Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
All guests on all sailings through the end of 2022 with Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection are required to be fully vaccinated. Booster shots might also be required for entry into the specific country of embarkation as well as the destinations along the itinerary.
Children who are not old enough to be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine must present a negative antigen or PCR test result taken within 72 hours of embarkation.
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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Holland America Dropping Requirements
Starting on September 7, unvaccinated guests will be welcomed on-board Holland America cruises with a self-test within 3 days of sailing. For most voyages up to 15 nights, vaccinated guests will no longer have to test before cruising. The changes do not apply to itineraries for countries where local regulations may vary, including Canada, Australia, and Greece.
Our guests have been excited to return to cruising, and these changes will make it easier for more guests to explore the world in a safe and enjoyable environment, said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. The new, simplified protocols recognize the evolving nature of COVID-19 while still ensuring we protect the health of our guests, team members, and the communities we visit.
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The Current Rules On The Major Cruise Lines
Note that in some cases, the restrictions may depend on your departure point and the ships home port. Vaccines are also required to be administered at least 14 days prior to travel.
Celebrity Cruises has different vaccine requirements for different destinations so do double check. In the US, Canada and Bermuda, all passengers over 12 must be vaccinated, but in Europe, only those over the age of 18 need to be vaccinated. For the Galapagos Islands, anyone over the age of three must be vaccinated. Boosters are not required but are recommended. Those over the age of two will need a pre-embarkation Covid test. From August 8, vaccinated passengers travelling from the US will not need a pre-travel Covid test for short sailings .
Princess Cruises will accept unvaccinated passengers with advance booking but you may be prevented from disembarking at certain destinations depending on the local restrictions in place. Generally everyone over the age of four will need to be vaccinated and pre-travel testing requirements vary according to departure port and your vaccine status.
The requirements can vary between ports but on the whole, Royal Caribbean requires all passengers over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated. On European sailings, this includes booster jabs where eligible. All guests over the age of two will need a pre-departure Covid test.
Additional reporting by Qin Xie
Where Carnival Norwegian Royal Caribbean Sit On Covid Vaccines
- Publish date: Aug 13, 2022 2:41 PM EDT
Cruise line covid-19 vaccination and testing rules, which were imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the beginning of the pandemic, have been stricter than most. After the pandemic started in early 2020, the CDC signed a No Sail Order on March 14, 2020, which was finally lifted after nearly eight months on Oct. 30, 2020.
After the No Sail Order was lifted, the CDC enacted extremely restrictive rules and regulations to help keep passengers safe with the covid pandemic still raging throughout the world. The rules and regulations were set forth to begin to return cruise lines to operational status.
The cruise lines first had to be staffed accordingly and set up with the ability to test, treat and quarantine for covid medical emergencies. Testing for crew and passengers before embarkment and before dis-embarkment was required. The testing at pre-embarkment was a measure to protect those boarding, while the post-trip testing was for determining if an infection started on the cruise line itself. Being able to track the virus was very important in the prevention of spreading the virus and protecting patrons.
Image source: Shutterstock
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Vaccination Still Not A Free Pass To Board
Once the vaccination was developed and approved, it became part of the CDC guidelines for cruise line adult passengers to have their vaccination before boarding. Even with a vaccination, guests still needed to test before they boarded the cruise lines. As the vaccine was approved for younger age groups, those age groups were then also required to have the vaccine to travel. Passengers were required to be fully vaccinated unless they are exempt by some status.
Before boarding, cruise line passengers who tested positive, as well as their travel companions, were not allowed to board, depending on the cruise line and how long the cruise may be. Some passengers were allowed to board and then isolate, others would have to reschedule their trip. Trip insurance is a good buy these days.
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According to the Healthy Sail Center for Royal Caribbean , the cruise line has updated its covid vaccination protocol. The cruise line will now allow passengers regardless of vaccination status to board in some ports if the travelers meet the testing requirements. Testing requirements vary by cruise departure and destination. Check the cruise lines port departure for updated information on requirements.
There is, however, a major exception, at least for now, which is obvious when you look at the specific wording shared by the cruise line:
“Starting with September 5 departures, all travelers regardless of vaccination status can cruise on the following itineraries, as long as they meet any testing requirements to board.
- Cruises from Los Angeles, California.
- Cruises from Galveston, Texas.
