Crystal River Cruises Extends Vaccine Mandate Until End of 2022
Ultra-luxury line Crystal River Cruises has announced that it will be extending its vaccination requirement for guests and crew all the way through the end of next year, giving passengers more certainty about health protocols for future bookings.
"The health and safety of our guests and crew is paramount to everything we do at Crystal River Cruises, and as such, we will require full vaccination through 2022 so that our guests can continue to explore the world in great comfort and safety," said Walter Littlejohn, Crystal River Cruises’ SVP and managing director. "After months of planning and preparation we welcomed guests back on board in late August and the feedback has been wonderful. Extending the vaccination requirement provides our guests with the health and safety information and assurances they need to plan future travels."
The line’s health and safety protocols will continue to require all guests and crew to have completed a full course of COVID-19 vaccination (with two doses, if recommended by manufacturer) at least 14 days before their embarkation date. Guests will need to provide documents proving vaccination at the time of check-in before boarding the ship.
In addition to health and safety assurance, the vaccination requirement will give guests the freedom to explore ashore on their own, without a protective "bubble" guided tour. Fully-vaccinated passengers also have an easier time traveling across multiple national jurisdictions, the line said.
Other protective measures include COVID-19 tests at embarkation for both guests and crew; temperature checks when returning from ashore; a "nimble" mask policy; social distancing guidelines; and enhanced cleaning. Like many other operators, Crystal River Cruises is also requiring its crewmembers to wear masks in all public areas.
As a luxury operator, Crystal River Cruises has the added benefit of a high volume to passenger ratio for built-in social distancing. Its all-suite ships were built for about half as many passengers as comparably-sized vessels operated by other lines. Its Crystal Mozart is Europe’s most spacious river ship, with twice the beam of any competitor and room for just 120 guests.