Over the past few days several lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have announced small changes to ease protocols instituted during the Omicron wave.
Norwegian has said they will no longer require masks at the end of February. Royal Caribbean said masks will be optional in areas designated for vaccinated guests.
Now Carnival has made a small tweak to their rules. While there is still no word on easing mask requirements, the cruise line updated its health protocols surrounding smoking in the casino.
Whereas smoking had no longer been allowed due to increased safety surrounding Omicron, beginning on February 14, 2022, smoking will once again be allowed if a person is sitting and playing in the casino.
Even with the new rules, masks are still required in the casino unless smoking or drinking a beverage. As well, they are still required elsewhere around the ship. It would not be surprising to us, however, if these rules adjust in the coming days or weeks to be more inline with what’s seen on other cruise lines.
No Pre-Cruise Testing if Recently Recovered
Another recent change Carnival has made revolves around testing. While the vast majority of passengers still need a test before cruising, the cruise line has carved out an exception for those who have recently recovered from COVID.
Now if a person has recovered from the virus within three months of their sailing date and are at least 10 days past their infection with no symptoms, then they can submit a proof of recovery instead of being tested.
This proof requires a letter from a healthcare provider stating you have recovered, not just documentation of a prior positive test. There are other requirements for this letter that you’ll want to be aware of if this exception applies to you.
These steps may be minor, but combined with the recent changes from other cruise lines, it all points to hope that sailing will be a little more “normal” in the future.