- Cruises from New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Cruises from a European homeport.
Notice that Florida, a major port for the cruise line, is not currently on the list.
In the U.S. aside from Florida, any guest with a valid negative covid test within the last three days will be able to board. These guests will also not be required to take a second test at the boarding terminal. Fully vaccinated guests do not need to provide proof of a negative covid test for shorter cruises. See the cruise line website for all updated information as it is subject to change.
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Celebrity Cruises Will Allow Unvaccinated Too
Celebrity Cruises will also allow unvaccinated cruisers onboard.
Beginning September 5th, 2022, all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, can now cruise on the following Celebrity Cruises sailings as long as they meet any testing requirements to board:
- All sailings departing from the UK and Europe
- All sailings departing from Los Angeles to Mexican Riviera
All other sailings , the old restrictions still apply.
American Queen Steamboat Company
Who Needs to Be Vaccinated: All passengers, no exceptions, need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Are Any Unvaccinated Passengers Able to Sail? No.
Is A Pre-Arrival COVID-19 Test Required? All passengers will undergo a complimentary COVID-19 test during the pre-cruise hotel stay prior to embarkation.
Is A Pierside, Pre-Embarkation COVID-19 Test Required? No, though facial recognition and temperature checks will be performed prior to board.
Masks and Physical Distancing Requirements: Masks are not required.
Crew Vaccinated?: Yes — American Queen is even vaccinating its shoreside employees.
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Norwegian Cruise Line Vaccine Policy
Starting September 3, 2022, Norwegian Cruise Line no longer requires passengers to be vaccinated to sail.
After that date, all passengers under 12 years and younger will be free to sail without needing a vaccine or requiring a test before boarding. In other words, it will be just as it was before the pandemic for kids
Passengers over 12 years old will no longer require a Covid test to cruise if they are vaccinated. If unvaccinated, passengers are now able to still cruise but must have a negative test taking within 72 hours of embarkation.
Note that there are still vaccine/testing requirements from ports including Greece, Canada, and Bermuda.
You can view NCL’s latest policies here.
How Do I Prove That I’m Vaccinated If It’s Required
In many cases even though passengers can now sail without the shot, proof is still needed if you are vaccinated. That’s because passengers with the vaccine often don’t need to test before sailing, while those without it still need to test negative before sailing.
The easiest way to show you’ve been vaccinated is to hang on to the white CDC vaccination card you should have received when you got the shot. We suggest keeping the original in a safe place and also making a copy so that you can always have a version should something happen to the original.
Some cruise lines will accept a digital record of your dose or an image of your shot card. To be sure, however, all cruise lines will accept the paper card, making it the easiest way to prove you’ve had the vaccine.
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If Cruises Sail With Vaccinated & Unvaccinated Passengers Is Everything Back To Normal
Even before the dropping of vaccine requirements, the passenger experience on the ship was largely back to normal. Now that vaccine requirements are dropping for many lines, you can say that cruising is now like it was before the pandemic.
Want to have a drink at the bar and chat up your fellow passengers? You can do that. Enjoy dinner, shows, the casino, ports of call, and more. While much has changed behind the scenes, the experience on the ship is largely identical to what it was before.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line requires all guests 12 and older to be fully vaccinated and present proof of vaccination.
Cruisers ages 3 through 11 must provide negative Covid test results from a PCR test taken within 72 hours of sailing and take an antigen test at the cruise terminal on embarkation day at their family’s expense. The cost is $75 per person for this test at the terminal.
If guests are unable to provide a PCR test, one can be done at the port. The cost of this is $150 per person non-refundable and will be charged to their onboard account.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s original policy was that unvaccinated travelers should get tested at least three days before their trip, as well as after. The cruise line recommends all unvaccinated travelers self quarantine for a week after travel.
In addition, the Bahamas requires Cruise & Stay and one-way travelers to Freeport to present a Bahamas Health Travel Visa.
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Vaccine Requirement Dropped For Children And Teens
Changes made to Celebrity CruisesHealthy at Sea guidelines show that, as of June 8, 2022, only guests ages 18 and older must be vaccinated for European cruises.
This is sure to be a welcome change for families who may have been nervous about vaccinating younger travelers, or if teens and children are medically unable to be vaccinated.
This change applies to all current Celebrity Cruises European homeport departures: Southampton, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Ravenna, and Civitavecchia .
