Travel Company Set to Offer ‘Fully Vaccinated’ Cruises in Coming Weeks

With vaccines galore suddenly coming to market, the COVID-19 crisis’ days are numbered…and that could mean a return to normalcy, at least for some.

The pandemic was not only a health-related emergency, but an economic one as well, with a number of major industries coming within months of collapsing in on themselves.   Restaurants, live music venues, and tourism brands took a brunt of the hit, are are now looking at innovative ways of getting back into the swing of things as vaccines continues to roll out.

Royal Caribbean, a cruise line that was nearly obliterated by the pandemic, is now looking to tap into the power of these vaccines to get their business rolling again .

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 16 will be vaccinated against COVID-19,” the cruise line said in a statement posted to its website.

Israel has not yet opened vaccination appointments to residents aged 16 and under, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.

Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. and Costa Cruises have all said they intend to vaccinate crew members on their vessels, but a fully vaccinated cruise is a newer commitment.

There has long been concern that those who choose to not be vaccinated, for whatever personal reasons they may have, may soon find themselves as second-class citizens in a world still paranoid about the pandemic.  These “vaccine-only” events will likely only serve to heighten those concerns.