It is not only Belgium that has switched up the vaccination campaign in recent weeks. Every country is doing its utmost. Will cruise lovers be able to enjoy their favourite holiday this summer?

Most (mainly non-European) cruise companies require all passengers to be fully vaccinated . This applies to, among others, the ships of the American brands of the Carnival Corporation, all shipping companies of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the brands of the Royal Caribbean Group, Azamara, SeaDream and Ponant. Fully vaccinated' means that the passenger has received all the necessary shots of the covid vaccine. Moreover, the guest will not be allowed to embark until 14 days after the final vaccination.

For European shipping companies such as AIDA, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises and TUI Cruises, this mandatory vaccination does not apply and (for the time being) a negative PCR test is sufficient. Surveys show that the majority of passengers are in favour of the principle of compulsory vaccination. 

Senior citizens have a head start at the moment. Most of them have received their first vaccine and will soon receive the second dose. The majority of the active population will not receive their dose until this month and next. Moreover, those who receive an AstraZeneca vaccine will have to wait eight to twelve weeks for their second shot. This means that the person cannot embark on a cruise holiday before August or September.

Cruise passengers can only hope that they will be called up for a Johnson & Johnson vaccine where one dose is sufficient.

There is not much we can do to change the course of events. The two useful tips we can give you are to put yourself on the reserve lists and, of course, to get into the mood by already buying a maritime Bron article :)