Windstar Cruises will require proof of a Covid-19 vaccine for all guests sailing on its ships “until further notice”.
Guests will need to demonstrate they had their vaccine at least 14 days prior to embarkation. Negative Covid tests will also be required.
Windstar said the policy was in “the best health and wellness interests of its guests, crew and the places the yachts visit”, and that many of the destinations it visits “have announced or are considering vaccine mandates”.
Crew members will vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available to them, the line said.
Windstar president Christopher Prelog said: “Vaccination is another layer of safety for all of us, and it’s the responsible course of action as our yachts resume cruising and our guests travel the world.”
Xanterra Travel Collection (Windstar’s parent company) CEO Andrew Todd added: “Looking at the science behind the virus, we see consistent recommendations for wearing masks, social distancing, testing and enhanced cleaning.
“In response, Windstar developed a new Beyond Ordinary Care programme, which is a multi-layered strategy with key hospital-grade elements – HEPA filters and UV-C germicidal irradiation to filter and disinfect the air, plus backpack sprayers to sanitise all surfaces throughout our yachts.”
Windstar is planning to restart operations in June 2021, with initial cruises running with reduced capacity. It has also moved the final payment date from 120 days to 60 days prior to departure.
The timeline for the resumption of operations is as follows:
- Star Breeze – 19 June 2021 – Caribbean
- Wind Star – 19 June 2021 – Mediterranean
- Wind Spirit – 15 July 2021 – Tahiti
- Wind Surf – 8 August 2021 – Mediterranean
- Star Legend – 4 September 2021 – Northern Europe
- Star Pride – 3 November 2021 – Caribbean
See the March 2021 issue of Cruise Trade News for an in-depth look at Star Breeze.