A trio of cruise lines will return to the Caribbean this summer, planning epic journeys filled with white sandy beaches and onboard excitement.
All three will require adult passengers to be fully vaccinated.
In June, Royal Caribbean will sail seven-night cruises from its new homeport in Nassau, Bahamas. The trips, onboard the "Adventure of the Seas" (complete with thrilling dual-racer waterslides), will include a stop at the cruise line's private island, CocoCay, and some time in Cozumel, Mexico. The trips are planned from June 12 through August.
Passengers 18 and older, will be required to be fully vaccinated. Those under 18 will have to obtain a negative COVID-19 test to board.
Travelers will also have to comply with the Bahamas protocols, which include testing negative for COVID-19 within five days of their departure.
Royal Caribbean's crew will be fully vaccinated as well.
"We are excited to get back to delivering memorable vacations in the Caribbean, gradually and safely," Michael Bayley, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said in a statement. "The vaccines are clearly a 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. As we move forward, we expect this requirement and other measures will inevitably evolve over time."
It's not the company's first foray into vaccinated sailings. In May, the cruise line plans to sail fully-inoculated journeys to the Greek Isles and Cyprus from Israel.
Additionally, Celebrity Cruises, which is part of the Royal Caribbean Group, will sail from St. Maarten on its renovated Celebrity Millennium starting June 5, heading to either Aruba, Curaçao, and Barbados, or Tortola, St. Lucia, and Barbados.
Like its parent company, all passengers 18 and older (as well as crew) must be fully vaccinated, while those under 18 must provide a negative test within 72 hours of embarkation.
Similarly, Crystal Cruises — which already announced its plan to require guests to be fully vaccinated going forward — said it will sail seven-night trips from Nassau and Bimini starting in July on the Crystal Serenity (think: less than 1,000 guests and complimentary wine tastings in The Vintage Room).
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
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