| NCLH may mandate vaccinations

ACCORDING to American trade media, vaccination of guests and crews may be part of a restart to cruising, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has said.

President & Chief Executive Officer Frank Del Rio remarked NCLH was looking into whether or not it has the legal standing to mandate vaccinations for guests, with a company spokesperson adding crew members will “begin their duties” with a jab.

NCLH has an ally in Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which has said it is also “actively exploring” whether or not vaccination of passengers and crews can be mandated.

“Even once the vaccine is widely distributed, we are really going to need to get the advice of health authorities as to what measures we could begin to scale back on,” a CLIA spokesperson said.

“The measures are not an on and off switch as it relates to the vaccine and will be with us for quite some time”.

While it is not incorporated into the Framework for Conditional Sailing, a United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Spokesperson added vaccinations, along with other preventative measures, would be an effective strategy for reducing coronavirus transmission associated with travel.

Pictured: Norwegian Bliss.