These Cruise Lines Will Require a Booster Shot to Board Starting March 1
Courtesy of Azamara
Several luxury cruise lines are implementing new vaccine protocols, each requiring guests to show proof of having received a booster shot to board.
Lindblad, Silversea, Azamara cruise lines will require the additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for those eligible starting March 1. Viking Cruises already has the booster requirement in place.
Similarly, on Silversea the new policy mandates that eligible passengers must receive a booster "provided the required time has passed after the completion of their primary COVID-19 vaccination series."
"At Silversea, our top priority has always been to safeguard the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit," the company wrote. "Silversea will continue to work closely with relevant governing bodies and health authorities to evolve its health and safety procedures, as new health recommendations are issued and as the fluid situation advances."
Silversea currently requires all guests to have received their second vaccine shot, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, at least two weeks before their sail date. Guests are also required to wear masks in all indoor public areas, in terminals, and during shore excursions, and take a COVID-19 rapid antigen test before boarding. Silversea also provides complimentary rapid antigen tests for all disembarking passengers.
Azamara will require all vaccinated guests to show proof they have received a booster in March. Currently, the company requires all guests to "be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing with all required COVID-19 vaccine doses" and "strongly" recommends guests receive the booster shot.
Travelers are also required to take a COVID-19 antigen test at the terminal before boarding.
For customers looking to board Lindblad for an adventure cruise, they will need to abide by the new regulations in place.
"Lindblad Expeditions has announced that effective March 1, 2022, all guests 12 years of age and over who completed their primary vaccination series more than 5 months ago, are required to present proof of booster prior to embarkation," the cruise line said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. "Boosters can be received any time prior to embarkation. For non-U.S. guests, the line will also accept Astra-Zeneca."
Travelers looking to set sail with Viking Cruises must take a COVID-19 PCR laboratory test before leaving their home country 72 hours prior to departure of the first flight, or 24 hours before with a laboratory certified antigen test. According to Viking's COVID-19 protocol, select at-home tests will meet Viking's travel requirement, provided they include a laboratory-certified proof of result.
In recent weeks, several cruise lines have been forced to cancel sailings (and some have implemented stronger mask policies) amid the emergence of the omicron variant. At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made its guidance optional for cruise lines and has warned against boarding a cruise ship at the moment, regardless of a person's vaccination status.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
