By
Alex Smith |
Costa Rica will reopen for cruise calls on 1 September, with cruise brands being required to guarantee that 100 per cent and 95 per cent of passengers who are of age are vaccinated to be allowed entry to the country.
Nine cruise lines have scheduled calls in Costa Rica on their itineraries including Windstar Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, Seabourn, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Sea Cloud Cruises. Five of these cruise lines will arrive in the city of Limón, while the remaining ones will arrive in ports on the Pacific coast.
"The resumption of this tourist activity will benefit the ports of Limón, Puntarenas, Caldera, Quepos and Golfito," said Gustavo J. Segura, Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism. "Each passenger spends an average of $137 per day, which has an important impact on the reactivation of local economies in coastal communities.”
Permitted vaccines are those authorised by the Costa Rican National Commission of Vaccination and Epidemiology, and the last dose must have been administered at least 14 days prior to departure. In addition to being vaccinated, cruise passengers must complete the epidemiological Health Pass form 72 hours prior to their arrival in the country. Ports will also observe the Port Operation Protocol, endorsed by the Costa Rican Ministry of Health, when cruise ships arrive.
The first ship to arrive in Costa Rica will be Windstar Cruises’ Wind Star on 2 September, which will call at the port of Golfito with approximately 150 passengers onboard.