According to the cruise line, it will be the first operator to set sail in U.S. waters with ticketed passengers since last year, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a “No Sail Order” because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The luxury ship, Celebrity Edge, will be setting sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on June 26 for a seven-night cruise to the Caribbean, according to an announcement from Celebrity Cruises.
“Celebrity Edge was given the green light by the CDC to be the first ship back in the water, having met all-new standards for providing a healthy cruise experience for its guests and crew,” the announcement said.
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The CDC is requiring cruise operators to either show that 98% of crew members and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated or to complete a series of tests, Travel and Leisure reported.
Celebrity Cruises will require its crew to be vaccinated, as well as all guests ages 16 and older, according to the company’s Healthy at Sea policy. Starting August 1, all guests who are 12 and older will be required to be vaccinated.
“For the past 15 months our conversations with friends and loved ones about seeing the world have been accompanied by the phrase ‘someday.’ I’m beyond proud and excited to say that day has arrived,” Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO said in a statement.