Anyone going on a Saga holiday or cruise in 2021 should be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, said the tour operator.
Saga, which focuses on holidays for more than 50 year old, said it wanted to protect the health and safety of customers.
The company said it would delay restarting its travel packages until May to give customers enough time to get the jabs.
Increasing Holiday Bookings
People over the age of 50 in the UK have been rushing to book holidays as vaccinations boost their confidence.
“The health and safety of our customers has always been a priority for Saga, so we have decided that everyone we go with should be fully vaccinated against Covid-19,” Saga said in a statement.
“Our customers want the reassurance of the vaccine and to know others travelling with them will be vaccinated too.”
The company’s holidays were due to restart in March and its Saga cruises in April after a short hiatus, but now both will be delayed.
Statement From Saga
Saga said that meant all travel before May would not continue as planned, acknowledging that it would be a “huge disappointment” for customers.
“We will be contacting all affected guests to discuss their options,” Saga said.
The company said its vaccination policy would add to the strong security measures already in place for the start of their holidays.
This includes requiring the passengers to have a Covid-19 test before their voyage, as well as a thorough medical examination.
The capacity of their vessels will be limited to 800 people.
There were some severe covid outbreaks on cruise ships early on the pandemic, before coronavirus restrictions were imposed.
The English-registered Diamond Princess, owned by Carnival, was shipped for about a month in February in the port of Yokohama in Japan.
More than 700 of the 3,711 passengers and crew were infected, and 14 died.
UK launches mass vaccination program as Covid-19 cases grow.
English people have been vaccinated at an average of 140 jabs per minute, NHS England manager Sir Simon Stevens said this week.
Experts believe in the future that airports, concert halls and restaurants may always ask customers to prove they have been vaccinated.
And last week, London plumbing company Pimlico Plumbers said all of its employees would be contractually obliged to get the jab.
