Royal Caribbean said it was prepared to resume U.S. Virgin Islands calls after CDC no-sail order lifted

Royal Caribbean told Virgin Islands businesses during a Community Business Forum on March 24, 2021, that it was prepared to resume sailing to the territory once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its conditional no-sail order.

At the forum, Royal Caribbean Destination Development Director for the Americas and Caribbean Jayne Halcomb said the company planned to require passengers and crew to be vaccinated before sailing. She said guests under age 18 would need a negative PCR test before boarding and that ships would initially sail at about 50% capacity.

Halcomb also said Celebrity Millennium, Adventure of the Seas and Vision of the Seas would begin sailing in summer 2021 from St. Maarten, the Bahamas and Bermuda, respectively, as the company tested its return-to-service protocols.

Virgin Islands Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said the Health Department was preparing to launch a "Healthy Certification" program for local businesses that followed CDC and Virgin Islands COVID-19 guidance.

Virgin Islands Port Authority Assistant Executive Director Damian Cartwright said the authority's two-port incentive would offer discounted passenger fees for itineraries to St. Croix.

Royal Caribbean executives said they were seeking local providers that could offer smaller-group services, off-the-beaten-path excursions and other arrangements suited to a "bubble" experience for passengers. The company also said it was working with the Virgin Islands government on port improvements to accommodate larger ships, and that St. Croix could see more cruise traffic if its berth were expanded.

The forum was the second in a series organized by the Office of the Governor, the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority and the Department of Tourism in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/royal-caribbean-tells-usvi-businesses-its-ready-to-sail-at-governors-second-community-business-forum/