Another cruise approved

The Centers for Disease Control approved Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas to embark from Miami on July 2 for a Bahamas cruise — the second cruise approved to leave from the US since the CDC suspended cruising on March 14, 2020.

It was expected that most passengers on board would be vaccinated, but unvaccinated guests were also allowed. Those unvaccinated had to submit to additional testing and were banned from certain public areas, such as bars and some restaurants. Unvaccinated travelers were also required to buy travel insurance that covered COVID-19 expenses, including medical care and evacuation.

The first cruise to be approved by the CDC, that of Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge, sailed from Fort Lauderdale on June 26. The cruise was only approved because Celebrity could confirm that 95% of the crew and passengers were vaccinated.