Royal Caribbean has announced that all passengers and crew of over 16 years of age must be vaccinated when its latest ship, the 4,198-pax ’Odyssey of the Seas’ begins sailing in May in the Mediterranean.
The cruise operator’s choice for the ship’s first home port is described as remarkable, as she will sail from Israel, the first country in the world to vaccinate more than 50% of its population.
Nearly 90% of Israelis over the age of 50 have been fully vaccinated.
“Thanks to the millions of vaccines we have brought, I am proud that Israel will be the first country in the world to launch Royal Caribbean’s new flagship,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the beginning, ‘Odyssey of the Seas’ will only allow Israeli citizens on board, similar to other European based cruise operators and the Singapore-based ’Quantum of the Seas’.
