Masks are no longer required on airplanes and public transit. What about on cruises?
With a federal judge in Florida overturning the extended federal mask mandate on planes and public transit, where does that leave cruise ships?
Masks are optional for passengers on South Florida’s largest cruise lines. Most cruise operators, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, dropped their mask-wearing mandate — except in limited circumstances — soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its voluntary sailing order at the end of February. That means passengers don’t have to wear masks on ships when 95% of crew members and passengers over age 5 are vaccinated.
Cruise line executives are careful to point out they control the environment aboard their ships, however, on shore in ports of call guests must adhere to local countries’ respective rules on face-coverings.
READ MORE: What to know regarding planes, public transit mask wearing traveling to and from Miami
Carnival officials say they recommend guests on their ships wear masks and that crew members will continue wearing them. While the cruise line doesn’t require masks otherwise, passengers must wear face-coverings in medical clinics on the ships and during embarkation and debarkation.
NCL also requires crew members to don masks, but said for passengers, “The decision to wear a mask covering when onboard is at the discretion of each guest,” for cruises leaving from the United States.
On Royal Caribbean voyages, masks are optional for fully vaccinated guests and company officials say they “expect” unvaccinated guests to wear masks while indoors aboard ships.
Geneva-based MSC Cruises, which has been expanding in the United States and is constructing North America’s largest cruise terminal at PortMiami, still requires that unvaccinated guests wear masks inside its ships while cruising.
Cruise travelers can read more and keep up with cruise lines’ mask guidelines here:
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 2:26 PM.
