Will I Need A Covid
Editors note: This post has been updated with new information.
When the first cruises allowing Americans restarted in spring 2021, all major lines were sailing with at least 90% of passengers vaccinated against COVID-19. That meant they required just about everyone on board to have their shots, with few exceptions allowed for young children and people who cant be vaccinated due to medical conditions or religious beliefs.
But now, little more than a year later, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has withdrawn its opt-in guidance for cruise lines, and many are now allowing more unvaccinated passengers to sail.
So, will you need a vaccine to cruise? Click on your favorite cruise line below to find out.
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Note: In order to be considered “fully vaccinated,” passengers must have received their final shot at least 15 days prior to embarkation. Most lines only accept vaccines recognized and approved by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Generally, proof of inoculation must include your name, the type of vaccine you received and the dates on which you received all required doses.
Check out our recap of youth immunization policies for details on cruise vaccination requirements for kids. For general information on testing, please refer to our article on cruise testing requirements.
How The Emergency Order Will Work In The Bahamas
In order to dock, a cruise ships captain is required to transmit a crew and passenger manifest disclosing every persons vaccination status to the Port Medical Officer before arrival.
All passengers age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated at embarkation. Additionally, health protocol previously approved by the Competent Authority must be satisfied on board.
Virgin Voyages Vaccine Policy
Until recently, Virgin Voyages had a simple policy. As an adults-only cruise line, Virgin required everyone on the ship to be vaccinated. Now that policy has changed to 90% of passengers, allowing 10% of those onboard to sail unvaccinated with an exemption.
Passengers can call the cruise line at 954-488-2955 to ask about sailing without having the shot. There is no mention of needing a reason to be eligible for an exemption. Unvaccinated passengers will need to test before boarding.
You can view Virgin Voyages’ latest policies here.
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Health And Safety Measures
MSC ships will sail from the U.S. with different rules for fully vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers similar to measures the line introduced in the Mediterranean.
Officials said that MSC Cruises health and safety plan is designed to prevent and mitigate risk of transmission and also “adapt to a changing environment and immediately respond in the event of any suspect cases to prevent spread.”
MSC has boosted its cleaning and hygiene measures to include deep clearing using hospital-grade disinfectant products. Guests will be encouraged to wash their hands frequently through their cruise.
Medical facility enhancements include testing facilities and dedicated isolation staterooms for any suspected cases and their close contacts. If there is an identified case of COVID-19, the person and their close contacts may be disembarked, the line said.
All crew members will be tested for COVID-19 up to three times prior to embarkation, prior to disembarkation and weekly during their contract, the line said.
Grand Circle Cruise Line
Where they sail: Grand Circle Cruise Line sails small ships and river cruises all over the world, including an extensive list of European itineraries. The company plans to start sailing again in August, including to Greece, Turkey, and Italy.
Who needs the vaccine: All guests and crew are required to be fully vaccinated with the booster shot.
What other safety measures are in place: All ships have been equipped with High Efficiency Particular Air filters and buffets have been eliminated. The cruise line states some itineraries will require proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to travel, and that instructors will be sent out 30 days prior to travel.
Find out more: Grand Circle Cruise Line
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Royal Caribbean Clarifies Vaccine Policy Including Florida Cruises
Royal Caribbean clarifies its vaccine policy, especially for sailings that will depart out of Florida this summer.
As Royal Caribbean works on resuming operations from the U.S. and with plenty of questions about the vaccine policy from guests, the cruise line clarifies its plan and the different vaccine requirements depending on where ships are sailing from.
Msc Cruises Vaccine Policy
MSC is a popular choice for passengers looking for relatively affordable fares. The cruise line has a limited — but growing — presence in the U.S., with cruises from Florida and New York.
MSC’s policy toward vaccination for sailing from the United States is that while kids under 12 years old are allowed to sail unvaccinated, those older than that must have the shot.
However, the cruise line did recently relax testing requirements for vaccinated passengers, with a reference that vaccine rules could also drop sometime in the future:
“MSC Cruises will continue to monitor pandemic conditions and port requirements outside of the U.S., with a goal to relax testing and vaccination protocols to open cruising to all guests, while prioritizing the health and safety of its guests, crew and destinations.”
You can view MSC’s latest policies here.
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Covid Rules For Embarking Celebrity Cruises
From February 1st, Celebrity Cruises will introduce additional security measures, even more stringent than MSC. In fact, the company will require coverage with a complete vaccination cycle even for children aged 5 and over to board their ships. For children under the age of 2 to 4 years, a negative response from the Covid-19 test performed before boarding will be required.
Celebrity Cruises is the second company, in chronological order, to adopt such a stringent protocol, after Disney Cruise Line, which established the vaccination requirement for children aged 5 and over for cruises from January 13, 2022 onwards. A choice made after the approval on November 2, 2021, by the CDC, of the use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children aged 5 to 11.
To Enter Spain From A Eu Or A Schengen Country: You Do Not Need To Present Any Covid Certificate Or To Fill Out A Health Control Form
EU countries include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Schengen countries also include: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.
Since 18 June 2022, if you´re arriving to Spain from a EU country or a Schengen country, there are no more COVID related entry restrictions to Spain.
You no longer need to present a COVID certificate. Eg. you no longer need to present a negative COVID test certificate or vaccination certificate or a COVID certificate of recovery. Filling out a Health control form is no longer necessary either.
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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.
