Vaccine requirements for transatlantic and transpacific cruises have been dropped.

[Jussabitconfused]

It appears that only cruises departing and ending in Australia continue to have the vaccine requirement. This is taken from the FAQS page off of Royal Caribbeans site.

What vaccines are required to travel on a cruise? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

 

 

COVID-19 Vaccination is no longer required to sail, with a few exceptions. At this time, only the following sailings have COVID-19 vaccination requirements:

Guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to sail:

• Cruises from Australia Learn more about cruising from Australia
• Transpacific Sailings ending in Australia

Vaccines that are fully approved or authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (with the exception of CanSino), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), will be accepted by the ports we sail to. For guests sailing from Australia, vaccines must be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

To be considered fully vaccinated by the countries we visit:

A guest is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the required number of doses in their vaccine series have been fully administered (e.g. 2 shots of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, etc., or 1 shot of Johnson & Johnson). Vaccines must be approved for use by the country they are sailing from.

We strongly recommend that fully vaccinated guests also get a booster dose when they become eligible to do so. 

[ILOVEHI50]

I discovered this sometime within the last month.  Not exactly sure when requirements for  transatlantic were dropped; but I was very happy; since I already had a transatlantic booked for next April.  I love transatlantic cruises.

[easyqueasy]

I think your title about transpacific not requiring is misleading as cruising from Hawaii to Australia does. An email was sent about this new change on June 13. But it’s good news! I’d like to understand why Australia still requires it. But in the past other places stated that they don’t require it even though Royal stated it is required per those countries. 

[Jussabitconfused]

2 hours ago, easyqueasy said:

I think your title about transpacific not requiring is misleading as cruising from Hawaii to Australia does. An email was sent about this new change on June 13. But it’s good news! I’d like to understand why Australia still requires it. But in the past other places stated that they don’t require it even though Royal stated it is required per those countries. 

You're right I should have put all the information in the title. I did put it in the first line, however. I hope you understand, and I apologize for any confusion.

[Jussabitconfused]

4 hours ago, ILOVEHI50 said:

I discovered this sometime within the last month.  Not exactly sure when requirements for  transatlantic were dropped; but I was very happy; since I already had a transatlantic booked for next April.  I love transatlantic cruises.

I hadn't seen anybody post here since the changes dropping the requirement for cruises from Hawaii to Vancouver and Transatlantic happened.

[Mick B]

Hi,

Well I for one am glad they have been dropped on the TAs so much that I have gone and booked another one for next year on the Jewel from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton.

 

So, last October I had to travel by train (fairly rammed) from Nottingham to London, take the Underground (totally rammed) and then a train to Southampton (totally rammed again) where we had to stay for 2 nights because we needed a test (and the port was the best location for the test) 48 hrs before getting on the Anthem to the USA (although strangely you no longer needed a test to fly there). So after mingling with hundreds of people around the port town we took the test and got our results printed and boarded the ship. We then mingled with hundreds of more people on the ship and even got off at ports on the way and mingled with hundreds more. Then got to New York and mingled during Halloween with literally thousands of people around times square and then flew back to the UK with a plane load of strangers from who knows where) and then back on the underground and then back home on the train.

We never got Covid during the holiday or after it and I believed afterwards that the whole testing exercise was a total waste of our time and money. So yes, I am glad its gone as I think it was a bit unfair on cruise ship passengers when air passengers did not need to do the same. Surely being stuck inside a plane for 9 hours in close proximity to others as opposed to spending time on deck in the fresh air should have warranted a test.

 

I can now start planning things for my holiday next year without worrying that I may be denied boarding at the last minute due to a test (like we felt for our first 4 cruises after the restart).

. 

We have just been on the Enchantment from Italy to Spain and this is our first cruise since Covid that we have not had to take a test. Again the ship was full, the planes and trains were full and we were both OK. Lets hope things stay that way now.

 

Mick.

 

[Teeara]

So happy to hear this for all of you!  It was a real pain having to deal with this last year prior to boarding Wonder in Barcelona.  Very stressful worrying about testing positive after flying over to Spain and then spending a few days there.  Ended up catching Covid on the ship (along with a bunch of other people) and bringing it home with us.  

[Kezzig]

For those travelling to Australia on the transpacific - link to Aus Govt current requirements. 
https://www.health.gov.au/topics/covid-19/travel

 

[ONECRUISER]

6 hours ago, Kezzig said:

For those travelling to Australia on the transpacific - link to Aus Govt current requirements. 
https://www.health.gov.au/topics/covid-19/travel

 

Yup, no issues: Australia’s borders are open, and there are no Australian Government requirements to:

• give proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival to Australia
• supply proof of COVID-19 vaccination
• wear a mask, although this is encouraged

[fweegy]

What about pre cruise testing on a trans-pacific from Hawaii to Brisbane? Is that still required?

[Jussabitconfused]

12 hours ago, fweegy said:

What about pre cruise testing on a trans-pacific from Hawaii to Brisbane? Is that still required?

At this point it looks like Royal Caribbean is still requiring both a negative test and vaccination to sail into or out of Australia.

 

What are the pre-cruise testing requirements for my cruise? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

[nafanny29]

On 7/5/2023 at 8:04 PM, Teeara said:

So happy to hear this for all of you!  It was a real pain having to deal with this last year prior to boarding Wonder in Barcelona.  Very stressful worrying about testing positive after flying over to Spain and then spending a few days there.  Ended up catching Covid on the ship (along with a bunch of other people) and bringing it home with us.  

Just shows what a complete waste of time tests and vaccine passports were doesnt it lol