Celebrity Cruise Line announced on their website that they will no longer require children to receive a vaccinated dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine before boarding. The move is an apparent reversal from the company’s prior announcement in April 2017 when it claimed “all minors traveling must present proof of vaccination for measles, chicken pox or MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) as ordered by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.”
Celebrity Cruises previously declared that all children from 5 to 11 years old will be required to get immunizations; however, the company has since postponed making a final decision on the policy. From February 1, 2022, the requirement was supposed to take effect. The cruise company claims that the obligation has been temporarily suspended.
The policy of Celebrity Cruises has been put on hold.
Celebrity Cruises’ Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Dondra Ritzenthaler announced the new policy just a few days ago, and the cruise operator has already placed it on hold. “The below process has been postponed till further notice,” the cruise company informed ticket brokers, “as we continue to watch global events and guide our industry ahead securely.”
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/Just Dance
The process indicated above pertains to the cruise line’s notice from two days ago, which may still be seen on the official website:
“Beginning February 1, 2022, we will require all visitors 5 years of age and older to be completely vaccinated before sailing. Unvaccinated children between the ages of two and four will be required to provide a negative Antigen or PCR test taken within three days of boarding at that time.”
The cruise operator has not provided any more information regarding why the obligation was postponed. It might, however, be a company-wide approach that encompasses Royal Caribbean International, a sibling cruise line.
Vaccine Requirements at Royal Caribbean are being assessed.
Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International’s senior vice president of sales, trade support, and service, said the business is considering its options for a vaccination requirement for children aged 5 and above in her monthly coffee talk.
Celebrity Cruises provided this image.
The Royal Caribbean Group cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, will have to wait and see what the processes will be. Richard D. Fain, the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, has long been a vocal proponent of immunizations. It’ll only be a matter of time until the corporation makes vaccinations a requirement.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for emergency use in children aged 5 to 1 in late October. Only two cruise companies, however, have gone so far as to require such immunizations.
Cruise lines are requiring children aged 5 and above to be fully vaccinated.
Only two cruise companies have said that all children aged 5 and above must be completely vaccinated, after Celebrity Cruises’ withdrawal of its requirement. Norwegian Cruise Line has made it plain that it would only let fully vaccinated passengers aboard its ships, and it recently stated that this policy will be extended to include children aged 5 to 11 years old:
“We look forward to having these younger passengers back aboard soon, given the latest health updates on the increase of the age requirements to acquire the vaccine,” a Norwegian Cruise Line representative stated at the time.
Beginning January 13, 2022, Disney Cruise Line will require all children aged 5 and up to be completely vaccinated. The Orlando-based cruise company announced the following on November 17:
“All vaccine-eligible Guests (based on US eligibility standards) must be completely vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the time of sailing, according to Disney Cruise Line. For sailings commencing on or after January 13, 2022, this will be a requirement for all Guests (domestic and foreign) aged 5 and above.”
Any obligations imposed on cruise lines operating under the Carnival Corporation banner will be part of each cruise line’s decision-making process and are unlikely to be part of a corporate strategy.
