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14/02/2024

02/02/2024

United Launches New Europe Route, Adds Flights to Outdoor Destinations in North America
Whether you’re craving Mediterranean beaches, U.S. national parks, or the Canadian wilderness, United has you covered with its newly released summer FLIGHT Rooster.

If you’re flying from or through Chicago, United has a proposition for you: How do you feel about Greece?

There’s good news for those hoping to spend their summer basking on white-sand beaches, visiting sun-bleached ruins, noshing on tangy tzatziki, and sipping Greek vintages: Travel to Greece just got a bit easier.

United Airlines recently announced plans to operate seasonal nonstop flights between Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Athens International Airport, starting May 28 and running through August 18, 2024.

The daily flights will depart Chicago at 4:35 p.m. (local time) and arrive in Athens 10 hours and 15 minutes later at 10:50 a.m. the following day (local time). On the return, the jets will depart Athens at 12:45 p.m. (local time) and arrive 11 hours and 40 minutes later in Chicago at 4:25 p.m. (local time). As of press time, the cheapest round-trip economy tickets available on United.com for the Chicago-Athens flight were $1,839, whereas business class seats were offered at $9,469 round-trip.

Flights will take place on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which features 28 Polaris business class lie-flat pods (a favorite of AFAR staffers), 21 Premium Plus recliners, 36 Economy Plus seats, and 158 standard economy seats.

“We’re thrilled to add another exciting destination for customers flying out of Chicago O’Hare to explore with our new summer service to Athens,” Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, stated in a press release.


In addition to launching the Chicago flights, United this summer will resume seasonal service connecting Athens to Washington Dulles International Airport (starting April 14 and ending December 3) and to New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (beginning March 30 and wrapping up October 25). In total, the airline will increase its flights between the United States and Athens by 25 percent from last year. American Airlines is the only other carrier operating a Chicago to Athens route.

Beyond Athens, United will maintain nonstop service from Chicago to 14 other European cities, including Amsterdam; Brussels; Edinburgh; Frankfurt and Munich, Germany; Milan; Reykjavik, Iceland; Shannon, Ireland; and Zurich. No other U.S. carrier operates as many international routes from the Windy City.

United to add more than 100 North America flights

The tiered and steaming Mammoth Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Parks
The otherworldly wonders of Yellowstone National Park will be easier to reach this summer, thanks to additional United service.Photo by Jean Beller/Unsplash
Closer to home, United announced it would add more than 100 new flights within the U.S. and Canada this summer. Many of the flights are additional departures to destinations that United already serves (and that are favorites of those who love the great outdoors), such as:

Chicago to Aspen, Colorado; Bozeman, Montana; and Montreal and Toronto
Washington, D.C., to New Orleans, Phoenix, and San Antonio
Denver to Bozeman and Kalispell, Montana; Sun Valley, Idaho; and Vail, Colorado
Houston to Boston, Charleston, Miami, and Tampa
Bozeman, Montana, is a popular gateway hub for Yellowstone National Park, and the airport in Kalispell, Montana, is often used for those looking to access Glacier National Park. And, of course, Aspen and Vail in Colorado and Sun Valley in Idaho are all world-class mountain resort destinations.
“We know people want to get outdoors this summer,” Quayle said of the additions. “From adding nonstop service to places previously only reachable through multiple connections to leveraging our relationships with airline partners like Air Canada, we’re giving customers lots of options to unlock new experiences.”

Furthermore, the carrier shared that it would add or resume (for the first time post-pandemic) eight routes to and from Canada and Alaska, including:

Chicago O’Hare to Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada; nonstop service resumes May 2024
Chicago O’Hare to Québec City, Canada; nonstop service resumes May 2024
Denver to Winnipeg; nonstop year-round service resumes May 23
Denver to Fairbanks, Alaska; nonstop daily seasonal service starts May 23
Houston Intercontinental to Ontario, Canada; nonstop service resumes May 2024
Newark Liberty to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada; seasonal nonstop service resumes May 23
Washington Dulles to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada; nonstop daily seasonal service starts May 23
Washington Dulles to Anchorage, Alaska; nonstop daily seasonal service starts May 23

01/02/2024

Places the U.S. Government Warns Not to Travel Right Now

You may want to reconsider traveling to these countries right now.
By Julia Haines
Jan. 29, 202
U.S. News & World 🌎🌍🌏 Report

Crime, civil unrest and terrorism are common risk factors for countries that end up on the State Department's "Do Not Travel" advisory list.

