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Royal Caribbean no longer requires vaccinated guests to take COVID test before select cruises

Unvaccinated must still take a test within 3 days of the cruise’s departure

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Symphony of the Seas (WPLG)

Royal Caribbean announced Thursday it’s no longer requiring vaccinated guests to take a COVID-19 test prior to embarking on cruises six nights or less.

This protocol will go into place starting Aug. 8. Cruise officials said any cruise guests departing before then must adhere to the current protocols in place, which differ depending on where you are leaving from.

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The cruise line will still require unvaccinated guests and vaccinated guests embarking on cruises six nights or longer, to take a COVID-19 test within three days of their departure date.

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Royal Caribbean also said it will continue to maintain a high percentage of fully vaccinated guests, and crew members will continue to be fully vaccinated and boosted as well as tested regularly when eligible.

This comes more than a week after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed its voluntary COVID-19 reporting program for cruise ships on July 18.

To find out more about the new guidelines issued, click here.

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