More Small-Ship Cruise Lines Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination

More Small-Ship Cruise Lines Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination

Small-Ship Cruise Lines Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination

By Anne Kalosh.

Crystal and Swan Hellenic became the latest small-ship operators to mandate COVID-19 vaccination — in Crystal’s case, for passengers only, and in Swan’s case, for crew only.

So far, only the sister brands American Queen Steamboat Co. and Victory Cruise Lines are requiring both passengers and crew to be fully inoculated, effective with sailings from July 1.

RELATED: COVID-19 Vaccination Mandated by Small Ship Lines. by Anne Kalosh 

Crystal passenger vaccination

Crystal’s passenger vaccination mandate applies to all its brand experiences — ocean, river, yacht and expedition. * Photos/Rendering : Crystal

A Trend?

This may be the start of a trend for small-ship operators. An expedition line told QuirkyCruise it’s planning to require vaccination but hasn’t announced that yet. And another company that draws many international clientele said it would like to mandate shots but is weighing the complexities in each market.

Royal Caribbean Group will be requiring its crew to get vaccinated, and the group’s brands include Silversea Cruises, which has expedition ships that are Quirky size (under 300 passengers).

Conversely, river line AmaWaterways has indicated it likely won’t demand vaccination but expects some countries (and airlines) to do so.

And this, of course, means if people want to travel to certain places, they’ll have to comply.

RELATED: A Chat with Amawaterways Rudi Schreiner.  by Anne Kalosh.

UnCruise Adventures, which is Alaska-bound this summer, isn’t initially mandating the shots though the company expects a high percentage of its customers will have had them. Plus, Alaska is among the leading states for vaccine dissemination, which should make it a safer destination to visit.

UnCruise CEO Capt. Dan Blanchard is more worried about his crew getting inoculated, and he backs a Juneau-led campaign to have state tourism workers designated as essential so they can have priority.

RELATED: Canada’s Cruise Ban Not a Death Knell for Small Ships.  by Anne Kalosh.

Silver Lining For The Silver-Haired

While the big lines that need to draw masses of travelers are wary of alienating people, can’t afford to bar families with children too young to get vaccinated or are just concerned that not enough folks in general will be able to get shots before cruises resume, small-ship operators have more discretion.

For AQSC, Victory, Crystal and others, their customers are older and so qualify for priority vaccination.

A recent New York Times story noted how people over 65 have been among the first to get the jabs and are “leading a wave in new travel bookings.” As the paper put it, a silver lining for the silver-haired.

Crystal Bach will require COVID19 vaccination

Crystal river cruises are currently paused through May. Here, Crystal Bach. * Photo: Crystal

Cruise Critic Survey

Vaccination may spark a lot of chatter on social media, particularly in places like the United States with its anti-vaxxer fringe, but the demand for shots is high most everywhere.

And among cruisers in particular, a recent Cruise Critic survey that garnered nearly 3,000 responses found a wide majority — 81 percent — said they would cruise if vaccines were required. Only 5 percent said such a requirement would absolutely deter them.  The other 14 percent were unsure.

Another 85 percent of those surveyed said they would be more likely to take a cruise if crew were vaccinated.

Crystal

Crystal’s mandate applies to passengers across its range of brand experiences — ocean, river, yacht and expedition. They will need to provide proof of full inoculation at least 14 days prior to their cruise, meaning both doses of the vaccine if recommended by the manufacturer.

Crystal acknowledged the availability of vaccines varies according to the distribution plan of each traveler’s home country and/or state. As of today, the company has paused operations through May for its river fleet, into June for its ocean ships, through Aug. 1 for the yacht Crystal Esprit and through August for the new expedition ship Crystal Endeavor, allowing most travelers sufficient time.

Crystal Esprit won't sail unit August

The yacht Crystal Esprit is not expected to sail until August, which gives passengers time to get vaccinated. * Photo: Crystal

The crew, who hail from dozens of countries, will be expected to be vaccinated as well when the company resumes sailing, however Crystal said this may not be a viable option for all given their age and/or the availability of vaccines in their home countries.

“When vaccines are widely available, they will be a requirement of employment for crew which must be completed at least 14 days prior to service,” according to Crystal’s Jack Anderson, interim president and CEO.

Crystal's Jack Anderson agrees with a Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination

“The vaccine requirement is simply the best way to ensure the safest possible Crystal experience for all on board,” Jack Anderson said. * Photo: Crystal

In any case, crew must present a negative COVID-19 test prior to leaving home to join the ship. They also will take a COVID-19 test at embarkation, quarantine for seven days upon arrival, be tested again at the end of that period and must have a negative result before beginning their duties.

“We are encouraged by the progress being made with the COVID-19 vaccines and what this means for our Crystal family and the travel industry as a whole as we eagerly look forward to exploring the world again,” Anderson said. “We know that peace of mind is the greatest luxury, and the vaccine requirement is simply the best way to ensure the safest possible Crystal experience for all on board.”

Swan Hellenic

Expedition line Swan Hellenic, which isn’t due to start sailing until its first ship, SH Minerva, is delivered in November this year, is making COVID-19 vaccination a pre-embarkation medical requirement for all ship’s staff and crew.

The company said this vaccination cycle will be carried out at recruitment centers or in the home countries of the crew members in accordance with current local guidelines and approved medical protocols.

Minerva will mandate COVID19 vaccination

Swan Hellenic’s vaccination mandate applies to crew only. The line’s first ship, SH Minerva, is scheduled to begin sailing in November. * Rendering: Swan Hellenic

The Fine Print

With vaccination policies varying — both passengers and crew, or only passengers or only crew — there’s a patchwork. So it’s important to understand each line’s requirements when weighing a trip. Be sure to check out the health and safety sections of their websites for details.

Some things may not be spelled out.

For example, can providing proof of COVID-19 antibodies substitute for vaccination? As it stands now, no, according to a spokesman for AQSC and Victory.

American Countess requires passenger and crew vaccinations

American Queen Steamboat Co. and Victory Cruise Lines are the only brands so far to require passenger and crew inoculation. Proof of antibodies is not accepted. Here, the new American Countess. * Rendering: AQSC

COVID Tests, Masks Still Musts

Does a vaccination mandate mean no COVID-19 testing before the cruise? How about no masks, social distancing and other shipboard protocols?

No, no, no and no.

The lines will still be requiring tests prior to sailing, masks will need to be worn in public areas on ships and extra sanitation and health protocols like temperature checks will be implemented.

The reason is that while vaccinations have proven highly effective at protecting people from developing COVID-19 symptoms, it’s still not known how well they keep people from passing the virus to others. About a quarter of those who get infected are asymptomatic and may unknowingly transmit it.

That’s why public health officials advise vaccinated people to keep up their precautions. And regardless of their vaccination policies, cruise lines’ COVID-19 mitigation strategies will continue to entail a layered approach — screening, testing, distancing, enhanced sanitation.

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About The Author

Anne Kalosh

Anne Kalosh has written about cruises for decades and her favorites involve small ships. She is the editor of Seatrade-Cruise.com and senior associate editor of Seatrade Cruise Review.

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