Global conflicts and climate crises, ranging from a series of coups across Africa to earthquakes and floods in catastrophe-prone countries, affected international travel patterns throughout 2023.

Still, international tourist arrivals reached 91% of pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter of 2023, according to estimates by the World Tourism Organization based on travel patterns through September. In December alone, about 6 million U.S. citizens left the country for international destinations, 16% higher than the same month in 2019, according to the International Trade Administration. But some destinations warrant more caution than others.

On Oct. 19, following the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza and flaring tensions in the region, the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide caution advisory due to “increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.” Prior to this update, the most recent worldwide caution advisory was issued in 2022 after a U.S. strike killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor as leader of Al Qaeda, causing “a higher potential for anti-American violence.” The worldwide caution advisory remains in effect.

The U.S. State Department also issues individual travel advisory levels for more than 200 countries globally, continually updating them based on a variety of risk indicators such as health, terrorism and civil unrest. Travel advisory levels range from Level 1, which means exercise normal precautions, to Level 4, which means do not travel there.

About 10% of countries – 19 total – have a Level 4: “Do Not Travel” advisory as of Jan. 29. In Level 4 countries, the U.S. government may have “very limited ability” to step in should travelers’ safety or security be at risk, according to the State Department. Crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and terrorism are common risk factors associated with Level 4 countries.

So far in 2024, the State Department made changes to the existing Level 4 advisories for Myanmar, Iran and Gaza, and moved Niger and Lebanon off of the Level 4 list.

Places With a Level 4 Travel Advisory

These are the primary areas the U.S. government says not to travel to right now, in alphabetical order:

Jump to Place:

🇦🇫Afghanistan: The Central Asian country is wrestling with “terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping and crime,” according to the State Department. U.S. citizens are specifically at risk for wrongful detention and kidnapping. In 2022, the government reinstituted public floggings and executions, and women’s rights are disappearing under Taliban control. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul halted operations in August 2021. Since the Taliban took control, many forms of international aid have been halted. Meanwhile, in October 2023, some of the year’s deadliest earthquakes killed more than 2,400 in Afghanistan while the country continues to face a years-long extreme drought.

🇧🇾Belarus: Belarus, which shares a western border with Russia and a southern border with Ukraine, has been flagged for “Belarusian authorities’ continued facilitation of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus.” The U.S. Embassy in Minsk halted operations in February 2022.

🇧🇫Burkina Faso: Terrorism, crime and kidnapping are plaguing this West African nation. Terrorist attacks may target hotels, restaurants and schools with little to no warning, and the East and Sahel regions of the country are under a state of emergency. In late November hundreds died in clashes between state security forces and rebels near the country’s border with Mali. More than 2 million people in Burkina Faso are displaced due to “violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.”

🇨🇫🇲🇲Central African Republic: While there have not been specific incidents of U.S. citizens targeted with violence or crime, violent crime and sudden closure of roads and borders is common. The advisory states that “Embassy Bangui’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens, crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping” is a factor in its assessment. Recent data from UNICEF suggests the country has the worst drinking water accessibility of all countries in 2022.

🇲🇲Myanmar (Formerly Burma): Armed conflict and civil unrest are the primary reasons to not travel to this Southeast Asian country, which experienced a military coup in early 2021. Limited health care resources, wrongful detentions and “areas with land mines and unexploded ordnance” are also listed as risk factors. After Ukraine and Israel, Myanmar had the highest conflict-related death toll in 2023.

