by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 5:50 PM ET, Tue April 4, 2023
Viking plans to keep its COVID-19 vaccination policy in place for the time being. (Photo Credit: Viking)
While some cruise lines have slowly begun doing away with their COVID-19 vaccination policies, Viking is standing by its requirement that guests must have the vaccination in order to sail.
Viking's Executive Vice President of Marketing, Richard Marnell, recently stated that the cruise line’s guests prefer keeping the vaccination policy in place. “Our guests overwhelmingly, for the time being, want a vaccinated ship,” Marnell said, according to TravelWeekly.
The policy will remain in place across Viking’s river, ocean, and expedition ships for the indefinite future, according to the publication.
Many other cruise lines, meanwhile, have eliminated such COVID-related requirements. Cunard, Lindblad Expeditions, and Windstar Cruises have all said they will do away with, or at the very least, reevaluate vaccination policies in the near future.
The Viking Star. (photo courtesy of Viking)
Windstar, for instance, will eliminate its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for guests as of June 1, but is maintaining it for the crew, as TravelPulse previously reported. The move came after the cruise line upgraded the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to include high-tech air filtration with HEPA filters and UV-C irradiation throughout its fleet of six vessels.
“We've invested in and improved our health and safety processes, including upgrading the HVAC systems on all of our ships, which has led to a cleaner and safer environment on board," said Windstar Cruises President Christopher Prelog. "When combined with the widespread availability of vaccines and medical treatments, the risk factors are considerably lower now, giving us the confidence to lift the requirement.
Cruise lines that have already dropped proof of vaccination requirements include AmaWaterways, Scenic Group, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. Most of the major cruise lines have also done away with vaccination requirements.
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