What Other Cruise Lines Have Recently Dropped Vaccine Requirements
Costa Cruises will also allow unvaccinated travelers to board sailings 14 nights or shorter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean beginning Oct. 8. Those passengers or those who are partially vaccinated will need to provide results of a negative antigen or molecular PCR test taken within 48 hours of embarkation, according to a news release.
Fully vaccinated passengers do not have to test prior to sailing. The changes are also subject to local requirements, and full vaccination requirements apply to passengers 12 and up while testing rules apply to those 5 and older.
How Cruise Lines Covid Vaccination And Testing Rules Have Changed
When cruise lines restarted operations in summer 2021, after being banned by the CDC from operating for 15 months due to COVID-19-related safety concerns, it was with strict CDC-imposed regulations. They included vaccination requirements for anyone age 12 and up , precruise testing requirements, mandatory masking in public areas, social distancing, and other measures the CDC said would help contain the spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships.
After two years of first banning and then advising against cruising due to pandemic-related health and safety risks, in late March 2022, the CDC dropped its warning to travelers about the health risks of cruising during the COVID pandemic.
In May, the CDC scaled back slightly on its tough restrictions for cruise lines by allowing ships to declare themselves as highly vaccinated if 90 percent of passengers and at least 95 percent of crew were vaccinated. Previously, the number was 95 percent for passengers. The change allowed more unvaccinated children who didnt yet qualify for a vaccine or had not obtained a vaccine to come onboard during the summer.
The agency provided the cruise lines with greater leeway to set and monitor their own policies. Consequently, most cruise lines opted to make masks optional. But the CDC still maintained a close watch, publishing a color-coded chart of ship outbreaks that it updated regularly.
Major Cruise Line Drops Vaccine Requirement From Us Ports
- Publish date: Jul 22, 2022 5:26 PM EDT
As the cruise industry has made its way back from its covid-related March 2020 through July 2021 closure, a lot of people have put off cruising until it returned to “normal.” That’s a relative word, however, as your normal and my normal may not be the same.
Some people waited to cruise until masks were no longer required while others won’t step onboard until every covid-related protocol goes away. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control stopped tracking the presence of covid on ships and issued a new set of guidelines for the cruise industry. These included recommendations that ships continue to require pre-cruise testing and for passengers to be vaccinated.
Here’s what the CDC currently recommends when it comes to vaccines.
“CDC recommends all eligible travelers be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines. In addition to the protection COVID-19 vaccines provide to individual travelers in preventing severe illness or death from COVID-19, having a high proportion of travelers on board who are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines reduces the likelihood that cruise ships medical centers are overwhelmed by cases of COVID-19.”
The guidance also makes it clear that 90% is what a “high proportion” of travelers means. That number has come down from 95% and it was generally believed to be a number to account for kids too young to get vaccinated to be onboard.
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The Current Rules On The Major Ocean Cruise Lines
Note that in some cases, the restrictions may depend on your departure point and the ships home port so always check before sailing. Vaccines are also required to be administered at least 14 days prior to travel.
Azamara*Passengers no longer need to take pre-travel Covid tests except where required by local restrictions. All passengers over the age of 12 must be fully vaccinated. Booster jabs are required where eligible and are considered effective immediately. However, from December 1, 2022, Azamara will no longer require proof of vaccination for sailings starting and ending in the US or sailings starting and ending in Europe. All other sailings require proof of vaccination and booster until further notice.
Carnival Cruise LineFrom September 6 only passengers on sailings to Canada, Bermuda, Greece and Australia, plus cruises of 16 nights or more, need to be fully vaccinated. Vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers can go on all other cruises, with unvaccinated guests showing proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within three days of embarkation. Pre-boarding tests are not required for vaccinated guests.
From September 5, passengers sailing from the UK, Europe and the US will no longer need to be vaccinated. However, a pre-travel Covid test is required for those who are unvaccinated. A pre-travel Covid test is still required for all sailings longer than six nights.
Dropping Cdc Programs Means An Easing Of Vaccine Rules
Up until July 2022, cruise lines followed the CDCs voluntary program for Covid protocols on cruise ships. However, the health agency ended that program, giving cruise lines more leeway on how to implement their own rules around things like testing and vaccines.
As the world has learned to live alongside the virus, restrictions have eased around the world and on cruise ships. This includes dropping testing requirements for vaccinated passengers and allowing unvaccinated passengers to sail again in many cases .
