How many visitors have been to Jamaica since it’s reopened, what policy changes have the Bahamas made, and how long till children under the age of 12 can sail on Norweignen Cruise Lines?
Good News from Jamaica
Jamaica has welcomed it’s 1 millionth visitor since it officially reopened in June of 2020. No that’s not a mistake, Jamaica actually reopened for tourism last year and from June 2020 till the end of December that same year, roughly 260,000 Americans visited Jamaica. The Caribbean island was able to reopen with little transmission between guests and locals by implementing a series of safety procedures such as pre-flight COVID testing and resilient corridors.
Staying in the Caribbean, the Bahamas has changed their policy for Cruise ship visitors. They are now requiring that all passengers under the age of 12 be fully vaccinated, or have a legitimate medical exemption, before allowing the ship to dock.
Bahamas Updates Cruise Policies
The Bahamas is a popular port of call for many Cruise ships, this updated requirement is causing many cruise lines to alter their policies. For example royal Caribbean is now requiring all passengers 12 and older to provide proof of full vaccination before boarding. Previously Royal Carribean didn’t require proof of vaccination of guests departing from Florida, to be in conformity with a state law there.
This law, which was signed by the governor in April 2021, barred Cruise ships from requiring proof of vaccination status when leaving from a Florida port. Norwegian Cruise Lines challenged the law and won, effectively overturning the law.
Norwegian Cruise Lines Updated Health Protocols
And speaking of Norwegian Cruise Lines, they have recently announced that they will be extending their vaccination requirement for all passengers through the end of 2021. Unlike other cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, those not old enough to receive the vaccine will not be allowed to sail on a Norwegian Cruise through the end of this year.
Many Caribbean destinations and Cruise lines are moving towards a policy that is inline with the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. This decreases the complexity and confusion for Caribbean, or cruise ship travel since everyone is starting to operate by the same or similar rules.