Uniworld Boutique River Cruises Drops Vaccination Requirement for 2023 Cruises

Starting in 2023, guests sailing on Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will no longer have to show proof of vaccination in order to sail.

Uniworld made the announcement on Wednesday, writing in a statement that it will continue its guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 through the end of this year, the rule will no longer apply starting in January.

“While we will continue to require our guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 through 2022, we have made the careful and informed decision to not require COVID vaccinations for guests traveling with Uniworld in 2023,” Uniworld said on Wednesday.

Guests will still have to comply with entry requirements for specific countries they are sailing to, whether it’s on Uniworld’s river, land, or rail tours. Uniworld lists those requirements on its Travel Requirements page.  

With the news, Uniworld joins a growing list of river and ocean cruise lines dropping vaccination requirements. Most of the bigger ocean lines, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess, and more, announced over the past two weeks that they would allow unvaccinated cruisers on most sailings.

Advisors speaking to TMR recently said that the announcements have made a difference with clients, particularly ones who have been waiting more than two years for the requirements to be dropped. Some mentioned family members who hadn’t gotten vaccinated who could now be part of multi-generational groups that have been trending since the beginning of the pandemic.

Other advisors have also said the removal of the vaccination requirement gives them one less thing to worry or ask about when speaking with clients.