Hawaii talks about the future of COVID travel restrictions , Norwegian Cruise Line has updated its North American mask and vaccination requirements, and Royal Caribbean has updated its mask policy.
We updated you yesterday about Hawaii’s decision to not require a booster to be considered fully vaccinated. Well there is more good news from the Aloha State. In a recent phone interview with the Washington Post the Lieutenant Governor said that “discussion are ongoing about eliminating all restrictions on travel in the coming months, barring any more covid surges”. He went on to say “I would expect those restrictions to begin to fall away in the spring, but one thing we’ve learned about covid is it does sometimes throw one a curveball”.
Norwegian Cruise Line has updated its SailSafe policies, they will be relaxing both vaccination and mask policies starting March 1. These updated policies will no longer require a mask while onboard, however wearing a mask will still be recommended. This policy change applies to North American sailings, European cruises still require masks to be worn both indoors and outdoors when in a crowded setting. And some of the changes made to the vaccination policies include allowing children under the age of 5 to sail, and an elimination of the pre-departure testing requirement. Passengers will still be required to provide proof of a negative covid test taken within 48 hours of boarding.
And following Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean has recently updated its mask protocols. Starting February 14 guests can remove their masks in areas of the ship that only permit vaccinated passengers. These areas include bars, restaurants, lounges, shows, and Casino Royale. Masks are not required in open air areas, during water activities, in staterooms, while visiting private destinations, while eating or drinking, or by children under the age of 2. Masks will still be required in indoor settings and when visiting destinations that require them.