Israel gives its vaccines another destination: it will sell them to Royal Caribbean
Netanyahu’s government seeks to turn its port destinations into a mecca for maritime tourism
While most of the world’s governments desperately search for vaccines to protect their population from the coronavirus, Israel , where 63% received at least one dose, is considering selling the vaccines it bought for its own citizens to Royal Caribbean, as they do not need them at this time.
The global cruise company Royal Caribbean , founded in Norway but based in Miami, United States, is negotiating with the Israeli Ministry of Health to buy vaccines from the government stock and thus have all its passengers and crew members from different countries.
“It is a company that is an important strategic partner for tourism in Israel and for the Israeli economy, so the Ministry of Tourism has joined the Ministry of Transport in their request to start cruise tourism from Israel and help vaccinate to passengers and crew ”, confirmed to The Marker site a source from the Ministry of Tourism.
“The eyes of the entire tourism industry are on Israel. This is a unique opportunity to make Israel the world leader in this industry as well, ” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Odyssey of the Seas is scheduled to sail on June, 2021 from Israel
On June 2, the Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship, which belongs to the Royal Caribbean fleet, will embark on its maiden voyage from Haifa to Cyprus and the Greek islands, with its 4,180 passengers and more than 1,000 vaccinated crew members.
The objective is to offer vacationers an optimal sense of security in terms of their health, so that they can book their trip without fear, they said from the company.
The agreement would involve the government of Israel now providing Royal Caribbean with all the vaccines it needs and for the company to replenish them when the manufacturers of the immunizer supply them to the company, probably within a year.
Starting this summer, Odyssey will offer cruises from Israel to various destinations in the eastern Mediterranean. This summer’s crossings will visit ports in Greece and Cyprus, including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, Greece and Limassol, Cyprus.
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