Testing Requirements Stays In Place
For the first time since August, the company now requires vaccinations onboard all of its ships. Guests are fully vaccinated if they receive their final shot of a WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine 14 days before sailing. Besides being fully vaccinated, guests must also still take a PCR-RT or Antigen test between 48 and 72 hours before sailing, depending on the departure port and country.
The new rules will be in place for all voyages departing from December 4. If guests have not been vaccinated yet, they do have the opportunity to either postpone or cancel their voyage and request a refund.
For all bookings for MSC cruises in the Mediterranean, guests must also purchase a Travel Protection Plan with coverage for COVID-19 through their country of residence. Guests can opt to buy this from MSC.
If guests fail to provide proof of any of the three measures in place, such as the vaccine mandate, the testing requirement, and the mandatory travel protection, they will be denied boarding at the terminal.
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The requirements for cruises in the United States onboard the cruise lines flagship MSC Seashore, and MSC Meraviglia and MSC Divina, all sailing from Florida, remain unchanged. Here, guests must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken at least 48 hours before sailing.
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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Inc
The three cruise lines under NCLH have also made amendments to their testing and vaccination policies.
Norwegian Cruise Line announced a large easing of vaccination requirements, effective August 11: all guests 12 and up will be required to either provide proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test result.
There will be, of course, some itineraries with different rules, due to specific destinations requirements, like Greece, Canada and Bermuda, which continue to require fully vaccinated guests.
Beginning September 3, Oceania Cruises will no longer require vaccinated travelers to test prior to embarkation. Unvaccinated travelers will be able to sail with a recently administered negative COVID-19 test result, with some exclusions.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises will also amend its testing and vaccination requirements beginning September 3. Fully vaccinated guests will no longer need to provide negative COVID-19 tests, while unvaccinated guests will be allowed onboard provided they test negative ahead of embarkation .
Travelers will also undergo a pre-embarkation health screening.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
On April 1, we reported that a letter had been sent to all crew members and officers of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas. The crew will have to get one of the approved vaccines in their home country before even leaving for their ship.
- Guest Vaccine Requirement: No
- Crew Vaccine Requirement: Yes
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Getting Ready To Cruise From Us Homeports Including Puerto Rico
WITH NO STOPS IN BERMUDA
Here are the latest protocols for our guests sailing from U.S. home ports. Protocols are subject to change and we are committed to keeping you informed if they do. Whenever possible we will provide prior notice for any changes. Just the same, well let you know if any requirements are reduced or eliminated.
Guests traveling into the U.S. from another country should be sure to look into any requirements your own home country may have for exiting or re-entering its borders.
Note: U.S. Cruises that visit Bermuda If your sailing visits Bermuda, see your protocols here.
Vaccination Guidance
It is recommended that guests are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, if they are eligible. While vaccination documents will not be required to board, we will ask that you disclose your vaccination status to us prior to boarding . We recommend that you bring your vaccination documents with you, as local authorities or businesses in some destinations require it for entrance.
Testing Requirements
Guests of 5 and up who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless the duration of their cruise.
On sailings of 10 night or longer, fully vaccinated guests aged 5 and up must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day. Testing is not required for fully vaccinated guests on itineraries of 9 nights or fewer.
Royal Caribbean Vaccine Requirement Update
The cruise line has announced a further easing of its protocols by dropping the vaccine requirements on select sailings from September 5, 2022. This easing applies to certain departures out of Los Angeles in California, Galveston in Texas, New Orleans in Louisiana, and cruises in Europe.
Royal Caribbean said in a letter to travel agents, Here at Royal Caribbean, you can trust we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit. We continue to work with our destination partners to evolve our protocols and align with the broader travel industry, as we transition to the point that everyone can vacation with us.
This now means that regardless of vaccination status, guests can cruise on the select sailings, as long as they meet any testing requirements.
For cruises out of Galveston and New Orleans that visit Grand Cayman, only passengers that show a valid vaccination record can go ashore. When it comes to the select European cruises, unvaccinated guests will have to take a test onboard to be allowed ashore in Greece or Spain.
Guests will still need to follow the pre-cruise testing requirements. For departures five nights or less out of Los Angeles and Galveston, unvaccinated guests aged 2 and over must show a negative test result to sail. Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for the shorter sailings.
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Royal Caribbean Vaccine Policy
As of September 5, 2022, Royal Caribbean will no longer require passengers to be vaccinated to sail if departing from ports in California, Louisiana, and Texas. As well, no vaccine will be required if sailing from Europe. No special request or exemption is need to sail unvaccinated.
Cruises from Florida and other ports of departure will still require the shot for those 12 and older in order to sail for the time being. According to Royal Caribbean’s website, the cruise line is “working with local governments in the Eastern Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for more itineraries.”
As well, even if not required, Royal Caribbean asks that you still bring proof of vaccination to your cruise.
American Queen Steamboat Company
The River cruise line now requires all guests and crew to be fully vaccinated with two doses before cruising. The cruise line doesnt just want to ensure everyone on board is protected but also the communities the ships sail to.
The mandate begins on sailings starting July 1, and proof of vaccination will need to be provided before embarkation. AQSC has rebooking options for those who are unable to meet the requirement.
- Guest Vaccine Requirement: Yes
- Official Advisory
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Exceptions To The New Regulation
The rule does not apply to crew, contractors and any non-revenue passenger under the protocol previously agreed upon between the government and cruise lines. The rule is also moot when a cruise ship is attempting to enter port in an emergency and when a passenger has a medical reason for why they are unvaccinated.
Passengers entering the Bahamas on a cruise ship are also subject to testing requirements mandated by the cruise line and given approval by the Competent Authority.
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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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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.
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 Preventions 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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