P&O Cruises Eliminates Pre-Departure Covid Tests on Iona Sailings

P&O Cruises has eliminated the requirement for pre-departure Covid testing on select Iona sailings in June and July.

Passengers sailing on G220 25th June, G221 2nd July, G222 9th July, G223 16th July, or G224 23rd July will not be required to take a Covid test before boarding Iona.

The cruises are all vacations to the Norwegian fjords that depart and return to Southampton.

All passengers aged 12 and up must be fully immunized, and those aged 16 and up must have received a booster shot.

The cruise line warned passengers on other P&O Cruises itineraries that they must still take a pre-departure test because the requirement has only been lifted for those five sailings, but that the rule change could be extended to include additional sailings.

The cruise line spokesperson said: “As the health protocols for Covid continue to evolve across the world, P&O Cruises has changed its policy on Iona to remove the pre-departure testing for all guests.

“As a result, while all guests 12 years and over are still required to be fully vaccinated and those 16 years and over also need to have had a booster, all guests travelling on the following five cruise holidays – G220 June 25, G221 July 2, G222 July 9, G223 July 16, and G224 July 23 – will no longer need to purchase or take an antigen test prior to boarding the ship.

“For the moment, the removal of testing requirement will only be on these five cruises but should this be extended then we will advise guests as necessary.”