Related: Countries With the Deadliest Conflicts of 2023
Gaza: Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization as designated by the State Department, controls much of the Gaza Strip, which shares borders with both Israel and Egypt. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas fighters broke across the border into Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and soldiers in a brazen attack that stunned Israelis. On Oct. 10, Israel hit the Gaza Strip with “the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict” according to Reuters. The conflict has since escalated into war between Israel and Hamas, with regular Israeli airstrikes leading to extensive civilian casualties in Gaza. As of mid-December, nearly 85% of Gaza’s population were displaced from their homes, according to UN estimates. The region continues to face shortages of food, water, electricity and medical supplies, with conditions deemed “far beyond a humanitarian crisis.” The State Department warns of terrorism and armed conflict within Gaza’s borders.

🇭🇹Haiti: In July 2023, the Department of State ordered all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to leave the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince in response to the increased risk of kidnapping and violent crime in the country, as well as armed conflict between gangs and police. The travel advisory states that cases of kidnapping “often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings.” The travel advisory also states that “U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible” given “the current security situation and infrastructure challenges.” A series of gang attacks in late September 2023 caused thousands to flee their homes, and many aid groups have been forced to cut or suspend operations amid escalating violence in recent months.

🇮🇷Iran: Terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest are risk factors for all travelers to Iran, while U.S. citizens are specifically at risk for “arbitrary arrest.” U.S.-Iranian nationals such as students, journalists and business travelers have been arrested on charges of espionage and threatening national security. Executions in Iran rose sharply between 2021 and 2022, bringing the country’s total to nearly 580 people over the year, according to a report by Amnesty International released in May 2023.

🇮🇶Iraq: The State Department cites “terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict [and] civil unrest” as cause for the country’s Level 4 distinction. Iraq’s northern borders, and its border with Syria, are especially dangerous. Since the escalation of conflict in neighboring Israel in October, there has been an increase in attacks against Iraqi military bases, which host U.S. troops and other international forces. On Oct. 20, non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members were ordered to leave the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

🇱🇾Libya: Following the end of its dictatorship over a decade ago, Libya has been wrought with internal conflict between armed groups in the East and West. Armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, kidnapping and terrorism are all risk factors. U.S. citizens have been targets of kidnapping for ransom, with terrorists targeting hotels and airports frequented by Westerners. The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli halted operations in 2014. In mid-September 2023, floods, which some say were intensified by climate change, killed thousands in eastern Libya. Clashes between armed factions escalated across the country in the latter half of 2023, including in the capital city of Tripoli and in Benghazi.

Related: The 16 Most Dangerous Countries for Air Travel
🇲🇱Mali: After experiencing military coups in 2020 and 2021, crime, terrorism and kidnapping are all prevalent threats in this West African landlocked nation. In July 2022, non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families were ordered to leave the country due to higher risk of terrorist activity. A U.N. report in August 2023 said that military groups in the country, including both Mali security forces and possibly Russian Wagner mercenaries, were spreading terror through the use of violence against women and human rights abuses. Democratic elections were supposed to occur in February 2024, but Mali’s military junta postponed the plans indefinitely. In December, the U.N. officially ended a decade-long peacekeeping presence in the country, which had been among the agency’s deadliest missions, with hundreds of the mission personnel killed since 2013.

🇲🇽Mexico: Each state in Mexico is assessed separately for travel advisory levels. Six of the 32 states in Mexico are designated as Level 4: Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Crime and kidnapping are listed as the primary risk factors throughout the country. Nearly 112,000 people were missing across the country as of October, a number the U.N. has called “alarming.”

🇰🇵North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea): U.S. passports are not valid for travel “to, in, or through” this country, home to one of the world's longest-running dynastic dictatorships. The travel advisory states that the Level 4 distinction is due to “the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals.” In July 2023, a U.S. soldier fled across the border into North Korea, where he is believed to be in North Korean custody, the first American detained in the North in nearly five years. He was returned to U.S. custody in September 2023.

🇷🇺Russia: The travel advisory for Russia cites its invasion of Ukraine, harassment of U.S. citizens by Russian government officials and arbitrary law enforcement as a few of the reasons for the Level 4 designation. Chechnya and Mount Elbrus are specifically listed as Level 4 regions. Terrorism, civil unrest, health, kidnapping and wrongful detention are all noted as risks.

