The US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has extended its Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) to 15 January.
After that date, cruiseship owners may decide whether they will continue to follow the rules that include requiring simulated voyages on ships with less than 95% vaccination rate.
The CSO was originally set to expire on 1 November after being in effect for one year.
"After the expiration of the Temporary Extension & Modification of the CSO, CDC intends to transition to a voluntary program, in coordination with cruise ship operators and other stakeholders, to assist the cruise ship industry to detect, mitigate, and control the spread of Covid-19 onboard cruise ships," the CDC said on Monday.
Royal Caribbean Group is happy to hear that the CDC will lift its restrictions by mid-January.
"Royal Caribbean Group will continue to operate in accordance with protocols that prioritise the health and safety of our guests, crews and the communities we visit, as we have done successfully from the United States since June," spokesman Jonathon Fishman told TradeWinds.
"We appreciate the continued support and collaboration from the CDC."
The cruise industry began fighting the CDC in March over sailing restrictions when the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) asked the CDC to lift them by July.
The CDC denied CLIA's request, so Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced in early April that it would start sailing its vessels in July anyway.
At the same time, Florida, which is home to cruise majors Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian, sued the CDC for federal overreach.
Three months later, the state passed a law prohibiting businesses, including cruise companies, from requiring vaccination, but a federal judge overturned the law in August at Norwegian's request.
