Norwegian Cruise Line will no longer require that children under the age of 12 be vaccinated to sail, effective March 1.
The change to the company's SailSAFE program was reported in a Feb. 24 financial statement from parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
"As part of this program, our policy requires our entire crew and all guests age 12 and over be fully vaccinated," the statement said.
NCL's website cautioned that all guests must follow any health protocols in ports of call.
"All guests age 12 and over, as well as all crew, must be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure in order to board," the website says. "While we welcome unvaccinated children ages 11 and under onboard, it is the responsibility of the guest to be aware of any local protocols and/or travel restrictions in place at the visiting destinations at the time of sailing."
The cruise line previously required that all guests age five and older be fully vaccinated at the time of the cruise.
Also, starting March 1, masks are not required while onboard, although NCL does recommend them. "The decision to wear a mask covering when onboard is at the discretion of each guest," the company website says.
However, on European sailings, "local government regulations require all guests to wear masks onboard while indoors except for when actively eating or drinking or when in their stateroom. Guests will be required to wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible."
NCL also requires universal COVID-19 testing prior to embarkation.
Elsewhere in the financial statement, NCLH said it now expects to have 85 percent of its capacity operating by the end of the first quarter of 2022 with the full fleet back in operation early in the second quarter.
"In 2021, the company's brands safely carried over 230,000 guests who had prevalence rates vastly lower than what has been experienced on land during the pandemic," the NCLH statement said. "These health and safety measures will be continuously evaluated and modified, with guidance from the SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council, as science, technology and the prevalence of COVID-19 evolve."
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