This protocol, which regulates the measures that cruise lines must implement to operate in Spanish ports, relaxes the current measures. The main changes include the acceptance of a negative antigen test certificate upon boarding in a Spanish port, provided the test was taken on the same day or within the previous 24 hours, regardless of whether passengers are vaccinated, unvaccinated, or have had the disease. If a negative test certificate is not presented, passengers will be required to take the test at the terminal before boarding.
Close contacts of a passenger who tests positive in an onboard screening do not need to be disembarked and do not need to be quarantined, although they should take extra precautions and minimize social interactions by consistently wearing a mask and practicing good hand hygiene. They should especially avoid contact with vulnerable people.
For their part, shipping companies can establish their own protocols, as many companies maintain the requirement of a vaccination certificate for all passengers and the use of masks on board.
As agreed between State Ports and the Ministry of Health, this new version will be subject to review once the new COVID-19 surveillance and control strategy comes into effect in Spain. Therefore, this version is expected to be short-lived and soon replaced by the new regulations.
