Crystal: Vaccinated Passengers Can Tour Independently in The Bahamas

(2:08 p.m. EST) -- Vaccinated passengers traveling to The Bahamas to cruise on Crystal Serenity this summer will be allowed to tour independently, as long as the country's safety procedures are followed.Crystal Cruises made the announcement

on its website

, breaking with the mandate many lines had in place that would allow passengers to only go ashore on ship-sponsored excursions."As the COVID-19 vaccine is now a requirement for travel with Crystal, guests will be permitted to explore independently ashore relating to the new Luxury Bahamas Escapes voyages," the guidelines read.{#widget:image|decorators:article_image|image:4306|title:Crystal Serenity |description:Crystal Serenity #}"Crystal guests will be expected to follow all of the destination's local guidelines pertaining to masks, social distancing and other precautions including frequent handwashing. Crystal guests should visit The Bahamas' website for further details on their health and safety protocols."The change comes as welcome news to cruisers who like to take their time in different ports or simply go the beach. The new Bahamas cruises offered by Crystal, which leave from Nassau and Bimini, include smaller islands that cruise ships don't normally visit, such as Harbour Island, Great Exuma, Long Island and San Salvador Island.Cruise Critic is checking to see if the new policy also applies to Royal Caribbean's newly announced cruises from Nassau. Those cruises are also open only to vaccinated adults, as well as children and teens who test negative for COVID-19.