Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd has said it intends for crew members to have received a coronavirus vaccine before they return to its cruise ships.
The group, which operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, has said that it intends that "all crew members be vaccinated before boarding our vessels".
A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd told the Mirror: "The safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit remains our highest priority. We continue to closely monitor the evolving impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic and vaccine developments.
"We are exploring all options regarding vaccinations for guests and crew and it is our intention that all crew members be vaccinated before boarding our vessels to begin their duties, subject to availability of the vaccine.
"We will continue to partner with global and domestic authorities and the Healthy Sail Panel, our team of leading expert advisors, to explore all options necessary to protect guests, crew and the communities visited. We will share additional updates as they are available."
It's not yet known whether the cruise line would require passengers to be vaccinated too before they could board sailings.
Travel firm Saga recently announced that anyone who wants to board one of its cruise ships or go on one of its holidays in 2021 will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The company caters exclusively to over 50s, so their customers are likely to be in the groups first in line for the vaccine as it is being rolled out.
Like most major cruise lines, Norwegian has temporarily suspended all cruises embarking through April 2021, due to ongoing travel restrictions around the world. (We have a guide on when cruise lines plan to restart where you can find more information).
At the time of writing, the Foreign Office continues to advise Brits against all cruise ship travel - you can find out more in the FCDO cruise advice.
