Royal Caribbean Extends Sailing Protocols Through Summer

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines will extend its health and safety protocols on all sailings in North America and Europe through the summer, the company said according to CruiseHive.com.

Protocols on ships sailing out of North American ports were scheduled to expire on June 30 but will now be in place until September 30. European departure protocols were extended through June 30.

The moves were likely made from an abundance of caution since COVID-19 rates are climbing again, and cruise ships were previously a notorious site for spreading the virus. RCCL certainly isn’t the first, nor likely the last, cruise line to keep or extend protocols.

There are no additional restrictions being implemented, only an extension of the protocols already in place. Royal Caribbean, like other lines, is following the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for companies to return to cruising.

“We are reaching out to inform you of an extension to our existing health & safety protocols for both North America and European departures. Our North America protocols will be extended for sailings departing on or before September 30, 2022,” RCCL said in an email to customers seen by CruiseHive. “Please note the only notable adjustment to our previous health & safety requirements includes terminal testing updates for departures from Italy, with the full details provided below. The remainder of our protocols remain unchanged and are simply extended beyond a broader sailing window.”