Fully vaccinated travelers onboard cruise ships won’t have to wear masks in outdoor settings, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Passengers and crew members who’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 “may gather or conduct activities outdoors, including engaging in extended meal service or beverage consumption, without wearing a mask except in crowded settings,” the CDC mentioned Wednesday in an update to its Conditional Sailing Order as reported by CruiseCritic.com.
Under the brand new CDC guidance, cruise operators will allow fully vaccinated travelers to tour ports on their own and can “engage in self-guided or independent exploration during port stops, if they put on a mask while indoors.”
Cruise operators stopped voyages out of U.S. ports for more than a yr when the CDC issued a no sailing order in March during the coronavirus amid global outbreaks. Now, the industry is slated to start up again by mid-summer.
Passengers will once again be able to set sail by mid-July if operators can show that 98% of crew members and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated, among other guidelines.