Even so, some cruise lines still have vaccine requirements for some cruises. Since cruise lines sail to multiple countries, they have to adhere to the rules set out by those places. So a line may let unvaccinated sail on some cruises, but not others. That makes it easier to simply have the vaccine and be allowed to sail no matter where the ship goes.
As well, you should know that if there are vaccine requirements, they are usually relaxed for children under 12 years old. Its common across cruise lines to allow passengers under 12 to sail freely without needing the shot. So if you are sailing with a smaller child that you dont want to be vaccinated, then thats normally not an issue.
Still, each cruise line has made their own policies, which can make it more difficult for passengers to understand whats required. To help you out, weve highlighted all the latest announced policies from major cruise lines below.
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How Much Have Cruise Bookings Gone Up
Some major cruise lines have seen spikes in booking activity after announcing the rule changes. Carnival, for instance, said last week that those numbers on Aug. 15 were almost double the equivalent day in 2019, days after the line announced changes to its protocols.
Starting Sept. 6, the line will no longer require unvaccinated travelers to obtain an exemption for sailings less than 16 nights and vaccinated passengers will not have to take a coronavirus test before those trips, with some exceptions.
We have previously disclosed strong occupancy projections for the summer, and our bookings through the end of 2022 have also been very solid, Christine Duffy, the lines president, said in a news release. With the further alignment of protocols to other vacation choices, our guests are booking the remaining 2022 inventory, and getting a head start planning for 2023. Mid-August is typically not a busy month for cruise bookings, but its clear that pent-up demand for Carnival has not been satisfied and guests are responding very favorably to our updated protocols.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend travelers be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines before traveling, and that they get tested before and after their cruise.
Story continues below.
Carnival Corporation & Plc
Carnival Corporations cruise lines have amended their own vaccine and testing requirements.
Carnival Cruise Line amended its requirements for a second time on August 24, going into effect for sailings beginning on September 6. Fully vaccinated guests on cruises 16 nights or less no longer need to test, while unvaccinated guests over the age of five can cruise as long as they provide a recent negative COVID-19 test result. Self-tests without medical supervision are now welcome on most cruises, except those in destinations that require other requirements, like in Fiji or Bermuda.
There may be restrictions or exceptions to both rules depending on specific destinations.
Princess Cruises will make it easier for travelers to meet its testing and vaccination requirements beginning September 6. Like Carnival, guests taking a Princess Cruise sailing under 16 nights long will only need to provide proof of full vaccination, while unvaccinated guests are required to test and upload proof of their result prior to embarkation.
As always, there are countries where all guests will be required to be vaccinated and even provide COVID-19 tests before entering, like Canada, Greece and Australia. Guests booking these cruises will be notified of the requirements.
Children aged four and under do not need to adhere to any of the above rules.
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Do I Need A Vaccine To Cruise Policies For Major Cruise Lines
Do I need a vaccine to cruise? Thats been one of the biggest questions in a return to sailing.
And the good news for many people? The restrictions requiring vaccines are dropping quickly.
As the United States has opened up again following the worst of the pandemic, many people have returned to a normal way of life. That includes things like visiting restaurants or movie theaters, going to a sporting event, and of course, travel.
The good news is that given the vaccines, a milder variant, and prior cases, the amount of serious illness seems lower. As a result, people are able to get back to the things they love and cruises have had a successful restart with millions heading back to sea.
In fact, apart from vaccines and testing, the onboard experience has returned to exactly what it was before the pandemic. Now, a recent shift has led to cruise lines removing those hurdles as well.
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Cruise Lines Start Dropping Covid
Cruise lines have announced plans to stop requiring passengers to show proof of being vaccinated before boarding ships in parts of the U.S. and Europe.
Canada, however, has so far not shown any indication that it will follow those countries by changing regulations to make it easier to board ships and industry insiders told BIV that they are unaware of any lobbying efforts to nudge Ottawa to do that.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. , Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. said this week that they are dropping vaccination requirements for some sailings next month.
Norwegian was first out of the gate earlier this week when it posted a notice on its website saying that starting Sept. 3, it would not require passengers show proof of vaccination unless local laws required it.
Royal Caribbean then said that starting in September it will no longer require proof of vaccination on ships that depart ports in California, Louisiana, Texas, and any country in Europe.
Carnival-owned Princess Cruises said in a news release today that it will also remove vaccination requirements on “most voyages of less than 16 days” starting Sept. 6.
