by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:25 PM ET, Thu January 21, 2021
A cruise company in the United Kingdom has revealed all passengers who book a sailing must receive the COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks before boarding.
According to The Guardian, UK-based tour operator Saga hosts voyages for travelers 50 years and older and plans to launch its "Spirit of Adventure" inaugural voyage on May 4 with a ship full of vaccinated tourists. The "Spirit of Discovery" is scheduled to depart on June 2.
The May and June launch dates will allow all potential passengers to receive the two-dose immunization. Saga is the first cruise operator in the U.K. to require coronavirus vaccinations for everyone onboard.
"Our customers want the reassurance of the vaccine and to know others traveling with them will be vaccinated too," a Saga spokesperson told The Guardian.
Saga has also added other safety measures to protect its older passengers during the ongoing pandemic, including mandatory coronavirus tests, limiting capacity to 800 guests, creating a dedicated isolation area and doubling its medical team.
The company said the continued rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has resulted in a surge in travel interest on its website, indicating that lockdowns have "ignited people's sense of adventure," the company said.
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