Royal Caribbean guests to enjoy private island without masks

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidance that frees all fully vaccinated people from wearing masks indoors and outdoors dependent on the protocols of the jurisdictions they are in. That announcement moved Royal Caribbean International to free its cruise passengers of their masks while docked at the cruise line’s private island CocoCay when the cruise line begins sailing out of Nassau on June 12.

Royal Caribbean requires all adult passengers cruising aboard Adventure of the Seas next month to be fully vaccinated. It also requires all minors to have a negative COVID-19 test to board the ship.

While The Bahamas still has a national mask mandate, last month Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said fully vaccinated people will have the luxury of gathering together without social distancing.

“One of the policies is – and the CDC has submitted such policy – if all within an enclosed environment are vaccinated, then they don’t need to use a mask and other social distancing protocols, as we have stated before,” Minnis said.

“So, we are aggressively pushing for vaccinations and individuals would want to be vaccinated knowing that they can go into enclosed environments, be it restaurants or whatever and feel quite safe.

“But that’s after the second vaccination, after you have completed both and two weeks post the second vaccination.”

No Bahamian who has received a vaccine locally has been fully vaccinated, given the recommended wait between shots.

The CDC’s recommendations, updated yesterday, states: “Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

Several cruise blogs revealed that Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President for Sales Vicki Freed announced that masks will not be required at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Two of the cruise’s seven days will be spent at the private island.

Those blogs also questioned whether cruise guests will be allowed to move around maskless when the cruise stops at Grand Bahama. That question remains unanswered.

Yesterday, Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar told Guardian Business that he was only just hearing of Royal Caribbean’s decision regarding CocoCay.

Calls made to Minister of Health Renward Wells yesterday were not returned up to press time.

Royal Caribbean’s sailing out of Nassau on June 12 will be the company’s first sailing in this region in more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/royal-caribbean-guests-to-enjoy-private-island-without-masks/