Princess Cruises said its rationale to end the vaccine requirements were to ensure that “anyone can cruise.” It remains to be seen whether having fewer COVID-19 restrictions will attract more passengers than it repels.
“I suspect that it cuts both ways,” said Cruise Lines International Association – North West & Canada spokesman Barry Penner.
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Health And Safety Faqs For All Guests
What kind of pre-cruise COVID-19 tests are acceptable?
- In addition to lab administered tests, self-testing is accepted for unvaccinated guests on cruises 15 nights and shorter.
- Bermuda does not accept unsupervised pre-cruise tests. Self-testing must be supervised by a medical professional.Guests must be tested with a COVID-19 viral test that is either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test
- Regardless of the type of test taken, unvaccinated you will be required to present their negative test results via VeriFLY, or as part of the embarkation process.
- If the test taken is supervised by a medical professional, you can show the negative result in the form of a printout, an email, or an app screen from the test provider.
- On voyages where destinations accept self-testing, you can provide a picture of their negative home test or present the actual negative test itself at embarkation.
Does Carnival accept a Documentation of Recovery?
Guests who have recovered from COVID-19 within 3 months of their sailing date do not need the required pre-cruise test if they are at least 10 days past their positive test result date, have no symptoms and produce document of recovery from COVID-19. A Document of Recovery is accepted from both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated guests and consists of a paper or electronic copy of the positive viral test result from a certified laboratory .
Which COVID-19 vaccines will be accepted?
Can I have mixed vaccines?
Are masks required onboard?
Vaccines Masks And Testing: What Cruise Lines Require Now
Cruise lines have begun modifying their vaccination and testing policies surrounding COVID-19, with numerous cruise lines once again allowing unvaccinated passengers to set sail as of September 2022, provided they test negative for COVID-19 first.
Also, fully vaccinated passengers now no longer need to provide a negative COVID-19 test prior to setting sail on many voyages.
Keep in mind, however, that policies on testing and vaccination requirements vary from cruise line to cruise line, and that sailings to, from, or calling on ports in Canada, Bermuda, Greece, Australia and New Zealand will still require most passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
As protocols change rapidly, here is our rundown of current cruise line COVID-19 practices and policies:
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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 NCLs latest policies here.
How Do I Prove That Im Vaccinated If Its Required
In many cases even though passengers can now sail without the shot, proof is still needed if you are vaccinated. Thats because passengers with the vaccine often dont need to test before sailing, while those without it still need to test negative before sailing.
The easiest way to show youve 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 youve had the vaccine.
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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.
When Will Royal Caribbean Carnival Norwegian End Vaccine Mandate
- Publish date: Apr 12, 2022 10:20 AM EDT
Vacation cruising has nearly returned to normal. Passengers no longer have to wear masks onboard while they are indoors, and while capacities have not returned to 100%, they’re approaching that number on some cruises.
In addition, traditional and popular amenities have returned, including the self-serve buffet — something that many thought might never come back.
Once you step on a Royal Caribbean , Carnival Cruise Lines , or Norwegian Cruise Line ship, you feel as if you’re cruising as you did before the pandemic.
Yes, crew members generally still have masks on — outside rules vary by the cruise line — and some passengers still wear them by choice. But the overall crowd and vibe feel like cruising prepandemic.
Before you set foot on a cruise, however, the pandemic still plays a role.
All passengers older than five must prove vaccination and provide a covid test taken no more than two calendar days before the day their cruises leave. Those aren’t onerous requirements for many passengers, but for people who can’t be vaccinated or have chosen not to get vaccinated, cruising has been off-limits.
That’s likely to change — but not soon, according to former Food and Drug Administration chief Scott Gottlieb, a physician who serves as chairman of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings SailSafe Council.
Carnival
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What If I Have A Certificate Of Recovery
Some countries issue certificates of recovery if someone has been infected with COVID-19 and recovered, issuing a certificate that proves a positive COVID-19 test and recovery, instead of vaccination as someones proof of immunity. The European Unions Digital COVID Certificate, for example, includes certification of recovery from COVID-19.
For guests departing outside of the US who are cruising with Royal Caribbean, they may present a certificate of recovery. If youre not in the US and have a certificate of recovery, contact your desired cruise line before purchasing the cruise.
The US doesnt issue certificates of recovery at this time, so telling the cruise line you already had COVID-19 wont get you a vaccine exemption.
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