Disney Cruise Line expanded its Covid-19 vaccination requirement Wednesday to include children ages five to 11 for cruises starting in January, one of the first major cases of vaccine . abruptly stopped any covid-related regulation. This positivity rate is still a small fraction of what it is in society at large, and nearly all cases on board were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.". Please be aware that health and safety measures may change at any time. "Allowing companies like Celebrity Cruises to require 'vaccine passports' for customers would mean tolerating discrimination by private businesses, which is unacceptable in Florida.". Cruise lines have adopted very strong Covid protocols partly because of the CDC and partly because of the optics of an outbreak on a cruise. Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. The cruise industry is also being affected by the change in requirements as ship passengers will no longer need to have pre-boarding COVID tests, be vaccinated, or use ArriveCAN, the agency said. Carnivals 50th anniversary sailabration kicks off in Long Beach. ), This announcement is the most significant to date, and is another step to greater consumer confidence in travel, Tolkin said. Gottlieb,a former FDA commissioner and Pfizer board member, who also co-chaired the Healthy Sail Panel, spoke in an NCLH briefing for travel partners and media. That's a surprising move but it's one that outgoing Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Arnold Donald thinks rights a wrong. Starting on October 14, guests boarding Disney Wish for the 3-night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral will be the first group to take advantage of the new protocols. Unvaccinated guests are welcome on most voyages. Unvaccinated guests are permitted to sail on most MSC voyages. As for Martindales agency, business is booming. In April, DeSantis issued an executive order in Florida banning vaccine passports and prohibiting local business - including cruise lines - from requiring them. For four out of five ships in the fleet, the changes come right on time for the popular Halloween cruises. The vaccination policy for Cunard passengers remains the same. Princess Cruises, which sails out of the Port of Los Angeles, also announced similar changes to their vaccination guidelines on Friday. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. Vaccinated passengers still must present a medically supervised negative covid antigen or rapid pcr test before sailing. Free expert cruise tips and news from Cruise Hive! In the case of European cruises, some destinations require travelers to be 'up to date' with their vacines to go ashore, Royal Caribbean said, andpassengersmay be subject to testing onboard in order to visit certain ports. Royal Caribbean drops the vaccine requirement from select U.S. homeports on departures from September 5, 2022. Published on November 4, 2021. As of now, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian have not made any major covid . Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all require anyone 12 and older sailing on their ships to be fully vaccinated. On October 15, the procedures will be implemented onboard Disney Dream. "Cruise lines, the all-inclusives in the Caribbean everyone has a set of protocols. Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. (Note: This information is accurate as of February 7, 2023. Do note, that some countries still require covid-19 testing for sailing. Norwegian Cruise lines is just a one cruise lines which has updated their requirements for cruises this fall. The cruise lines are already set up to self-manage with all protocols necessary to keep their guests in the safest environment possible, as they always have been. Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC. Especially if you are unvaccinated. He acknowledged some people don't want mask mandates lifted and predictedmany will still wear masks in congregate settings, particularly in winter when flu and COVID circulate. The nightmare cruises of spring 2020 are back as Omicron sends passenger case rates soaring. Princess Cruises removed its vaccine requirement for most voyages of less than 16 days and adjusted testing requirements. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. The new guidelines effect NCL, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas. Yet the CDC is poised to loosen the industry's Covid leash, saying cruise lines are now positioned to . NBC 6's Ryan Nelson reports on Norwegian Cruise Line dropping its COVID-19 testing requirement. Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises will soon lift vaccination mandates for many cruises and ease testing, while Cunard is easing testing. Those 16 and older must be vaccinated. Copyright 2023. Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Make sure you choose a travel insurance policy that covers you for cruising, and any activities you do on shore. 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. Disney Cruise Line will be changing its vaccine and testing requirements beginning September 2 for all cruises departing from ports in the United States and Canada. Cruising still requires either a covid-19 test and vaccination in most situations. Azamara. To be exempt from testing requirements, fully vaccinated guests should still upload their proof of vaccination to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight before embarkation day. Under the new rules, Unvaccinated passengers ages 12 and older must still present a medically supervised negative PCR or antigen test taken no more than 72 hoursbefore sailing. "The U.S. consumer is sitting on $2 trillion of savings," Liberty said. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. 