The cruise industry has faced a public perception issue since the pandemic began.
Like Walt Disney (DIS) – Get the Walt Disney Company Report Amusement parks and many other travel destinations, the cruise industry ceased operations almost immediately after the declaration of the Covid pandemic in March 2020.
As vaccinations became widely available, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) very cautiously allowed ships to set sail again last summer, although they initially classified cruising as a high-risk Level 4 activity.
While the major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean International (RCL) – Get the Royal Caribbean Group reportCarnival Cruise Lines (CCL) – Get the Carnival Corporation report and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) – Get the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd report Always opting for high safety standards, the CDC nevertheless took a very cautious approach, gradually lowering the level of risk for sailing until it was abolished this spring.
The major lines all have strict protocols and all have spent millions during the pandemic upgrading their ships to make them safe for guests.
But even then, the industry has a built-in public perception problem, as The Street’s Daniel Kline recently explained: “Cruises last three to seven days or even longer and that means some people get on board and are held accountable on the cruise industry.”
This means that as the highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants have risen sharply of late, the industry is aware that while we all want to get back to normal and move on from the pandemic, the reality just isn’t cooperating are .
The big three cruise lines were reluctant to be the first to make big changes. But now that relatively small cruise line Holland America (owned by Carnival Corp.) has stopped pre-cruise Covid testing on a handful of cruises, one of the big players has decided to follow in their footsteps with its actual flagship brand.
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Which Cruise Line Dropped Their Testing Requirements?
Norwegian Cruise Line has now followed Holland America’s example and has announced that all of its lines (including Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruise) will drop pre-cruise Covid testing requirements effective August 1, it said unless the country from which the ship is sailing requires it.
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But that last part is key here.
The US recently dropped Covid testing requirements for international travelers. That means people no longer need to test negative before boarding a flight.
In response, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents most of the cruise industry, called for a review of pre-cruise testing requirements. But so far, the CDC has not made the requested change.
Holland America still requires proof of vaccinations for guests 12 and older, a rule that Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian still follow.
So what does the change mean?
At the moment there are no real changes for Norwegian Cruise Line ships departing from the US, Canada, Greece or Bermuda, which continue to require a pre-cruise Covid test before boarding a ship. (Technically, the CDC doesn’t require that, but cruise lines have opted for optional rules that require a pre-cruise Covid test).
But as the Royal Caribbean Blog points out, the change “will make it easier for North Americans traveling to Europe for a cruise to book a cruise by removing another hurdle to jumping through.”
It’s unclear if Royal Caribbean or Carnival will follow Norwegian’s example, or if the CDC will choose to scrap the testing requirements any time soon. However, experts seem to think it will be a while before any major changes happen.
Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, recently stated, “I think pre-cruise testing will take a few more months” and “we obviously want it to go back to normal, but we’re incredibly aware of our responsibility.” to protect our crew, the communities and our guests.”
Carnival has also clearly begun testing the waters with Holland America, so to speak, but didn’t make the change on a departure of its eponymous cruise line. Royal Caribbean has not stopped testing on any of the lines it owns.