"Passport restriction lifted as of 2/10" Royal Caribbean bans holders of Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macau passports from boarding

[Updated Feb. 10] Effective Feb. 10, Royal Caribbean has removed the passport- / nationality-based restriction. We welcome this change.

After recent incidents in New York State and Asia involving cruise passengers infected with the coronavirus, Royal Caribbean today (Feb. 7) issued a statement barring the following from boarding:

• Anyone holding a Chinese passport, Hong Kong SAR passport, or Macau SAR passport, regardless of current place of residence; and
• Anyone who has been in contact with a person who traveled to mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau within the past 15 days; and
• Anyone found during screening to have a fever or low blood oxygen saturation

This restriction is in effect during February. For anyone denied boarding, Royal Caribbean will refund all prepayments, but it has not indicated any remedy for passengers’ other expenses, such as airfare.

We expect other cruise lines, not wanting an entire ship quarantined because of some passengers, will very likely announce similar restrictions. Royal Caribbean’s policy is extremely strict—arguably overly so—and we hope other cruise lines will not be as strict.