BAHAMAS: The Government of the Bahamas imposed an order that from September 3 will not allow cruise ships to arrive at its ports if passengers over 12 years old are not vaccinated against COVID-19, local media reported last Sunday.
The Bahamian order, which will run until November 1, was posted on the website of the Bahamas Department of Immigration and Customs Service and signed by Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis.
The ordinance will apply to the Royal Caribbean Perfect Day private island at CocoCay. If a cruise ship has the intention or need to dock, the captain will have to issue a manifest of the crew and passengers that discloses the vaccination status of each of them to the Port Medical Office before their arrival.
Likewise, all passengers over 12 years of age will have to be vaccinated at the time of boarding.
However, there will be exceptions to the new regulation, such as if a cruise ship needs to dock at a dock due to an emergency or if a passenger needs medical assistance.
The Bahamas is not the only Caribbean territory or country that has imposed strict orders for its visits, specifically for the Delta variant, since the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico imposed these guidelines in early August, by not allowing unvaccinated passengers to get off their respective cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean, for its part, also imposed an order that will prohibit passengers who do not show some proof of inoculation against COVID-19, will not be able to get on their cruise ships.
Children under 12 years of age, who according to medical orders cannot yet be vaccinated, may get on cruise ships as long as they provide a negative test for COVID-19 at the time of boarding and follow health and sanitation protocols.
In September, Royal Caribbean International is scheduled to sail seven Freedom of the Seas cruise ships from Miami, Florida, to the Bahama.
Similarly, nine Mariner of the Seas cruise ships will set sail from Cape Canaveral, also in Florida.
