Skift Take
Cruises continue to find ways to recoup their financially rewarding cruise profits from Florida ports– where they can’t ask for vaccination proof– and it’s going to cost tourists more.
Lebawit Lily Girma
Royal Caribbean International said on Tuesday it would need unvaccinated visitors over 12 years of age traveling from Florida to show evidence of insurance coverage that covers COVID-19 associated medical expenditures, quarantine and evacuation.
The brand-new policy comes after 2 unvaccinated teens checked positive on its Adventure of the Seas ship and two others were infected on its Star Centuries previously this month, for which the cruise line took care of expenditures.
One of its trips, aboard the brand ship Odyssey of the Seas, was held off after team members evaluated favorable.
In Florida, the federal government bans companies from needing to reveal evidence of vaccines, making it difficult for cruise operators which need to show a bulk of its passengers and team are vaccinated before setting sail, according to the U.S. health regulator’s orders.
The insurance policy need to have a minimum of $25,000 per person for medical costs and $50,000 per individual in travel costs, Royal Caribbean stated.
Proof of travel insurance is a condition of boarding and should be revealed at check in, the company stated. The modifications apply to cruisings from Aug. 1 through Dec. 31.
The cruise operator’s parent Royal Caribbean Group rebooted sailing from U.S. ports and has a slew of journeys prepared after more than a year of anchoring ships.
Royal Caribbean will resume cruising in July from Miami to the Bahamas.
(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Modifying by Maju Samuel)
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