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. 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. Starting Sept. 6, vaccinated guests sailing on voyages of less than 16 days will no longer have to test . Mask Policy Masks on board are recommended but not required indoors or outdoors. Vacationers can finally plan to take their precious time off this summer and truly get away after what has been a challenging time for everyone.. Delivered on weekdays. cruise lines have started setting sail again, "mix and match" approach to COVID-19 vaccines, written confirmation from their medical provider, over 10 times more likely to die from the disease, doesn't allow children under the age of 5 to cruise, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This includes vaccines. They are dependent, however, on the requirements of the places they are stopping at., This means that two different itineraries on the same cruise line may not have the same rulesso its more essential than ever to check testing, vaccination, and booster requirements specifically for each departure. Before you book -- and especially if you're looking at cruises months ahead -- it's important to consider the spread of COVID-19 in countries or ports where your ship will stop, and that's regardless of your vaccination status. Before boarding, you may need to present a vaccine waiver, wear a mask, or provide a negative test. Celestyal also recommends all passengers over 60and guests of any age with an underlying conditionto check with their doctors first to ensure theyre fit to travel. Travel tips you can trust. One Cruise Planners franchise owner in San Diego, Calif. has yet to record an immediate boost in bookings. The reality is even if you booked a cruise with the assumption you were going to be on a ship where everyone is vaccinated and tested, that may no longer be the case. Completed health questionnaire (prior to embarkation); Standard travel documents, including passport or any visas as required. If you are allowed onboard, you will need to be tested precruise, which is required for unvaccinated children as well. The slow return was impacted by low consumer confidence, continued health and safety concerns, and issues with air travel to and from ports., After all, the entire industry was paused in the early days of the pandemic. The Crystal Symphony. Youll find expert advice for experienced and first-time cruisers, as well as port and destination guides. This includes vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Sinovac. Booked guests will be provided full details specific to their port of departure before sailing, Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Lyan Sierra-Caro said in an email. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Yes, we welcome all guests to sail with us, regardless of vaccination status and age, and with no testing or masking requirements. CDC also continues to recommend mask wearing in indoor travel settings.. Since 2009, Cruise Radio has provided the latest cruise news and industry analysis through informative articles, videos, and weekly podcasts. Medical news, pregnancy topics and health hacks that don't cost money. The first is scheduled to depart Miami on July 2, with more joining the fleet through Aug. 23. (The only"mix and match" approach to COVID-19 vaccinesin the US applies to boosters.). Guests can expect to provide the following: We are closely monitoring the evolving global public health environment and to the extent any itineraries are affected, we will notify impacted guests in a timely fashion and update our booking requirements. Vaccines must be approved for use by the country they are sailing from. Norwegian Cruise Line, which has not been approved to restart, has said it will initially require everyone on board to be vaccinated. And other cruise brands, such as Carnival Cruise Line, currently make way for select exemptions, but they have yet to permit them across the board. Travel news, guides and tips for anyone looking to get away. Last week, Disney Cruise Line became the first cruise line to require passengers as young as 5 to be vaccinated for sailings starting Jan. 13. Sarah has been writing about the cruise industry since 2015. Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail on all voyages, except for those to or from Australia and on transatlantic and transpacific cruises. Carnival Cruise Line Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail on all voyages except. Its hard to say how this will affect me, advisor Adam Martindale said. Here's what you need to know about going on a cruise if you're notvaccinatedfor COVID-19. It can be confusing to keep track of which lines require what, and in which regions unvaccinated guests can sail if there are still destination limitations. The US doesn't issue certificates of recovery at this time, so telling the cruise line you already had COVID-19 won't get you a vaccine exemption. And if you're not vaccinated, it's important to check the guidelines for your cruise line. Local regulations may have booster requirements to enter certain countries make sure to check Travel Requirements by Country to understand country specific requirements. Added coconut oil to cheap coffee before keto made it cool. (Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.) Windstar will also administer for each passenger a complimentary COVID-19 test prior to sailing. Midway COVID tests and daily temperature checks have also been