In travel news for August 31st, 2022 we have travel updates out of Japan, Royal Caribbean looks to improve the travel experience, and Silversea Cruises updates their health and safety protocols.
Royal Caribbean Partners with SpaceX
This week Royal Caribbean Group has finalized an agreement with SpaceX to bring Starllink satellite internet to their entire fleet. This will bring low latency, high speed broadband connectivity to each ship anywhere on the planet. Royal Caribbean Group owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. Currently the company is setting up a trial run of the system on the ship Freedom of the Seas for early next year with a full rollout shortly after.
Silversea Updates Health & Safety Protocols
Silversea Cruises is the latest cruise company to update their health and safety protocols. Starting September 5th the cruise line will allow unvaccinated travelers to sail, provided they have a negative covid test taken within 3 days of embarkation. Fully vaccinated travelers will no longer have to provide a test before boarding. As with every cruise line that has relaxed their health and safety protocols this is largely dependent to any ports the ship will dock with during the itinerary. If a country on the itinerary requires full vaccination or testing then that specific cruise will have to conform to those rules.
Japan Continues the Slow Reopen
Japan continues with slow and steady progress on their reopening. Today the Prime Minister of Japan made a couple of significant announcements about further reopening to tourism. Japan will allow unvaccinated travelers who are part of an approved tour group to visit the country. He also announced that as of September 7th the country will increase the cap on daily arrivals to 50,000 up from 20,000. Travelers that aren’t part of a packaged tour will need to have a Travel Advisor, or “sponsor” as they are called in Japan. These advisors are in effect a conduit between the traveler and the government of Japan for the duration of the trip.