Following the recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that cruises could resume from the US ports by mid-July, cruise lines are moving forward with the restart plans and already started with the necessary preparations for the upcoming season. Yesterday three major cruise lines announced the start of crew vaccination including MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International.

MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato announced a fleet-wide COVID-19 vaccination program for crew members. All crew on board MSC Bellissima have already completed their vaccination on Friday together with Captain Giuseppe Maresca. Next to follow is the crew on board MSC Virtuosa, which will be fully vaccinated ahead of the ship’s maiden voyage on May 20.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said that Explorer of the Seas skeleton crew have received the vaccine in Port of Miami, and today the crew on board Liberty of the Seas and and Celebrity Equinox are getting vaccinated as well. Mr. Bayley highlighted the importance of the COVID-19 vaccines in the company’s return to cruising in North America and the Caribbean.

in a video message, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, announced that team members on two Carnival ships will have an opportunity to be vaccinated in the port of Galveston. Duffy said Carnival Paradise crew have already received Covid-19 vaccines from the government of Barbados.

“While we are in Galveston our Team members on Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista will have an opportunity to be vaccinated. We believe that vaccines may be requirement for our crew by many governments of destinations we visit. As we said all along I want to personally encourage all our crew members that are at home, and have access to vaccines to please be vaccinated against Covid-19. Vaccination is such an important step in resuming not only normal cruise operations, but normal life again, protecting you, your family, and your fellow crew members and communities our ships visit. I know that in many places vaccine rollout is very slow, so please know that we are also working to get our crew vaccinated if you can’t do so on your own. Similar what we did with Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista. And with Carnival Paradise who earlier this week received Covid-19 vaccines from the government of Barbados, while alongside providing humanitarian and support for the recent volcanic eruption in St Vincent” Christine Duffy said in the video addressed to the crew, which was shared by CCL Miami Blog.