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. There's one common reason for these reversals of vaccine mandates: the ban on vaccine passports in states like Florida and Texas, which has created a heated standoff between cruise lines and the states. Subscribe to Apple News. Which Cruise Lines Require COVID-19 Vaccinations? - All other cruises still require proof of initial vaccination and a booster until further notice. Guests of . The Adults only cruise lines allow for 10% of passengers to travel unvaccinated. All rights reserved. Cunard testing changes, but not vaccination mandate. Starting March 11, 2023, proof of vaccination for sailings to or from Europe will no longer be required. When it comes to cruises that are six nights or more, all guests aged 2 and over must present a negative test result taken within three days before departure. Hyperlocal news is an essential force in our democracy, but it costs money to keep an organization like this one alive, and we cant rely on advertiser support alone. Just because the CDC has stopped paying attention does not mean Carnival, Royal Caribbean International (RCL) - Get Free Report, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) - Get Free Report, and other cruise lines that sail from the U.S. will drop pre-cruise covid testing and vaccine requirements. Part of this may also depend on whether the vaccines get reformulated to become highly effective against any transmission, which is very valuable for congregate settings like cruising. During a press conference on Thursday, the Florida governor suggested the state might fight efforts to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates on cruise passengers -- something that is at the core of comeback plans at a growing number of cruise lines. In all cases, the protocols may vary on a particular sailing if the destination has different rules than the . At the end of May, Celebrity Cruises' sibling brand Royal Caribbean announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all guests. "All unvaccinated travelers ages 2 and older will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test either a negative RT-PCR test or a Rapid Antigen test taken no more than three days (72 hours) prior to travel and present the negative test results at check-in before travel to The Bahamas.". As of August 8, 2022 only children under 12 are welcome as unvaccinated guests on Celebrity cruise lines when leaving the United States. The policy is true on most sailings on a first-come, first-served basis without the need for exemptions or vaccine status justifications. The Bahamas, for example recently changed its covid testing rules opening up the possibility that many Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian cruises that stop there could change the rules for those sailings. I'm looking forward to cruising again,' he said. Action Alerts PLUS is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. Is a Hiring Slowdown a Bad Corporate Omen? Martindale expects vaccine requirements will predominantly remain in place until at least the end of 2022, something that the majority of my clients are very much in favor of, he said. All rights reserved. Fortunately, the CDC has also indicated that it is evaluating the situation, which may lead to welcome changes for cruise travelers. In late July the CDC relaxed Covid requirements for the cruise industry. On 5 April, the proposal was amended to lift the age threshold to 60 years. Royal Caribbean Group which owns Silverseas and Celebrity is hinting at unvaccinated cruises later this year. Vaccinated travelers must continue to provide evidence of their vaccination status prior to embarkation. Whats notably missing are Eastern Caribbean cruises, such as those that sail to the Bahamas. Well hopefully get our first glimpse of that this year. "The options available to unvaccinated guests continue to expand, according to Princess. The vaccine-mandate reversal is the latest update in a heated battle between cruise lines and the state, which has banned vaccine passports. Margaritaville at Seas vaccinated guests will no longer be required to undergo testing prior to boarding, making it quicker and easier than ever to escape to paradise.. Clients are booking now and into the future, and he believes the cruise lines are mostly getting back to normal operations and looking at long-term planning. Subscribe to the Long Beach Post's daily eALERT and get the best local news in the city delivered to your inbox. As of July 14, Princess Cruises is beginning to more openly welcome unvaccinated passengers. Cruise lines . All guests must be vaccinated to sail with Viking. Keep in mind the world is one world but not one place. Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail on all voyages, except for itineraries that feature destinations that continue to require vaccinations. This means any company that violates this proof-of-vaccination ban could be fined $5,000 for each customer. Royal Caribbean Group's Celebrity Cruises has rolled back its COVID-19-vaccine mandate for cruises sailing out of Florida ports, according to a June 17 update on Celebrity's website. Royal Caribbean Chief Executive Jason Liberty,during his company's fourth-quarter earnings call,pointed out how well those protocols have been working. Children under 12 will not have to present negative Covid-19 tests. News Florida Disney. For cruises out of Galveston and New Orleans that visit Grand Cayman, only passengers that show a valid vaccination record can go ashore. We highly recommend that all Guests become fully vaccinated before sailing and encourage unvaccinated Guests to take a COVID-19 test 2 days prior to their cruise. This now means that regardless of vaccination status, guests can cruise on the select sailings, as long as they meet any testing requirements. November 11, 2021. Unvaccinated travelers still need to apply for an exemption to cruise in Australia or on voyages 16 nights and longer. If guests are sailing on back-to-back cruises, they will not be required to be tested in between cruises, as long as they are fully vaccinated. