Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean and more to drop vaccination requirements
Four major cruise lines are dropping vaccination requirements for some sailings next month, the cruise lines said.
Carnival Cruise Line will no longer require unvaccinated guests to apply for an exemption to be able to sail from September 6, according to a press release. This does not include travel within Australia or travel of 16 or more nights and changes are subject to local restrictions.
Princess Cruises will also remove vaccination requirements on “most voyages of less than 16 days, so everyone can cruise” starting Sept. 6, according to a press release Friday. Princess currently requires unvaccinated guests to have a vaccine exemption before sailing, according to its website.
Similarly, Royal Caribbean will welcome all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, as well as on sailings from Los Angeles, New Orleans, Galveston, Texas and Europe starting Sept. 5 “as long as testing requirements are met,”[ads1]; a spokesperson told the U.S. TODAY via email Thursday.
“We are working with local authorities throughout the Caribbean to adapt vaccination requirements for additional itineraries,” the spokesperson added.
Royal Caribbean currently requires guests 12 and older to show proof of vaccination before sailing from North America, according to its website.
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And starting on the same date, Celebrity Cruises will welcome all passengers who follow the test rules for sailings from Los Angeles, the UK and Europe – excluding Iceland – according to its website.
The changes come after Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. announced plans to adjust its COVID-19 rules as well, allowing all passengers to board.
Many cruise lines have rolled back testing rules
Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity, also rolled back testing requirements this month, following the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 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 lines and brands made similar protocol changes, including Carnival Cruise Line and MSC Cruises.
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When do cruise lines still require COVID-19 testing?
► Carnival Cruise Line will require testing for vaccinated passengers only on voyages of 16 nights or longer or where local regulations dictate, such as on sailings to Canada and Bermuda, starting Sept. 6, according to a news release.
Passengers who are unvaccinated or do not show proof of vaccination will still have to “present the results of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within three days of boarding.” Children under the age of 5 are exempt from vaccination and testing requirements in the USA
► Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will drop all pre-cruise requirements for vaccinated passengers age 12 and older starting Sept. 3, according to a news release.
Guests 12 years of age and older who are unvaccinated or do not show proof of vaccination must still test within 72 hours prior to boarding. The company said it “continues to strongly recommend all guests stay current on vaccination protocols and test when appropriate prior to travel.” Changes are subject to local requirements.
► On sailings from the United States, MSC Cruises requires tests for fully vaccinated passengers sailing on voyages of six nights or longer and for all unvaccinated passengers aged 2 years or older, regardless of the length of the voyage, according to a press release. Tests must be taken within three days of boarding. The cruise line recommends that guests test within one day of travel whenever possible.
► Princess Cruises will require passengers sailing on voyages of 16 nights or longer to “take a supervised test within three days of boarding (guests 5 and older),” starting Sept. 6, as well as those on full transit to the Panama Canal and certain other journeys.
Unvaccinated passengers must show a negative result from a self-test taken within three days of travel on voyages of 15 nights or less, although unvaccinated children under the age of 5 are exempt.
► Holland America Line requires all guests aged 2 and over to test before travel. All guests aged 12 and over must be vaccinated, according to the cruise line’s website. Passengers between the ages of 5 and 11 may also be unvaccinated, but will need a dispensation.
Guests who are up-to-date on their vaccinations and have received a booster when eligible can test within three days prior to sailing. If they are vaccinated but not up to date, they must test within two days.
