Another Major Cruise Operator Drops Key COVID-19 Mandates

The Norwegian Jewel, right, a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, is seen in Warnemuende, northern Germany, in this file photo. AP Photo/Thomas Haentzschel

Norwegian Cruise Line announced Monday it was dropping more of its COVID-19 measures on its ships.

In an announcement, the firm said that the new rule will be effective by Oct. 4 and drops requirements for vaccination, masking, and testing.

“Health and safety are always our first priority; in fact, we were the health and safety leaders from the very start of the pandemic,” Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive officer, said in the statement. “Many travelers have been patiently waiting to take their long-awaited vacation at sea and we cannot wait to celebrate their return.”

The cruise line, owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said even with the easing of its health protocols, it would continue to follow travel guidelines as required by the destinations it visits.

“Given the significant, positive progress in the public health environment, the Cruise Line updated its health and safety guidelines, which are now more aligned with other global travel organizations,” the company’s news release said.

Norwegian Cruise Lines will continue to follow COVID-19 rules that are required by certain countries or locales. For example, according to its website, proof of vaccination or a negative test is mandated for Australia, but Canada has lifted COVID-19-related travel requirements.

CDC Drops Rule

The decision by the cruise line comes after several countries lifted testing requirements for international air travelers as people return to pre-pandemic lifestyles across the globe. Since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, cruise companies have been crushed by pandemic-related restrictions and lockdowns.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship is seen at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama port on Feb 27, 2020. Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images

There was significant scrutiny on a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, that remained held outside a Japanese port for several weeks after numerous COVID-19 cases were reported on board. Weeks later, ships that reported outbreaks of the virus were blocked from docking in ports in the United States and other countries.

Industry data shows that the total economic contribution from cruise companies dropped from $154 billion in 2019 to $63 billion in 2020. Thousands of jobs were also shed, the data shows, as the number of people booking cruises plummeted.

In July, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dropped its mandatory requirements for cruise lines and later ended its reporting program. Cruise operators since then have dropped their rules around COVID-19.

“CDC has worked closely with the cruise industry, state, territorial, and local health authorities, and federal and seaport partners to provide a safer and healthier environment for cruise passengers and crew,” the CDC said in July. “Cruise ships have access to guidance and tools to manage their own COVID-19 mitigation programs.”

Firms Drop Requirements

In August, Norwegian’s main competitors—Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Group—dropped mandatory testing for guests vaccinated for COVID-19 on some of their cruise lines. Azamara, another operator cruise line, said in July that it too removed the testing mandate except in areas where “it is still required in accordance with country regulations,” according to a statement.

Despite rules around mandatory vaccinations being implemented, some ships reported COVID-19 outbreaks. In March, a “100 percent vaccinated” Princess Cruises cruise ship reported a COVID-19 outbreak that was forced to dock in San Francisco.

“They were all asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic,” Princess Cruises said at the time. Some vaccinated passengers who tested positive “were provided with accommodations ashore to hotels coordinated in advance for isolation and quarantine,” the statement added.

Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean were up about 3 percent each in morning trading, while Carnival’s shares were down 1 percent.

Reuters contributed to this report.