Royal Caribbean Resumes Cruising in the Mediterranean

On July 6, Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas departed on a two-night preview sailing from Limassol, Cyprus, ahead of the July 10 inaugural cruise that will start a summer series of seven-night itineraries to the Greek Isles.

This is the first time Royal Caribbean International has operated a homeport from Cyprus. The cruises will visit Athens, Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini, Greece.

Jewel will sail with fully vaccinated crew and guests 18 years of age and older, along with children under 18 who are ineligible for the vaccine. As a requirement of the Cypriot government, non-vaccinated vacationers between 12 and 18 must provide negative PCR test results taken within 72 hours of arrival in Cyprus. All guests over the age of two must participate in complimentary testing on the day of boarding.

“Jewel of the Seas’ first sailing out of Cyprus marks the beginning of an exciting return to cruising in Europe for Royal Caribbean,” said Ben Bouldin, vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Cyprus is a beautiful country with a multitude of must-visit regions, and it is an extremely popular destination among our European guests – we know they are ready and waiting to enjoy a Cyprus and Greek Isles getaway this summer.”

Jewel is one of two Royal Caribbean ships to return to cruising in Europe this week with Anthem of the Seas setting sail from the U.K. on July 7. The cruise line is planning more ships to return through August, including Harmony of the Seas from Barcelona, Spain.

For Royal Caribbean’s complete 2021 lineup to date, click here. In the coming weeks, Royal Caribbean will announce plans to reintroduce its full fleet around the globe by year’s end.