Russia Invades Ukraine: A Timeline
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Somalia: A severe drought resulting from five failed rainy seasons in a row killed 43,000 people in 2022, and caused a famine amid conflict with Islamist insurgents. Violent crime is common throughout Somalia, pirates frequent its coast off the Horn of Africa, and medical facilities, where they exist, have limited capacity. Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health and kidnapping are all risk factors. In January 2024, some passengers aboard a U.N.-contracted helicopter were taken hostage by al-Shabaab militants after the vehicle crashed in central Somalia.

🇸🇸South Sudan: Crime, kidnapping and armed conflict are the primary risk factors for South Sudan, which separated from Sudan in 2011, making it the world’s newest country. Weapons are readily available, and travelers have been victims of sexual assault and armed robbery.

🇸🇩Sudan: The U.S. evacuated its embassy in Khartoum in April 2023, and the country closed its airspace due to the ongoing conflict in the country, only permitting humanitarian aid and evacuation efforts. Fighting has escalated in the region between two warring generals seeking to gain control after a military coup in 2021 ousted the country’s prime minister. Civil unrest is the primary risk factor for Africa’s third largest country by area. Crime, terrorism, kidnapping and armed conflict are also noted. The International Criminal Court began investigating alleged war crimes and violence against African ethnic groups in the country in 2023. Millions have fled their homes due to conflict, and the U.N. has said its efforts to provide aid have been hindered by a lack of support, safety and resources. As recently as December 2023, the United Nations warned of catastrophic famine, with millions of children at-risk for malnutrition.

🇸🇾Syria: The advisory states that “No part of Syria is safe from violence,” with terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict and risk of unjust detention all potential risk factors. U.S. citizens are often a target for kidnappings and detention. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus halted operations in 2012. Fighting in neighboring Israel has escalated since October, and the conflict has spilled over into Syria, where the U.S. has carried out air strikes following drone and rocket attacks against American troops in Syria and Iraq, triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.

🇺🇦Ukraine: Russian setbacks in their invasion of Ukraine buoyed hopes in Ukraine in 2023. However, Ukraine is a Level 4 country due to Russia’s invasion, with crime and civil unrest also noted as risk factors. The country’s forces shot down two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve 2023, in a move Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “sets the right mood for the entire year ahead.”

Related: EXPLAINER: Why Did Russia Invade Ukraine?
Venezuela: Human rights abuses and lack of health care plague this South American nation, which has been in a political crisis since 2014. In 2019, diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. Threats in the country include crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, wrongful detention and poor health infrastructure.

🇾🇪Yemen: Six of the nine risk factors defined by the State Department – terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict and landmines – are all present in Yemen. Despite private companies offering tourist visits to the Yemeni island of Socotra, the U.S. government argues those arranging such visits “are putting tourists in danger.” Civil war and cholera are also both present throughout the country. The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa halted operations in 2015. The country has experienced a relative lull in the civil war fighting, but as peace negotiations have gotten traction, flare ups in the fighting have jeopardized progress. Most recently, the U.S. and U.K. have carried out a series of airstrikes in the country, targeting Iran-backed Houthi sites.

Other Countries to Watch

Since Jan. 1, the State Department has updated travel advisories for 14 different countries as well as for the West Bank and Gaza, adding information about specific regions or risk factors, or simply renewing an existing advisory. Travel advisory levels can change based on several factors in a nation, such as increased civil unrest, policies that affect human rights or higher risks of unlawful detention.

The State Department has given about 25 countries an assessment of Level 3, meaning it recommends people “reconsider travel” to those destinations.

On Oct. 14, one week after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel, Israel and the West Bank were both moved from Level 2 to Level 3, while Gaza remains at Level 4. The region’s travel advisory was updated again in November to reflect travel restrictions for certain government employees who have not already left the area, and it was updated again on Jan. 3.

Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in early October, the U.S. State Department raised Lebanon’s travel advisory level from a Level 3 to a Level 4 level due to “the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges” between Israel and Hezbollah or other militant groups. In December, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut returned to normal staffing and presence, and on Jan. 29, the country was moved back to Level 3. Crime, terrorism, armed conflict, civil unrest, kidnapping and unexploded landmines are listed as the country’s primary risk factors. However, the country’s borders with Syria and with Israel, as well as refugee settlements within Lebanon, are specifically noted as Level 4 regions.

🇨🇳China became a Level 3 country in late 2020, with an update in December 2022 citing “the surge in COVID-19 cases, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, and COVID-19-related restrictions” as the reason for the advisory. In June 2023, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) was moved from the Level 3 to the Level 2 list, but travelers are still advised to be cautious in the area due to “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” Meanwhile, Macau remains at Level 3.

Following an attempted coup in August 2023, Niger was elevated to Level 4 in August and the Department of State ordered all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to leave the U.S. Embassy in Niamey. In early January 2024, the overall risk level for the country was lowered back to Level 3. Despite the new classification, the State Department still asks non-emergency government personnel and eligible family members to depart the country.

🇵🇬In mid-December 2023 there was an explosion at Guinea’s main fuel depot which has since affected access to health care and basic goods and services. The country was subsequently designated a Level 3 nation after having previously been Level 2. Concerns about civil unrest, health, crime and fuel shortages impacting local infrastructure were listed as the primary risk factors contributing to the change.

Several Level 3 countries are among the worst countries for human trafficking, as designated by the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report. Level 3 countries on this list include Papua New Guinea, Guinea Bissau, China and Chad. There are also nine Level 4 countries designated as among the worst for human trafficking: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Syria, South Sudan and Venezuela.

READ MORE Worst Countries for Human Trafficking
Over 70 countries are currently at Level 2, meaning the State Department recommends travelers “exercise increased caution” when traveling to those destinations.

🇸🇪Sweden is designated a Level 2 country, with terrorism noted as the primary risk factor in the country. France, which saw nationwide protests throughout 2023, has civil unrest and terrorism noted as risk factors for its Level 2 status.

🇧🇸The Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas was updated in January to reflect water safety concerns. The advisory warns that “activities involving commercial recreational watercraft, including water tours, are not consistently regulated” and notes that government personnel are “not permitted to use independently operated jet-ski rentals on New Providence and Paradise Islands.” It also warns visitors to be mindful of sharks, weather and water conditions. The advisory also says that crime is a primary risk factor with gang-on-gang violence contributing to high homicide rates in some areas. Visitors are asked to “be vigilant” and to not physically resist robbery attempts.

🇧🇩Bangladesh's Level 2 travel advisory was updated in October 2023 to add a note about the country’s upcoming general election Jan. 7, 2024. The advisory states “demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.”

In November, several Level 2 travel advisories were updated with new cautionary information. The advisory for Ghana was updated in November 2023 to reflect threats against LGBTQI+ travelers specifically, noting “anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and violence have increased in recent years.” Meanwhile, the advisory for South Africa now notes that routes recommended by GPS may be unsafe with higher risk for crime.

🇹🇲Turkmenistan was moved off of the Level 2 list to become the newest addition to the Level 1 list on Jan. 22, meaning normal precautions are recommended but there are no risk factors causing travelers to practice increased caution.

The State Department asks travelers to pay attention to travel advisory levels and alerts, review country information pages for their destinations and read related country security reports before going abroad.

Updated on Jan. 29, 2024: This article has been updated.

05/01/2024

Have you ever stayed at the iconic TWA Hotel @ JFK?

02/07/2023

Good morning ☀️

21/12/2022

Christmas Week‼️
Is the bad weather halting your Christmas Travel?
Where are you traveling to?

