2. First and foremost, unvaccinated passengers of any age are allowed to sail the cruise line without having to first apply for an exemption as was previously required. As long as Covid-19 remains a pandemic, it seems unlikely cruise lines will change protocols. Major cruise lines that continue to have a masking policy in place for indoor public areas of their ships include Azamara, Cunard, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Viking. No. Unvaccinated guests are required to be tested. Amateur zombie evangelist. Most major cruise lines require proof of vaccination for all passengers age 12 and up, and some require them for kids as young as 5 years old . Pushaw said the governors executive order is not likely to scare away seagoing travelers. Read Also: Cruises In April 2022 From Florida. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. For passengers who are 5 and older and fully vaccinated, a COVID test is not required, but proof of vaccination is needed. These links are signposted with an asterisk. Youll find expert advice for experienced and first-time cruisers, as well as port and destination guides. All guests, regardless of vaccination status, should expect to be tested for COVID-19 prior to boarding a cruise ship. Vaccinated passengers dont need to test unless visiting Canada, Bermuda, Greece or Australia and on trips of 16 nights or longer. For Royal Caribbean, the changes include sailings from Los Angeles, New Orleans, Galveston and Europe. Carnival Cruise Line and local health authorities will continue to monitor local COVID-19 case levels and will make appropriate adjustments to the policy, as well as to other onboard protocols, to safeguard cruise guests, crew members, and port communities. This includes vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Sinovac. As of December 2022, if it has been at least 2 months since their last dose, children as young as 6 months who completed the Moderna primary series can receive one updated bivalent booster dose. Monitor yourself for symptoms after the trip, and isolate yourself if you have a positive test or develop symptoms. If you have received one of these shots, then you should be good to go. Some cruise lines encourage vaccination even though they dont require it. Some may also require pre-board testing for unvaccinated people. Otherwise all guests must be fully vaccinated 14 days before departure. All guests and crew will be required to wear a mask onboard. - As of July 25, 2022, the line no longer requires pre-cruise testing unless . Vaccinated passengers dont need to test unless visiting Canada, Bermuda, Greece or Australia and on trips of 16 nights or longer. In late July, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) withdrew its COVID-19 Program for cruise ships, allowing individual cruise lines to set their own standards. The line also warns that masks could be required by some ports of call its ships visit. Is A Pierside, Pre-Embarkation COVID-19 Test Required? Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Cruise Line. Because you may visit multiple locations on a cruise, you need to know the requirements for all your ports of call. 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.. On sailings that visit Greece, they are required on the ship when indoors. Don't get me wrong, I totally support the wearing of masks in the general public because we don't know who is and is not vaccinated. Carnival has also removed the mask mandate from its ships. Disney Cruise Line, which recently welcomed . Mask-wearing requirements were common on cruise ships through much of 2021 and into early 2022 as COVID-19 spread across the globe in several major waves. Masks will now be required in all indoor public spaces or in any crowded venue, indoors or outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. Gov. While most cruise lines require adults to be vaccinated right now, unvaccinated readers want to know when the vaccine mandate may go away. Major cruise lines that continue to have a masking policy in place for indoor public areas of their ships include Azamara, Cunard, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Viking. Celebrity Cruises For more information about the Companys award-winning 18-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please call +1-888-NCL-CRUISE , contact a travel professional or visit www.ncl.com. These Cruise Lines Are Requiring Passengers To Wear Masks Again All The Details. Thats because the short answer is, it depends! All products and brands mentioned in this article are selected by our writers and editors based on first-hand experience or customer feedback. Royal Caribbean made headlines a week ago when it announced that it would begin sailing from Florida in early July with ships where vaccinations would be recommended but not required. Norwegian Epic (Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line) Oceania Cruises Policy: In general, masks are not required onboard. Carnival Splendor setting sail on October 1, Carnival Luminosas first sailing on November 6, approximately 100 cases were reported onboard, Worlds Largest Cruise Ship Oversold for Spring Break, Carnival Cruise Ship Will Offer Transatlantic Voyage After Dry Dock, Photos Reveal Progress at Carnival Cruise Lines New Port. Alaska Disney River Viking Norwegian Caribbean Carnival Hawaii Viking Search CRUISEINFO CLUB CRUISEINFO CLUB Alaska Disney River Viking Norwegian Caribbean Carnival Hawaii Viking CRUISEINFO CLUB Heres a rundown of the basic rules for some leading cruise lines. All Contents Copyright 2022 Cruise Radio, Inc. | Website Designed by Insider Perks, Inc. Get the real facts delivered straight to your inbox, with trustworthy cruise related news. With the easing of the Cruise Lines health and safety protocols, NCL will continue to follow the travel guidelines as required by the destinations it visits. MORE: 8. How long will the vaccine requirement be in place for cruise passengers? 