Disney Cruises Are Set To Become The Last Major Group To Drop The Vaccine Requirement On Most Us Sailings
Disney Cruise Line will no longer require vaccinations on most of its voyages beginning in October, the company announced Tuesday, marking the final major cruise line to ease its vaccine requirement on most U.S. sailings.
For voyages on the Disney Wish, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wonder beginning Oct. 14, full vaccination is highly recommended, but not required, according to the cruise lines website. Unvaccinated travelers 5 and older must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within two days of the sail date, either through an observed antigen test or a lab-based PCR test. Vaccinated travelers and children under 5 are not required to test.
The same policy applies to Disney Magic sailings beginning Nov. 7. The Magic will be visiting ports of call in Canada and Bermuda in October, which have their own health requirements, though Canada is lifting all entry restrictions on Oct. 1.
The family-focused cruise line dropped its vaccination requirement for kids between 5 and 11 in August. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its announcement Tuesday.
Depending on the company, vaccinations may be required for sailings that last more than 16 days or visit ports of call with additional requirements, such as Bermuda and Greece.
Do Disney Cruises Require Vaccinations
For the past few years, travel requirements for vaccinations, masking, and COVID-19 testing seem to have been a moving target. Requirements seemed to change almost weekly, and its been easy to become a bit confused about whether Disney Cruises require vaccinations, COVID-19 testing, or masks.
Among all the types of vacations, cruises can be especially confusing in this regard. For example, a U.S. citizen taking an Alaskan Cruise with Disney typically flies from a U.S. airport to a Canadian airport, boards a Bahamian-registered ship at a Canadian port, visits several U.S. ports of call , then returns to a Canadian port before flying back to the U.S. via a Canadian airport.
So lets try to sort out all of the requirements. Fortunately, theyve gotten markedly simpler over the past few months.
Note: Information in this article is accurate as of November 7, 2022. Be sure to check your official Disney Cruise documentation or Disney Cruise Lines Know Before You Go website to ensure youre up-to-date on the latest regulations regarding your sailing. Also, please note that the information article generally refers to requirements for U.S. Citizens traveling from a U.S. port those who are citizens of or who are sailing from another country should ensure theyre aware of any applicable requirements.
Virgin Opens A Door For Royal Carnival Norwegian
Every other cruise line has a tough decision to make. Some of its current passengers have chosen to sail because every adult onboard has been tested and vaccinated. That creates a peace of mind you don’t get on other types of vacations.
There are, of course, also some passengers who have not sailed because they are not vaccinated or don’t care to share their vaccination status with a cruise line. The question for Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian becomes which changes will lead to the most passengers on their ships?
Virgin does not allow children on its ships, so it was sailing with 100% vaccination rates. If Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian allow for unvaccinated adults but keep the 90% vaccinated number that could limit how many families can book cruises on those lines, which are marketed as family cruise lines.
This isn’t an easy decision, because it’s partially about people’s health and partially about keeping your business healthy. In addition, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian sail to a lot more ports than Virgin Voyages does, and cruise ships must also comply with local rules (and some destinations require vaccinations for anyone ages 12 and over even if they don’t get off the ship.
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Where they sail: Regent Seven Seas offers all-inclusive luxury cruises around the globe, which include perks like free airfare, free excursions, and complimentary unlimited drinks on board.
Who needs the vaccine: All guests are now welcome. Unvaccinated passengers will be required to test 3-days before embarkation.
What other safety measures are in place: Pre-departure testing may not be necessary depending on the port. Currently cruises leaving from Bermuda, Canada, and Greece will require a test.
Cruise Lines With Heavy Restrictions
The following cruise lines still require all passengers to be vaccinated and exclude unvaccinated travelers.
- AmaWaterways:This river cruise line still currently requires all passengers to be vaccinated in order to cruise with them, although their official site states they hope to remove rules in 2023.
- Cunard Line:All guests over the age of 18 are required to show proof of vaccination and a booster shot. Unvaccinated passengers between the ages of 5 and 17 are required to submit a negative test prior to departure.
- Viking: This river cruise line enforces a strict vaccine and booster policy and periodically tests guests once they are onboard.
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What To Know Before You Cruise
Vaccine and pretrip testing requirements can be confusing, especially if you are cruising internationally. Cruise lines have their own rules countries have their own rules. And the rules are constantly changing.
Before your trip, you will need to review your cruise lines health and safety protocols. You may be required to arrive at your ship with a negative COVID-19 test result in hand or not. And you may have to be vaccinated or not. Depending on the cruise line, fully vaccinated can mean having received the original series at least 14 days prior to your cruise, or the original series plus a booster shot.
