Vaccine requirements announced for Jericho cruise, AEW’s New York show

We already knew that New York City’s requirement that people have proof of vaccination for indoor activities would apply to WWE’s Madison Square Garden show on Sept. 10. It wasn’t clear if it would be in effect for AEW’s “Grand Slam” edition of Dynamite on Sept. 22, as Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens has a retractable roof and could conceivably be considered an open-air venue.

Whether the roof is closed or not, AEW made it clear today (Sept. 1) that anyone attending their NYC debut will need to be vaccinated.

The linked FAQ doesn’t answer the question of whether masks will be required at the show, but indicates they will be if Arthur Ashe’s roof is closed. It does specify that ticketholders won’t be required to show proof of a negative COVID test, and that the vaccine rule doesn’t apply to children 12 and under, for whom the vaccine isn’t currently recommended or available to.

“Grand Slam” isn’t the only AEW-related show to announce a vaccination requirement. Chris Jericho’s third Rock N Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise will also have one - for talent and guests.

Norwegian Cruise Lines, which owns and operates the boat which will leave Miami on Oct. 21 for a four-day round trip to Grand Bahama Island, has a policy which states, “Each guest must submit proof they have completed the full cycle of required doses for the vaccine administered at least 2 weeks prior to their sail date.”

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reached out to Sixthman, the Norwegian Cruise Lines subsidiary producing Jericho’s cruise, to clarify the requirement applied to anyone boarding the ship: “We can confirm that in compliance with Norwegian Cruise Line’s health and safety protocol and 100% vaccine requirement, everyone on board all of our 2021 events on Norwegian Gem including all guests, crew, and talent will be vaccinated against COVID-19.”

In addition to Le Champion, AEW wrestlers Britt Baker, Orange Cassidy, Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels & Colt Cabana are booked for “Triple Whammy”. Legends like Kurt Angle, Bully Ray, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express & Madusa have also been announced for Jericho’s third cruise.