Virgin Voyages Becomes First Major Cruise Line to Eliminate Pre-embarkation COVID Testing in the U.S.

26 July, 2022

In response to Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to discontinue its voluntary COVID-19 program for cruise ships, Virgin Voyages has decided to mirror the rest of the travel industry in removing pre-embarkation testing for European Union sailings from July 24, and United States sailings from July 27. Vaccine requirements will remain in place for both Scarlet Lady, operating out of the U.S., and Valiant Lady in the E.U. Virgin Voyages is currently evaluating this policy and will announce further updates in the near future.

Passenger and crew well-being is the major focus and they continue to follow the advice of their expert medical team. What to know: From the dates mentioned above, passengers will no longer be required to complete a pre-embarkation COVID test, applicable across the fleet, including U.S. and E.U. operations.

For U.S. sailings, passenger vaccination requirements will now be marked at 90 percent. This opens the opportunity for passengers who are not vaccinated to contact Virgin Voyages' Sailor Services to book a sailing if these thresholds are met. Ship crew on all U.S. and E.U. sailings will maintain their fully vaccinated status.

Other well-being measures implemented during the pandemic, including enhanced air purification systems and deep cleaning/sanitization will be maintained. Virgin Voyages will continue to work closely with the CDC and collaborate with the industry to implement all appropriate measures. Along with the rest of the cruise industry, the brand welcomes the update and autonomy that has been afforded the rest of the travel sector over the past several years.

The news comes as the cruise industry continues to regain post-pandemic momentum.

For more information on Virgin Voyages' health and safety updates, visit www.virginvoyages.com.