Three more major cruise lines on Monday announced plans to require passengers on at least some cruises to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line and its two sister brands, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, said all passengers on departures out of U.S. ports would need to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine to sail when the brands resume operations later this year.
The announcement came as the brands petitioned the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to allow them to restart operations from U.S. ports in July.
The plan also calls for ships sailing from U.S. ports to initially operate at just 60% of capacity, with the capacity total rising by 20% every 30 days.
The CDC has been blocking cruise lines from sailing from U.S. ports for the past 13 months, citing the risk of a coronavirus outbreak at sea. On Friday, the agency released new recommendations for cruise lines that want to restart operations in U.S. waters that suggested the agency was still a long way from allowing cruise ships to restart operations in U.S. waters.