Axios reports: Royal Caribbean International on Friday canceled trips on four ships due to spiking rates of COVID-19, the company said in a statement. The cancellations are the latest blow to the cruise industry as it responds to a surge of cases driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant. “As a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances around the world, …
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The Insider reports: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now investigating or observing almost 70 cruise ships following COVID-19 outbreaks aboard the vessels, according to the agency’s update on Monday. According to the CDC’s website, 68 ships have either met the agency’s “investigation threshold” of crew or passengers COVID-19 outbreaks, or a health department has alerted the …
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The Associated Press reports: Norwegian Cruise Line asked a federal judge Friday to block a Florida law prohibiting cruise companies from demanding that passengers show written proof of coronavirus vaccination before they board a ship. Norwegian contends the “vaccine passport” ban, signed into law in May by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, jeopardizes the health and safety of passengers and crew …
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Raw Story reports: A TikTok user who goes by the name of Amethyst216 last week posted a video in which she documented what she said was an unjust removal from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship due to her positive COVID test. As the hazmat suit-clad ship workers try to remove her and her luggage from the vessel, she grows more …
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The Hill reports: Royal Caribbean cruises departing from Florida are requiring unvaccinated passengers above the age of 12 to buy travel insurance for medical and travel costs that could occur if they get COVID-19. The company announced on Tuesday unvaccinated passengers must get $25,000 in medical expense insurance and $50,000 insurance for quarantine and medical evacuation costs. The insurance is …
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The Associated Press reports: The first cruise ship to board passengers at a U.S. port in 15 months is set to sail Saturday from the industry’s South Florida hub in a symbolic stride toward normalcy that will be watched closely by health experts as vaccines curb the coronavirus’ spread in the country. Celebrity Cruises says at least 95% of those …
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USA Today reports: Royal Caribbean International is postponing the inaugural sailings of its newest cruise ship after eight crew members received positive coronavirus test results during routine testing. The Odyssey of the Seas’ initial sailings, which the cruise line had laid out as six- and eight-night Southern and Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from July 3 to July …
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The Miami Herald reports: Royal Caribbean International will no longer require any of its cruise passengers to be vaccinated for COVID-19 as it had previously planned to. In a press release Friday announcing cruises for sale on eight of its ships from U.S. ports this summer, starting with Freedom of the Seas from PortMiami on July 2, the company said …
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USA Today reports: Royal Caribbean’s newest ship “Odyssey of the Seas” is set to debut in May with departures from Israel with all passengers and crew over the age of 16 vaccinated. “In conjunction with Israel’s health and tourism authorities, Royal Caribbean will be the first to offer fully vaccinated sailings, where both crew and guests above the age of …
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The New York Post reports: The president of cruise giant Royal Caribbean has announced that 100,000 people have already volunteered to sail free-of-charge on their government-mandated test voyages. Just three days earlier, the company set up a “Volunteers of the Seas” Facebook page to attract those eager enough for a free ride aboard a cruise ship during the COVID-19 pandemic. …
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