Royal Caribbean has added an insurance requirement for unvaccinated guests who are embarking on one of their five cruise ships departing from Florida through the end of the year.
The following policies apply only to guests sailing on Freedom of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Mariner of the Seas this August. Note, the insurance requirement applies to cruises that depart from Florida between August 1 through December 31, 2021 except for bookings made between March 19 and June 28, 2021.
Related: Why you need cruise travel insurance
Royal Caribbean is strongly recommending that all guests 12 years and older be vaccinated from COVID-19, although it will not be a requirement. Those who are unvaccinated will undergo additional testing as the cruisers expense.
If guests wish not to pay and undergo the additional testing, they can cancel their cruise and receive a full refund from Royal Caribbean.
All unvaccinated guests age 12 years and older on cruises from Florida will be required to show a valid insurance policy that has a minimum of both of the following:
- $25,000 per person in medical expense coverage
- $50,000 per person for quarantine and medical evacuation related to a positive COVID-19 test result
The insurance policy must name the unvaccinated guest as the policy holder or beneficiary, and may be purchased from a travel insurance company of the guest’s choosing or through the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program, which includes the requisite coverage.
This new insurance policy applies to sailings from Florida from August 1 through December 31, 2021, except for cruisers who booked their cruise between March 19, 2021 and June 28, 2021.
All unvaccinated guests age two and older will have multiple tests taken for COVID-19. The first will be at the terminal prior to boarding with the last being onboard the ship prior to disembarkation.
For unvaccinated guests 12 years and older, the total charge from the third-party testing vendor for these tests is $136 USD per guest on sailings of 6 nights or less, and $178 USD per guest on sailings of 7 nights or more.
This amount will be applied to the guest’s onboard expense account. Royal Caribbean will pay the testing vendor(s) on the guest’s behalf and will not retain any part of the testing costs. For guests age 2 to 11 years old, the cruise line will cover the cost of any required testing.
The testing requirements for unvaccinated guests are:
- Guests age 12 years and older will need to have a PCR test by an accredited laboratory taken within three days of sailing
- Guests two years and older will be given a PCR test at the terminal prior to boarding
- For cruises seven nights and longer, guests two years and older will undergo an antigen test mid-cruise
- Guests two years and older will undergo an antigen test within 24 hours of disembarkation
These tests will be complimentary for guests ages 2-11 years. Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested.
Royal Caribbean said that these protocols will change over time. They said that as the number of positive cases continues to decline and more people are vaccinated, they will update these protocols.
