The National Consumers League has been in the forefront of advocating for the right to a full and free choice of a vaccine, and for the government to not interfere in that choice, in the United States.
In the wake of the recent measles outbreak in the U.S., cruise lines are making safety a top priority. This year, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line have announced that they will be requiring all crew members to be fully vaccinated against measles before they can enter the U.S. from their ships.
The National Center for Infectious Diseases issued a public health advisory in response to a recent outbreak of measles at a Disney Cruise Line ship. The outbreak occurred onboard the Disney Magic, which departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on November 30, 2018. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed one case of measles in a Disney Cruise Line passenger.
Norwegian Cruise Line today announced plans to resume cruises from U.S. ports, including two from Florida. The introduction requires the cruise line, which is responsible for travel up to 31. which has a full vaccination mandate in October, is confident it can negotiate with the state of Florida, which has passed a law prohibiting companies from asking customers about their vaccination status. In a statement, Norwegian confirmed that it was not abandoning its plans to take over the vaccination of all its customers and crew members. All inaugural flights will be operated with fully vaccinated guests and crew members, complementing SailSAFE’s robust, multi-layered health and safety program, the company said.
Norwegian Bliss main pool In recent days, Norwegian’s two main competitors, Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line, have changed their approach to the vaccination issue. Over the weekend, Royal Caribbean returned to the issue of mandatory vaccination, stating that while the COVID-19 vaccine is highly recommended, it is not mandatory for boarding most flights. Carnival is going in a different direction.
Carnival chairwoman Christine Duffy said in an interview with Good Morning America late last week that mandating vaccinations might be a better idea. There is a way for unvaccinated guests, but we really don’t think the protocols allow us to provide the level of service to guests that we want to have. So I think people should get vaccinated, Duffy said. Carnival announced today that two ships will depart from Galveston, Texas in July. On both ships, passengers must be vaccinated at least this month.
READ MORE: Royal Caribbean announces deployment of six additional ships in the U.S. this summer It remains to be seen how Norway’s plans for Gem or Miami will mesh with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ opposition to mandatory vaccinations. DeSantis signed a new law on July 1 that prohibits companies from asking customers about their vaccination status. Under the new law, cruise lines can be fined $5,000 per passenger. Norwegian Gem flight to New England is one of the canceled flights.
The legislation led to a confrontation between Del Rio and DeSantis, with the cruise leader threatening to withdraw his ships from Florida and DeSantis responding by calling NCL one of the smaller (cruise lines) and suggesting that other lines would be happy to take his place. But in Norwegian Cruise Line’s recent statement, Del Rio praised Florida’s governor for filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The lawsuit, which continues after a mediation attempt failed, seeks to overturn the health department’s ban on sailing and immediately reinstate the vessels. We would like to thank Governor DeSantis and the State of Florida for standing up for our industry. His leadership was instrumental in bringing in KDK, Del Rio said. But the explanation was vague on the issue of vaccination: We are currently in contact with his staff and legal advisors to ensure that cruises are as safe as possible for our passengers departing from the cruise capital of the world, Del Rio said.
The CDC recommends but does not require, that all passengers and crew members be vaccinated. It removes the requirement of voluntary test flights for cruise lines that can certify that 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also owns the Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, plans to have 23 of its 28 ships in service by early 2024.
READ MORE: Texas port prepares for early return of cruise passengers process of bringing passengers from one country to another can be complicated, even on a basic cruise, but a very important part of the process is the need for passengers to be vaccinated against diseases they may be traveling from, in case an outbreak occurs on their destination.
Following a recent outbreak of measles in the U.S., cruise lines have started to implement different policies: some require passengers to have proof of vaccination, others do not.. Read more about cruise line stocks and let us know what you think.
