half century. The company is unrivalled...

This is Jersey. An island shaped by the sea where some of the most astonishing tides in the world circle...

ECOMMPAY is an international payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer, engineering bespoke payment solutions for clients worldwide. Our...

Palladium Hotel Group is a renowned Spanish hotel chain that first emerged towards the end of the 1960s. Currently present...

We work with reliable data providers with global coverage, that guarantee data representativeness as well as compliance with International Personal...

Air Transat is Canada’s number one leisure airline. It flies to some 60 international destinations in more than 25 countries...

AXA Assistance specializes in best-in-class cost containment, health and travel services. Over 60 years of experience combined with a US and...

Why choose Titan Travel? There are some great travel companies out there – so why Titan? Well, we’re one of...

Nium was founded on the mission to build the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the on-demand...

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is responsible for planning, organising, financing and delivering the...

At Wilderness Safaris we believe in creating life-changing journeys and have been doing so for over 39 years. Our purpose...

Virtuoso is the leading global network of agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with more than 20,000 advisors. We...

Ensuring our guests have an unforgettable experience while sailing with us is paramount; however, your health and safety remains our...

NSW, Australia Welcome to New South Wales – a place to feel free, feel alive, feel new. As the official...

City Cruises is a leading operator of sightseeing, dining and charter services operating in London, York and Poole. We offer...

Located in the heart of the Northeast and within easy driving distance of a third of the population of the...

WANDERERS WELCOME to MISSISSIPPI Mississippi is a state for all those who are wanderers at heart. From lush, forested Appalachian foothills to...

Arival advances the business of creating amazing in-destination experiences. We provide events, insights, and community for creators and sellers of...