SANTO DOMINGO — St. Vincent and the Grenadines has announced the removal of COVID-19 protocols for cruise passengers during the upcoming 2022-2023 season.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Tourism Minister Carlos James made the announcement to stakeholders at the 28th Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference in the D.R. this week.

Minister James said St. Vincent and the Grenadines took the decision to relax its health protocols for arriving cruise passengers following a period of low infections globally and low COVID-19 related admissions to the island’s health facilities.

Minister James with Associate VP, Government Relations, Caribbean for Royal Caribbean Group, Wendy McDonald

During the last cruise season, the destination implemented protocols to facilitate cruise passengers, including safe zones established for vaccinated cruise passengers.

For the upcoming 2022/23 season, St. Vincent and the Grenadines will swap those protocols with new relaxed health guidelines, welcoming unvaccinated cruise passengers to the destination for the first time in two years.

As the island prepares itself to welcome new and returning cruise lines to its shores and with the island’s La Soufriere volcano now settled, the tourism minister reassured stakeholders and cruise industry executives that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is safe and free to explore during the 2022/23 cruise season.

“In spite of the many challenges encountered in the last two cruise seasons, from a global health pandemic to the eruption of our country’s La Soufriere volcano, your strategic partnership allowed us to navigate those turbulent times,” he said.