Mask mandate and smoking ban on cruise casinos

Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line, are among the cruise lines with stricter face mask protocols until at least until January 31.

Due to the Omicron variant, Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have stricter face mask protocols in place until at least the end of the month.

The mask rules will remain in effect for sailings departing on or before January 31, 2022, at which point it will be reevaluated. Masks will be mandatory while indoors in public areas of the ship, unless seated and actively eating or drinking. This includes casinos.

In addition to the face mask rules being extended, Royal Caribbean’s ban on smoking in the casino will also be extended.

“In alignment with the expansion of the mask policy, smoking will not be permitted in the casino for all cruises departing on or before January 31, 2022” the cruise line informed. 

Carnival Cruise Line requires its passengers to use masks on all sailings until at least the end of January 2022. Carnival also banned smoking in its casinos until further notice.

Holland America matched Carnival’s stricter mask rules and indoor smoking policy.

Norwegian Cruise Line also added a face mask rule for sailings through to the end of January.

See also: MGM Springfield reinstates mask mandate