In you are an unvaccinated adult, some cruise lines will now let you sail, others will not. If you are allowed onboard, you will need to be tested precruise, which is required for unvaccinated children as well.
In The United States Canada And Europeas Of November 9 2022
If youre currently booked on a cruise vacation with us and have provided an email address, you will be advised of the latest requirements leading up to departure. Be sure to register for a guest account so that we may reach you with any updates.
All travelers departing from US, Canadian, and European ports are welcome to cruise with us regardless of vaccination status and will no longer be required to provide proof of pre-departure testing, except for specific sailings where vaccination or testing are required by law.
If you are booked on an US, Canadian, or European sailing scheduled to call on any of the following, or booked on a back-to-back sailing please refer to the sailing-specific pages for local requirements:
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Carnival Cruise Lines Covid Requirements
Carnival allows unvaccinated guests to return to sailing. All unvaccinated guests ages 2 and older are required to receive a lab-administered PCR or antigen test up to 3 days before sailing. The following voyages require guests, age 12 and older, to be fully vaccinated. In addition, all guests, age 18 and older, who are more than 6 months past the last dose of their initial vaccine series must be boosted in order to sail:
- Carnival Pride® and Carnival Celebration Europe All 2022 departures
- Carnival Splendor® 23-day Carnival Journey September 6, 2022
- Carnival Spirit® 16-day Carnival Journey September 20, 2022
Other cruises have limited space for vaccine exempt guests through December 2022. Vaccine exemptions are limited to a small number of guests who are over age 5. Each sailing is unvaxxed capacity-controlled based on the total number of vaccinated guests projected to be on board. Children under five are not required to apply for a vaccine exemption. However, they must still follow requirements for unvaccinated guests, including pre-cruise and onboard testing. Requests are not guaranteed and will be processed after the booking is paid in full, in sailing date order, and once we have finalized the estimated vaccinated guest count.
Vaccinated passengers still must present a medically supervised negative covid antigen or rapid pcr test before sailing.
Find an update to carnival covid-19 requirements here.
What Does ‘fully Vaccinated’ Mean
It seems most cruise lines are following the CDC’s definition of fully vaccinated, which means two weeks have passed since your second shot of Pfizer or Moderna, or since your one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. It’s possible a cruise line may accept one shot of a viral vector vaccine, such as AstraZeneca, and one shot of an mRNA vaccine, but this practice of mixing for a COVID-19 vaccine primary series isn’t authorized yet in the US.
Some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, accept vaccines recommended or approved by the World Health Organization as well as the CDC. This includes vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Sinovac. See the full list of vaccines approved by the WHO here.
Bottom line: If you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of the US, check with your cruise line to make sure they accept your vaccine before putting any money down. It’s also important to know that while all adults in the US are now eligible for boosters, the definition of “fully vaccinated” hasn’t changed and you don’t need an extra shot to be considered fully vaccinated.
All guests, regardless of vaccination status, should expect to be tested for COVID-19 prior to boarding a cruise ship.
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Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours
Travelers embarking on any Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours itinerary are required to be fully vaccinated. Guests taking river cruises dont need to adhere to line-specific testing requirements. Guests might be required to take a rapid antigen test upon embarkation for an ocean cruise.
All guests must also complete a pre-travel health questionnaire.
Can Cruise Lines Require Crew And Passengers To Get Covid
In an article published by Cruise Critic, Member Ron Schirtzer is quoted discussing whether travel companies can legally impose vaccine requirements.
From a legal standpoint, there is nothing at this point that would suggest that if you wanted to impose a pre-cruise vaccination requirement that either a government will stop you from doing it or that’s there is a likelihood for civil liability, Schirtzer said.
While mandatory vaccination requirements are not a new concept, exceptions are typically required for those who can demonstrate that taking the vaccine imposes a health risk.
All in all, while a vaccine requirement would potentially inspire some kind of lawsuit, it likely would not be successful, Schirtzer said.
For the full article, click here.
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Unvaccinated Guests Return To Cruising
Starting September 3, 2022, Norwegian Cruise Line Parent company is adjusting the required pre-cruise testing and vaccination protocols for all cruises, with the new guidelines taking effect September 3, 2022. The new guidelines effect NCL, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas. Under the new rules, Unvaccinated passengers ages 12 and older must still present a medically supervised negative PCR or antigen test taken no more than 72 hours before sailing. Children under 12 will not have to present negative Covid-19 tests, regardless of vaccination status. Do note, that some countries still require covid-19 testing for sailing. If this is the case, you still need a negative test or be vaccinated. Be sure to double check or work with a travel agent to ensure youre meeting the requirements of the cruise you are considering.