eliminatedhowever, there are exceptions for itineraries that include Spain, Barbados, St. Maarten, St. Vincent, and Morocco. Even if your particular cruise line does not have a pre-travel testing requirement, test one to three days before your trip anyway to minimize the risk to others. Before Norwegians announcement, both Princess Cruises and Virgin Voyages indicated that they would accept unvaccinated passengers, but limited that population to up to 10% of their guest capacity. COVID-19 shots are compulsory for all passengers cruising with Atlas, with proof of inoculation required before embarkation. Starting September 2, 2022, for voyages from United States and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line requires that all vaccine-eligible guests (ages 12 and older) be fully vaccinated in order to cruise, including children. Do You Need To Be Vaccinated To Go on a Cruise? Yes, we offer guests the option to purchase travel protection plans. To make sure the experience remains safe only vaccinated adults will. Destination specific requirements will still need to be met. Medical centers will be equipped to test for COVID-19 onboard and if a positive case is identified, contact tracing for that individual will begin immediately and occur at the same time as treatment. Requirements may differ for guests traveling on voyages departing from or visiting destinations with specific local regulations, such as Canada, Greece, and Bermuda. When people are in a small space, keeping distance from one another is more difficult. All rights reserved. For full Panama Canal transits, trans-ocean, and select remote voyages, testing and vaccines are still required. Effective for sailings 10/4/22 and beyond, all guests regardless of vaccination status are able to sail and with no testing requirements. RELATED: NCLH Drops COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements, Welcomes Everyone to Sail. In many cases, yes. Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols, which will be announced at a later date.. Additional terms and conditions may apply, see our COVID- 19 Policies and Procedures and your Cruise Ticket Contract for details. Get your annual flu shot and get up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines. Lindblad Expeditions is among the shrinking number of cruise lines that continue to require vaccination and testing. It turns out that you can usually board a cruise ship without being vaccinated for COVID-19. Read our. To board Carnival ships, unvaccinated guests need to show a negative PCR or an antigen test within three days of boarding (self-tests are now accepted by Carnival for boarding purposes). First Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and MSC Cruises all announced they would eliminate precruise testing requirements for vaccinated guests on cruises of six nights or less, while hinting that there would be additional loosening of requirements once they got the necessary approvals from the governments of countries the ships visit. All guests are advised to monitor and comply with applicable travel restrictions. Our ships have been sailing very full all summer, but there is still room for more of our loyal guests and these guidelines will make it a simpler process and make cruising accessible to those who were not able to meet the protocols we were required to follow for much of the past 14 months, said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival. Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail on all voyages except for those in Australia or some that are 16 nights or longer. Our long-awaited revisions to our testing and vaccination requirements bring us closer in line with the rest of society, which has learned to adapt and live with COVID-19, and makes it simpler and easier for our loyal guests to cruise on our three best-in-class brands, said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of NCLH. Will I be required to take a COVID test to disembark the vessel? Starting with departures from October 8, 2022, guests who are vaccinated will no longer have to take a pre-boarding antigen test 48 hours before departure, if the itinerary starts in South America, the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates, and the Mediterranean (with the exception of Greece). What testing and treatment capabilities are there onboard? Are children allowed to sail on your ships if they are not vaccinated? We encourage all guests to file a claim with their travel insurance carrier for reimbursement inquiries. All vessels will have COVID-19 testing capabilities on board and results onsite. Check your airline's protocols around testing, mask-wearing, vaccination, or quarantining if you're flying before or after the cruise. Trips that are 16 days or longer will still require a medically supervised COVID test with written results within three days of travel.