29/03/2021

⚠️CRUISE
As Cruising Prepares for a Comeback, More Lines Announce Vaccination Requirements
These cruise lines say that vaccination requirements will be a part of their protocols as sailing returns.
BY SUSAN B. BARNES
March 25, 2021
The cruise industry is ready to resume sailing as early as this summer, and individual cruise lines are showing signs of confidence by announcing vaccination requirements for guests. In the last week alone, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and UnCruise Adventures announced vaccine mandates; they joined Crystal Cruises, Virgin Voyages, American Queen Steamboat Company, and Victory Cruise Lines in instituting them. The requirements apply to sailings that could begin as early as May, following a pause in operations that has lasted more than a year due to the coronavirus.

“We are moving to what we consider the safest possible place we can be,” said Dan Blanchard, owner and CEO of UnCruise Adventures, in a press conference on March 22. “With the availability of vaccines across the U.S., it would be negligent to my crew if I didn’t make this decision.”

UnCruise requires all crew and passengers to be fully vaccinated in order to sail on its Summer 2021 Alaska departures and beyond. Its first Alaskan cruise departs on May 10, and six ships will sail there this season. The vaccination requirement applies to its upcoming Pacific Northwest departures, too.

Last week, Celebrity Cruises announced that the cruise line will return to sailing with Caribbean departures starting June 5, while Crystal Cruises and Virgin Voyages plan to resume cruising in July. Just as all other large cruise lines, they’re awaiting final determination from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as to when large ship cruising will return.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading industry trade group, this week called on the CDC to begin plans for a resumption in cruising by the beginning of July—a time frame in line with President Biden’s forecast for when the U.S. will be “closer to normal” based the projected vaccination rollout. For its part, CLIA says the industry is ready to resume sailings because of its own efforts to implement new standards that demonstrate cruise lines can operate safely for guests and crew.

“Over the past eight months, a highly controlled resumption of cruising has continued in Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific—with nearly 400,000 passengers sailing to date in more than 10 major cruise markets,” said Kelly Craighead, CLIA’s President and CEO in a statement. “These voyages were successfully completed with industry-leading protocols that have effectively mitigated the spread of COVID-19. Additional sailings are planned in the Mediterranean and Caribbean later this spring and summer.”

Last November, the CDC relaxed its no-sail ban on cruises, revising its position to say it would take “a phased approach" in reopening the industry, requiring cruise lines to meet a series of requirements in order to resume. This includes, in the first phase, implementing tests and other safeguards for crew members while building the capacity to test hundreds of future passengers; later phases include simulated voyages where cruise lines must demonstrate their ability to effectively mitigate the spread of COVID-19—should a case make it on board—and other certifications for ships. This order remains in effect, though the CDC told Fox 35 Orlando that details on tackling the next phase of reopening are “currently under interagency review.”

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Requiring cruise passengers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 aligns with a plan that Federal Maritime Commission Commissioner Luis Sola announced last week. The plan, dubbed “Cruising Forward,” would allow only vaccinated passengers and crews to sail on large cruise ships.

When asked how the cruise lines will verify COVID-19 vaccinations among its guests, a Celebrity Cruises spokesperson said that adult guests over the age of 18 will be asked at boarding to show the original, standard verification document that is issued by their home countries’ governing health authority, such as the hard copy of the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card issued to U.S. residents. UnCruise Adventures will require the same documentation, and Crystal Cruises also requires guests to sign a form acknowledging these requirements before they’ll issue tickets.

Additionally, guests over 18 who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and traveling with Celebrity, Crystal, UnCruise, Virgin Voyages, American Queen Steamboat Company, and Victory Cruise Lines will also be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result prior to boarding.

Passengers under 18 can sail with a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of embarkation on Celebrity Cruises and UnCruise Adventures. Crystal Cruises, American Queen Steamboat Company, and Victory Cruise Lines (on sailings after July 1) will not accommodate non-vaccinated passengers, regardless of age, and Virgin Voyages only sails with adults over the age of 21.

“We're really encouraged by the latest rollout plans in the May time frame from the new administration, and we know the future is about vaccinations,” said Virgin Voyages CEO Tom McAlpin in a statement. “Our business makes us uniquely set up to do this with testing and vaccine travel requirements. There’s a huge pent-up demand for travel and Virgin Voyages will be ready to welcome you aboard.”