Some cruise lines are still limiting the number of unvaccinated guests onboard. Its important to note if the cruise line has a limit of unvaccinated guests. Especially if you are unvaccinated. The industry is still recovering and working under a patchwork of regulations. Below are the current requirements, as August 9, 2022 by cruise line.
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Do Guests Have To Wear A Mask On A Disney Cruise
Face coverings are optional for most Guests onboard Disney Cruise ships. The cruise line does strongly recommend that unvaccinated guests wear a mask in all indoor locations, but its not a requirement.
In the US, face coverings are optional on Disney Cruise Lines hotel and airport ground transfers. As always, youre subject to any applicable local government regulations at various terminals and ports you might visit during your cruise, so masks may be required in some places you visit.
One of the easiest ways to keep track of all you should know about Disney Cruises is to work with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner such as The Vacationeer.
They provide free help planning your Disney Cruise Vacation, whether youre just wondering how much is a Disney Cruise or you need assistance with complex bookings involving multiple staterooms.
Theres never any obligation to book and you wont pay an extra penny to use their planning services! So get your free, no-obligation vacation quotation today!
Carnival Cruise Line Removes Pre
MIAMI /PRNewswire/ — Carnival Cruise Line today announced protocol updates that meet public health goals but recognize the evolving nature of COVID-19. With these changes, America’s Cruise Line is making it easier for more guests to sail with simplified vaccination and testing guidelines, including no testing for vaccinated guests on sailings less than 16 nights, and eliminating the exemption request process for unvaccinated guests, who will only need to show a negative test result at embarkation. All new guidelines are effective for cruises departing on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 or later, and include:
- Vaccinated guests must continue to provide evidence of their vaccination status prior to embarkation. Pre-cruise testing is no longer required, except for cruises to Canada Australia , and on voyages 16 nights or longer.
- Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail and are no longer required to apply for a vaccine exemption, except for cruises in Australia or on voyages 16 nights and longer.
- Unvaccinated guests or those who do not provide proof of vaccination must present the results of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within three days of embarkation.
- All policies are subject to local destination regulations.
Note: Guests under the age of five years are exempt from vaccination and testing requirements from the United States and under the age of 12 from Australia .
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Four Cruise Lines To Drop Covid Vaccination Requirements
Aug. 14, 2022 — Four major cruise lines are dropping their COVID-19 vaccination requirements for some sailings next month, according to USA Today.
Carnival Cruise Line wonât require unvaccinated guests to apply for an exemption to sail after Sept. 6. The changes are subject to local restrictions, such as those in Bermuda, Canada and Greece, and donât include voyages in Australia or trips that are 16 or more nights.
Princess Cruises will remove vaccination requirements on Sept. 6 for most voyages that are less than 16 days. The cruise line currently requires unvaccinated guests to have a vaccine exemption before they sail.
Royal Caribbean Group, which includes Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, will welcome all travelers regardless of vaccination status beginning Sept. 5 âas long as testing requirements are met,â a spokesperson told USA Today.
For Royal Caribbean, the changes include sailings from Los Angeles, New Orleans, Galveston and Europe. For Celebrity, that means cruises leaving from Los Angeles, the U.K. and Europe â but not Ireland. Bahamas and Caribbean cruises that leave from Florida ports still have vaccine rules in place.
Starting Sept. 6, Princess Cruises will require passengers on sailings of 16 nights or longer to take a test within three days of leaving, as well as those on full Panama Canal transits. Unvaccinated passengers will be required to show a negative test for all trips.
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Which Cruise Lines Require That Kids Be Vaccinated
As many cruise lines drop their restriction against unvaccinated kids and begin welcoming them onboard, questions continue to arise on each cruise lines policy concerning whether kids need the vaccine to sail.
Weve put together this list of the major cruise lines in North America and their policies on kids being able to sail with or without the COVID-19 vaccine.
This article was originally published in March 2022. It was updated and republished on June 17, 2022. Check with your cruise line for the latest information.
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Does Disney Cruise Line Require Covid
Proof of a negative Coronavirus test has long been a requirement to board a Disney Cruise, but that recently changed.
For Guests sailing from the United States on , it is no longer necessary to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding the ship.
For those sailing , testing is required for unvaccinated Guests vaccinated Guests may bypass testing by providing proof of vaccination.
As with vaccination requirements, COVID-19 testing requirements may vary by country and youll always need to abide by any local regulations.