You’ll need a COVID vaccine if you want to cruise with Virgin Voyages

You’ll have to get a COVID-19 vaccine if you want to take a cruise with Virgin Voyages.

The company announced Tuesday it will require all passengers and crew to be vaccinated against the virus when cruises restart, becoming the first South Florida-based cruise company to do so.

In a statement, CEO Tom McAlpin praised the Biden administration’s goal of making vaccines available to all Americans by May.

“We’re really encouraged by the latest rollout plans in the May time frame from the new administration, and we know the future is about vaccinations,” he said. The company had previously announced it will require passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding.

As of now, Virgin Voyages has canceled cruises on its Scarlet Lady ship until July 4. The ship originally was set to debut in Miami in March 2020, but the company canceled its inaugural cruises due to the pandemic.

Miami-based Crystal Cruises announced last week that it will require passengers to be vaccinated when it restarts all-Bahamas cruises in July. Royal Caribbean Group will require its crew members to be vaccinated.

This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 5:21 PM.

Taylor Dolven

Miami Herald

305-376-2052

Taylor Dolven is a business journalist who has covered the tourism industry at the Miami Herald since 2018. Her reporting has uncovered environmental violations of cruise companies, the impact of vacation rentals on affordable housing supply, safety concerns among pilots at MIA’s largest cargo airline and the hotel industry’s efforts to delay a law meant to protect workers from sexual harassment.