Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated travelers on all voyages and for vaccinated travelers only on voyages six nights or longer.
This followed the end of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 program for cruise ships last week.
Royal Caribbean Group President/CEO Jason Liberty said the company is adapting protocols 'to align more closely with how the rest of society and other travel and leisure businesses are operating.'
Will look at lifting requirements for longer cruises
Liberty said Royal Caribbean Group will look at removing the testing requirement for longer cruises in the next 45 days or so, where allowed by destinations. He also expects testing mandates in the majority of deployments to be lifted in that period.
Depending on where the ships go and COVID levels in destinations, additional protocols may be layered on if needed.
Bookings spiked after US air arrivals testing requirement lifted
As soon as the US waived its testing requirement for international air arrivals to the US on June 12, Royal Caribbean experienced a 9% or 10% lift in booking activity for summer sailings. This helped Europeam cruises by removing the worry for Americans that may be stuck overseas if testing positive before their return.
'We've made up quite a bit of ground,' Liberty said, however he noted getting flights to Europe on short notice can be a challenge.
More than 3m cruisers carried
Royal Caribbean Group has carried more than 3m passengers since returning to service last year.
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