As Royal Caribbean continues to prepare for the great comeback of cruise operations this summer, crew vaccinations continue to rollout out, and the cruise line just vaccinated more than 2,000 in a single day between two cruise ships in Florida.
Royal Caribbean Crew Vaccinations
The cruise line is ramping up crew vaccination across the fleet, and it comes as cruise operations globally are restarting, including in the US. Royal Caribbean has now reached a new high by ensuring all the crew is fully vaccinated before operations begin.
On Friday, a total of 2,106 crew members received a vaccine. From Allure of the Seas, 731 of the crew were vaccinated when the ship was in PortMiami. An impressive 1,375 of the crew were vaccinated from the new Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship after arriving in Port Canaveral for the first time on Friday morning.
Royal Caribbean president and CEO posted the news, and he said, “Today keeps getting better…Our first 2k dose crew vaccine day! 731 crew vaccinated on Allure in Miami and 1,375 crew vaccinated on Odyssey in Port Canaveral2,106 crew total! Thank you Port Miami! Thank you Port Canaveral.”
The cruise line is aiming to have all the crew fully vaccinated across the fleet. Cruise ships have been spending time at various US ports, including Miami and Port Canaveral, so that the crew can get vaccinated. The day before the new record, 420 of the crew from Explorer of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas received shots.
It’s been almost daily that crew is being vaccinated, and on May 30, the cruise line reached over 6,000 vaccinations which is more than half the fleet. On May 28, Cruise Hive reported that 5,730 crew members had received a shot, so things are moving forward very quickly.
Royal Caribbean is Making a Comeback
With all the crew vaccinated, it will provide a safe cruising experience for when operations begin. At the moment, the cruise line has a total of 14 ships that are returning to service. The first ship to resume cruises from the US will be Freedom of the Seas, departing Miami on July 2, 2021. The ship was also the first to be approved by the CDC for a simulated cruise that will depart on June 20.
Also Read: Six Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships to Restart in July and August From the US
The simulated cruises will be a way for Royal Caribbean to stress-test its health measures to ensure guests and crew remain safe. For US departures this summer, the cruise line is allowing unvaccinated and vaccinated guests to sail. However, those who are not fully vaccinated will undergo more strict health measures, including proof of a negative test.
For Alaska cruises, guests who are 16 years old and over must be fully vaccinated. That will change to 12 years and older starting from August 1. The situation on health protocols is evolving, and cruise lines are working with the CDC for a safe return and local authorities.
