Royal Caribbean Group said on Tuesday it will use SpaceX’s Starlink, a fast-growing constellation of internet-beaming satellites in orbit, to provide internet connectivity to its guests and crew on its cruise ships. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission in June authorized Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use its Starlink satellite internet network with moving vehicles, green-lighting the…

Royal Caribbean confirmed that it will allow all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, on its ships in certain locations. A spokesperson for the company said that, starting Sept. 5, it will drop its COVID-19 vaccine requirements “as long as testing requirements are met.” “We are collaborating with local governments throughout the Caribbean to align on…

Two of the largest cruise ship operators in the U.S. announced they’ve relaxed COVID-19 rules, coming weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rescinded its mandatory testing guidelines. Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Group both announced in separate statements that they will remove some testing requirements for vaccinated customers. Vaccinated passengers on…

SpaceX is working to connect the ships of Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second-largest cruise line operator, to its satellite Internet network, a recent filing shows. Elon Musk’s space company requested—but has not yet been approved—to operate its satellite broadband service Starlink on moving vehicles, including trucks, aircraft, and vessels. Started in 2015, the Starlink…

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has paused some of its cruise operations amid rising numbers of COVID-19 infections due to the Omicron variant. The sailings of three ships—Serenade of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas—have been paused while the return of its Vision of the Seas to cruising has been postponed to…

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line canceled multiple planned voyages on Wednesday due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions. In a blog post, Royal Caribbean said that it has called off its Spectrum of the Seas cruise from Hong Kong, which was scheduled to depart on Jan. 6, after nine passengers on its Jan. 2 trip were identified as close…

Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas won’t dock at the island nations of Aruba and Curacao this week following an onboard COVID-19 outbreak involving some 55 passengers and crew members, the firm said. All passengers aged 12 and older and crew members have to show proof they’ve been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to board…

Royal Caribbean Group said on Monday 48 people on its Symphony of the Seas cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19, fueling concerns that the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus could put a damper on a recovery in the cruise industry. The cruise operator said it had 6,091 guests and crew members on board the…

The Royal Caribbean cruise line said on Monday that passengers above age 12 that start their trip in Florida will be required to show that they have insurance that covers COVID-19-related issues. “Effective June 29, 2021, unvaccinated guests 12 and older departing on a Royal Caribbean International cruise from Florida are required to purchase travel…

Two Florida children aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship called “Adventure of the Seas” tested positive for the CCP virus, the company announced. Both guests, who are under the age of 16 and unvaccinated, were placed in quarantine “immediately,” the Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement on Thursday. One of the children experienced mild…