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. What You Need to Know About Norwegian Cruise Lines Premium+ Drink Package, 12 Things to Know Before Sailing Royal Caribbean, Carnival Drops Pre-Cruise Testing & Vaccination Requirements, NCLH Drops COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements, Welcomes Everyone to Sail, Cruise News Recap | Week of February 5, 2023, Philippines Welcomes First International Cruise Ship in Three Years, Pre-Cruise Entertainment Reservations Now Available on Norwegian Cruise Line. On May 5, 2022, the CDC reevaluated and lowered the cruise ship vaccination status thresholds from 95 percent to 90 percent of passengers under the COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. But like Celebrity, this mandate was rolled back in early June for all cruises sailing out of Florida and Texas. As you heard me say, we have carried approximately 1.3 million guests since the restart, with about 2,500 guests testing positive for Covid-19, a positivity rate of 0.19%. 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. ", "Companies doing business in Florida, including Celebrity Cruises, should immediately cease to impose such discriminatory policies upon individuals," Christina Pushaw, DeSantis' press secretary, told Insider in an email in May. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. The cruise line will drop the vaccine requirement on select sailings from the U.S. and Europe. Currently, guests with a certificate of recovery within 90 days of travel are welcome to cruise. Before boarding all three cruise lines, passengers must show their original vaccination cards. They say it has made it all but impossible to find enough willing workers, and the resulting staff shortages have forced . I think that its likely to be a requirement that is in place through this fall and winter, Gottlieb said, according to a Cruzely report. You'll start to see us move into what society is doing at large. That's likely only partly true because Royal . "This would be unethical and harmful for society. The same date applies for Disney Fantasy, sailing from Port Canaveral, visiting Tortola, St Thomas, and Castaway Cay. Voyages 16 nights and longer will continue to have vaccination and testing requirements that are specific to the itinerary. These include a number of sailings of 16 nights or longerand other specific voyages. (That mandate does not include a booster shot.). webpage. Carnival Cruise Line removed testing for vaccinated passengers on sailings less than 16 nights, and eliminated the exemption request process for unvaccinated travelers, who will only need to show a negative test result at embarkation. Under the current voluntary CDC guidelines, 95% of passengers must be vaccinated. All rights reserved. For all sailings 5 nights or less, no testing is required for vaccinated guests. That's a policy some havegrudginglycomplied with, while others have skipped cruising because of it. If you are unvaccinated and looking to cruise, be sure to work with a travel partner, such as Scott & Thomas, who is familiar with the individual cruise lines policy. by Rocky HoranLast updated October 26, 2022. Norwegian Cruise Line requires all its passengers and crew to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and has been fighting in court to continue its mandate. This news comes as the cruise industry starts to relax its protocols and aligns with other travel sectors, such as flights. "The fact is we were being held, and we felt unfairly, to a different standard: a zero-risk standard relative to the rest of the travel and leisure sector and the rest of society. The following voyages require guests, age 12 and older, to be fully vaccinated. Cruises 6 days or more: All guests are required to take an official COVID-19 test before boarding. Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail on all voyages, except for those to or from Australia and on transatlantic and transpacific cruises. Guests without vaccination will be provided a test by Disney Cruise Line. Be Safe. The cruise lines are already set up to self-manage with all protocols necessary to keep their guests in the safest environment possible, as they always have been.. NCL's last two Prima Plus ships will accommodate green methanol, Moving forward on multiple sustainability fronts: Insights from NAPA. Before boarding all three . They are going to want to make a decision around this after we get through another fall and winter with Covid and see if we are truly in an endemic phase with this.. Some cruise lines already let children and a select few customers travel unvaccinated. "We are already experiencing an increase in calls and bookings due to the pent-up demand for cruise, andwe expect to see another uptick as a result of this latest announcement.. Cruises 5 days or less: With the exception of sailings to Bermuda and Canada, fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to test before sailing. Since 2009, Cruise Radio has provided the latest cruise news and industry analysis through informative articles, videos, and weekly podcasts. These new requirements apply to voyages from all ports except those in Canada, Bermuda, Greece and Australia, where government regulations still require vaccinations. Given this realization, and how vocal some potential customers and cruise lines have been about such remaining restrictions, cruise lines were already starting to lift testing requirements even before the aforementioned CDC news. Departing from Miami, she will visit the Cayman Islands and Castaway Cay on a 5-night Halloween On The High Seas western Caribbean cruise. In addition, all guests, age 18 and older, who are more than 6 months past the last dose of their initial vaccine series must be boosted (if eligible) in order to sail: Other cruises have limited space for vaccine exempt guests through December 2022. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered the travel advisory for cruise ships, indicating the agency thinks conditions have slightly improved from late last year. 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