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. All other sailings require proof of vaccination and booster until further notice. Disney said that changes to the policies are subject to local rules. Bottom line: If youve 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. Be Safe protocols for Australia sailings on November 17, 2022, reintroducing mandatory mask wearing. The chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high because the virus spreads easily between people in close quarters aboard ships. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. This article was originally published in February 2022. And you may have to be vaccinated or not. All passengers over the age of 12 must be fully vaccinated. Booster jabs are required where eligible and are considered effective immediately. Unvaccinated travelers must present a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within three days prior to embarkation. It must be noted that at this time, this policy only impacts Carnival cruises in Australia, and masks are not required on any Carnival ships in other regions. Carnival Cruise Line is now requiring all guests and crew to wear masks aboard two vessels, and other cruise lines are doing the same. Unvaccinated guests are required to be tested. Fried, a Democrat, is running to unseat DeSantis in next years election. Connect with other cruisers before and after you set sail. Masks continue to be required for unvaccinated guests in indoor public areas. Masks and Physical Distancing Requirements: Masks may be required in public areas on the ship . The good news is that given the vaccines, a milder variant, and prior cases, the amount of serious illness seems lower. 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. American Queen VoyagesOn this lines river, ocean, Great Lakes and expedition ships, all passengers are required to be vaccinated. Check your cruise lines website for more details. 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. Disney Cruise Lines joins Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Holland America Line, which no longer require vaccinations on most sailings. Effective September 3, 2022, Regent Seven Seas will welcome guests of all ages back regardless of vaccination status. Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, : For Freedom, Odyssey, Allure, Symphony and sailing out of Florida ports in July and August we are strongly recommending all guests eligible for vaccines are fully vaccinated. VERIFY: Do cruise passengers have to show proof of vaccination? Amateur web practitioner. As well, even if not required, Royal Caribbean asks that you still bring proof of vaccination to your cruise. While most cruise lines require adults to be vaccinated right now, unvaccinated readers want to know when the vaccine mandate may go away. The following cruise lines have dropped all restrictions, including vaccine, testing, and mask rules, with exceptions only for itineraries that visit countries with restrictions still in place. Unvaccinated travellers need to present the results of a medically administered PCR or antigen test taken less than 72 hours before boarding. Its almost unheard of for a vaccinated person to get seriously ill with Covid-19, she said in an email. As of November 17, 2022, Princess Cruise Lines has also reinstituted mandatory masks onboard for Australia and New Zealand sailings, stating that masking requirements may change at any time, so we ask for flexibility from our guests., Similarly, Royal Caribbean International also states that all guests should wear a mask while travelling through the terminal and in public indoor spaces or crowded outdoor spaces onboard and that protocols are subject to change.. Because this policy only impacts sailings in Australia, only two Carnival ships are currently affected: Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa. 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. Be sure to review the latest requirements prior to boarding. MSC is a popular choice for passengers looking for relatively affordable fares. Is an Alaska Cruise Worth the Investment? View Best Prices on NCL, Royal Caribbean Starting on September 5, 2022, guests who are not vaccinated will be able to sail on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, the worlds largest cruise line. Shes been on 10 cruises and counting, and her favorite onboard activities include trying out the water slides, spending time in the spas thermal suite, eating lots of food, and attending the love & marriage show. On voyages that visit Greece or Italy, they are required on. Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may designate areas as only accessible to fully vaccinated passengers and crew where masks and physical distancing are not required (e.g., casinos . 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. Therefore, people who are vaccinated should not be worried about getting infected from those who arent. Note: There may be additional requirements if you are traveling internationally, and the rules can changesometimes overnight. Testing is still required for some cruises. The restrictions requiring vaccines are dropping quickly. All passengers age 4 and up must take a prearrival test and show a negative result to board. Effective April 15, all guests five and older must be vaccinated to sail on Celebrity from the United States. MSCs 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. What is the Average Cost of a 7-Day Cruise? The revenue generated will help us to support the content of this website and to continue to invest in our award-winning journalism. Children who are aged 4 or younger do not need vaccination proof or a COVID test. COVID-19 vaccine exemptions at Carnivals Long Beach, California port will only be accepted for kids under age 12 and when required by US federal law due to religious beliefs or medical reasons.