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, the companys president Gus Antorcha said in a statement last month. In order to keep our guests as safe as possible, we highly recommend taking our company organized shore excursions as a more controlled environment for you to enjoy your time in each of the destinations. Check with Seabourn for protocols on your specific sailing. Viking Cruises has decided to eliminate pre-voyage testing. This website uses cookies. How Long Does It Take for the COVID-19 Booster To Be Effective? By continuing to browse the site you agree to our use of cookies. This doesnt apply to select destinations where local regulations vary, including Australia. Hubs, The Best Time to View D.C.s Cherry Blossoms This Year Is Sooner Than You Might Think, Low-Cost Carrier Norse Atlantic Adds London Routes From 4 U.S. Cities, Damon Dominique Believes Youre Already a Global Citizen, Stay Here Next: The Muir Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Stay Here Next: The Alpina Gstaad in Switzerland. If you're an adult in the US, the answer is probably not, unless you're one of the few people with a medical or religious exemption (and whether you'll be offered an exemption depends on the cruise line). However, we encourage all guests to follow the vaccination and testing guidance outlined above. And the rules are constantly changing. These regulations are continuously evolving and if an additional test is required at a port of call we will provide advanced notice to all guests. If you're not in the US and have a certificate of recovery, contact your desired cruise line before purchasing the cruise. Norwegian Cruise Lines Also enacted earlier this month on September 3, the Miami-based company will now allow guests over the age of 12 who are not vaccinated to board if they have a negative. Boosters are required for those age 18 and up who completed tests more than nine months prior to the cruise. For departures through 2022, proof of vaccination or certificate of recent recovery is no longer required, though testing protocols will still be in place. Celebritys Healthy at Sea page makes it easy to track the specific requirements based on your cruises itinerary. A cruise can be a fun way to visit certain areas of the world at a slower pace. The Miami-based operator will not require passengers to be vaccinated. Every ship has a team of experienced doctors and nurses trained to manage a broad range of medical conditions, including COVID-19. Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Additionally, some cruise lines require unvaccinated people to present a negative test taken within a few days of boarding. All rights reserved. All passengers must also present a negative PCR test result at the pier. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) is officially the first company to welcome unvaccinated travelers onboard its cruise brands Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises without any capacity limits, and the industry response is one largely of praise. Dont Delay, Wait Times Have Climbed, American Is Cutting 50,000 Summer Flights From These U.S. Apparently, Dolven is referring to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signing into law a ban on Covid-19 "vaccine passports." That means, as of July 1, the Florida state government could. For additional information, please visit Cruise Travel Requirements by Country. Royal CaribbeanAll passengers are welcome regardless of vaccine status as of September 5, on select routes such as cruises from Los Angeles, Galveston (though those age 12 and up need to be vaccinated to go ashore in Grand Cayman), and New Orleans (same rule with Grand Cayman), and in most destinations in Europe. What if I test positive for COVID-19 before my cruise? *Terms & Conditions Package not available on sailings less than 5 days or charter sailings. Heres a rundown of the basic rules for some leading cruise lines. In addition to a broad set of coverage benefits, our plans cover medical expenses for illnesses, including COVID-19. International travel requirements and restrictions continue to evolve. Most cruise lines kept requirements for vaccinations and precruise testing in place, but that changed in late July, after the CDC backed off even further from its monitoring of the cruise industry. It's also important to consider who's coming with you. Ron DeSantis whose staff has said cruise lines could be fined $5,000 per violation for requiring proof of vaccination for their support and for helping crew get vaccinated. Kashif J. Piracha, MD, FACP, FASN, FNKF, is a practicing physician at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. Viking CruisesAll passengers and crew are required to be vaccinated on Vikings river and ocean shipswithout exception. So, if you're planning your next vacation to include traveling by cruise ship, consider staying up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines. As delivering the best experience for our guests is always a top priority, after working closely with our destination partners, we anticipate that guests will be free to explore certain ports of call on their own. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Check out our variety of itineraries. SeabournAs of September 6, fully vaccinated passengers will no longer be required to submit a precruise COVID-19 test. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine before your cruise is not only cost effective, but it could save your life. Carnival Cruise Line: For cruises that are 15 days or less, the cruise line does not require vaccination and pre-board testing.Still, the cruise line encourages guests 5 and up to do both. In addition to requiring our crew to be up-to-date with all their vaccinations, we will continue to evolve our already robust science-backed program to broaden our cleaning, sanitation and air filtration technologies across our fleet. On ocean, lakes, and expedition ships that visit Canada, there is a free COVID-19 test (antigen) at the precruise hotel check-in on the day prior to embarkation until further notice.