At the moment, cruises initially scheduled to depart from Venice are instead departing from Ravenna, 145 kilometers south this has no affect on the vaccination requirements.
Celebrity Cruises is operating vaccinated sailings with onboard vaccination rates close to 100% among passengers. Guests ages 18 and up must be fully vaccinated having completed an accepted primary vaccine series no less than 14 days prior to embarkation.
Booster shots are not required to sail with Celebrity Cruises, but are highly recommended.
All Celebrity Cruises crew members are fully vaccinated.
Guests booked on upcoming sailings should stay in close contact with Celebrity Cruises for updated information and changes. The cruise line will adapt its policies to coincide with the requirements of its homeports and destinations, which are always subject to change.
Disney Cruise Line Vaccine Policy
Disney is well-known as being a family-friendly cruise line, meaning lots of kids sail. You might think that would mean relaxed restrictions regarding vaccines for kids. Instead, it’s the opposite.
While most cruise lines are dropping vaccine requirements to sail, Disney — known for being a family focused line — is only loosening them for smaller kids. The cruise line did require kids aged 5 and older to be vaccinated in order to sail, but has moved to requiring vaccines for only 12 years and up:
“Beginning September 2, 2022, for sailings departing US and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line will require Guests ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the CDC. In consideration of CDC guidance, Disney Cruise Line highly recommends that Guests ages 11 and younger be fully vaccinated before sailing.”
There is no exemption policy mentioned for adults.
You can view Disney’s latest policies here.
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Will Cruise Lines Drop Their Vaccine Requirement
While most cruise lines require adults to be vaccinated right now, unvaccinated readers want to know when the vaccine mandate may go away.
There is no definitive answer as to when a vaccine requirement to go on a cruise ship may go away, but at the very least it stands to reason not until the public health emergency ends. As long as Covid-19 remains a pandemic, it seems unlikely cruise lines will change protocols.
As the threat of Covid-19 begins to diminish, there is a possibility cruise lines may relax health protocols, including allowing unvaccinated people to go on a cruise ship.
For now, none of the cruise lines that have a vaccine requirement have announced any plans to rescind that rule in the future.
These 3 Cruise Lines Are No Longer Requiring Covid Tests For Some Passengers
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped its voluntary COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, three cruise lines have also ended their pre-cruise requirements for COVID testing prior to boarding for some passengers.
On July 18, the CDC ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, which provided recommendations to the cruise industry, including vaccination and COVID testing requirements, saying at the time that cruise lines have the ability to manage their own COVID-19 mitigation programs.
The agency continued by saying that cruise travelers have access to recommendations that allow them to make informed decisions about cruise ship travel but maintained that cruising poses some risk of COVID-19 transmission.
On the heels of the announcement from the CDC, Virgin Voyages, Azamara, and Margaritaville at Sea eliminated the requirements for guests to provide negative COVID tests prior to boarding their cruise ships.
Virgin Voyages no longer requires any passenger boarding its ships to have a negative COVID test, implementing the change for its Valiant Lady ship on Sunday, and for its Scarlet Lady ship on Wednesday.
Virgin said on its website that it will still require 90% of passengers to be vaccinated but it is opening up its sailings for 10% of unvaccinated guests. Boosters are not required by the cruise line, which also said that its crew will still be fully vaccinated.
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Many Cruise Lines Have Rolled Back Testing Rules
Royal Caribbean Group, parent company of Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity, also rolled back its testing requirements this month, following the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. The company requires vaccinated passengers to take a test only on sailings six nights or longer, but testing is still required for unvaccinated passengers on all sailings.
Many other cruise line operators and brands made similar protocol changes, including Carnival Cruise Line and MSC Cruises.
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How Do Vaccines Work
This article is part of a series of explainers on vaccine development and distribution. Learn more about vaccines from how they work and how theyre made to ensuring safety and equitable access in WHOs Vaccines Explained series.
Germs are all around us, both in our environment and in our bodies. When a person is susceptible and they encounter a harmful organism, it can lead to disease and death.
The body has many ways of defending itself against pathogens . Skin, mucus, and cilia all work as physical barriers to prevent pathogensfrom entering the body in the first place.
When a pathogen does infect the body, our bodys defences, called the immune system, are triggered and the pathogen is attacked and destroyed or overcome.
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