. So if we're going to someplace we're going to honor whatever that destination's rules are. But the cruise line still "strongly recommends" that its eligible guests be vaccinated, a spokesperson told Insider in an emailed statement. Because cruise lines sail nearly all of their ships from United States ports under foreign flags, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had much more control over the cruise industry than any other travel or entertainment business. Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail on most voyages, except for itineraries that feature destinations with local regulations that may continue to require vaccination including Australia. Vaccine exemptions are limited to a small number of guests who are over age 5. 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. The test may be a medically observed antigen test, rapid or lab-based PCR test, or Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT). Two Summer Itineraries Modified for Disney Cruise Ship, Passenger Accused of Using Stolen Credit Cards for Royal Caribbean Cruise, Royal Caribbean Makes Major Updates for Loyal Guests, Holland America Line Gears Up For Alaska Travel Expo. . To date, the biggest group to confirm it will likely extend its 100 percent vaccination policy into . Royal Caribbean International has announced updated protocols for the United States, Puerto Rico, and Barbados-based cruises through March 31, 2022. Royal Caribbean released a further update to its protocols on Wednesday, which will go into effect in September 2022. Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. There will be no pre-cruise testing for vaccinated travelers on cruisesup to 15 nights, with the exception of full Panama Canal transits, trans-ocean and other special itineraries. In April, DeSantis issued an executive order in Florida banning vaccine passports and prohibiting local business - including cruise lines - from requiring them. Norwegian Cruise shares tumble about 6% after the company's adjusted loss per share and adjusted Ebitda loss were worse than analysts expected in the fourth quarter. 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. Should thevaccines remain primarily a prevention from people from becoming very sick, that has less relevance to congregate settings and becomes more of a personal choice for protection, Gottlieb said. What to Know About Riding on the Alaska Railroad, Katmandu Park Punta Cana Is Opening March 15, 14 of the Best New Cruise Ships Launching in 2023, The Top Hotels in Mexico for a Romantic Getaway. At long last, cruise lines are finally starting to drop their vaccine mandates and allow all passengers inoculated or not to sail on their ships. Two major cruise lines, Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line, have announced plans to ease onboard . - As of July 25, 2022, the line no longer requires pre-cruise testing unless . Booster shots are not required. Find out when the conditional sailing order expires. Carnival Cruise Line will require testing for vaccinated passengers only on trips 16 nights or longer or where local rules mandate it, such as on sailings to Canada and Bermuda, starting on Sept . Unvaccinated passengers will face onboard restrictions, COVID-19 tests, and extra costs. Royal Caribbean is finalizing the testing for departures out of New Orleans. The CDCs latest updated guidance for cruise ships now only recommends, and no longer mandates, pre-cruise testing in the U.S. At this point, only Margaritaville and Virgin have revised their policies accordingly, but its very likely others will soon follow. "Gov. The cruise line is working with the ports and says it will share information to travel agents and guests as it becomes available. Many cruise fans and potential passengers may expect that this CDC decision means that vaccine requirements and precruise testing may soon go away. They can take a PCR test 72 hours prior to sailing, or an antigen test two days prior to sailing. "Allowing companies like Celebrity Cruises to require 'vaccine passports' for customers would mean tolerating discrimination by private businesses, which is unacceptable in Florida.". ), This announcement is the most significant to date, and is another step to greater consumer confidence in travel, Tolkin said. 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. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. This is like a transition year. Some cruise lines already let children and a select few customers travel unvaccinated. Starting September 3, 2022, Norwegian Cruise Line Parent company is adjusting the required pre-cruise testing and vaccination protocols for all cruises, with the new guidelines taking effect September 3, 2022. THURSDAY, March 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A two-year advisory that warned Americans against going on cruises has been dropped by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We would object to it," DeSantis said in response to a question from a reporter about such mandates. Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC. All Rights Reserved. At the end of May, Celebrity Cruises' sibling brand Royal Caribbean announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all guests. (Note: This . Before boarding all three cruise lines, passengers must show their original vaccination cards. The unvaccinated cruise is now back. - As of Dec. 1, 2022, guests traveling with Azamara no longer need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 on sailings starting and ending in the U.S. or Europe. The vaccine-mandate reversal is the latest update in a heated battle between cruise lines and the state, which has banned vaccine passports. But Gottlieb does have a timetable in which he expects the agency to act. Commercially available tests will be accepted, including self tests. An update is coming August 14. And, even when that ban was lifted, the cruise lines had to operate under a strict set of rules that no other industry had to follow. All guests must be vaccinated to sail with Viking. "Since we resumed operations, our goal has been to making cruising one of the safest vacations anywhere in the world while providing an exceptional guest experience,"he said. "The booster vaccine is causing the most challenges for my agency as far as clients not wanting to get an additional booster shot in order to sail in some parts of the world . Do note, that some countries still require covid-19 testing for sailing. Copyright 2023. Instead, the cruise line will introduce these on a rolling basis across the fleet. Carnival Cruises no longer requires that passengers get vaccinated against COVID-19 for most voyages of less than 16 days, the company announced on Friday. Those requirements are spelled out in more detail at the companys Have Fun. cruise lines are mostly holding strong to their vaccine mandates, When Will the Brightline to Orlando Open? Vaccinated travelers on cruises six nights or longer must present a negative supervised test taken within three days before embarking. An order imposing restrictions on . We'll send you a weekly newsletter to your inbox. (That mandate does not include a booster shot.) Royal Caribbean said, We are working with local governments in the Eastern Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for more itineraries. "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.". This takes effect Sept. 6. For sailings from Southampton, Ravenna and Civitavecchia, and Amsterdam, vaccinated travelers must present a negative COVID test taken within two days before embarking, while unvaccinated travelers must test negative within one day of sailing. When it comes to the select European cruises, unvaccinated guests will have to take a test onboard to be allowed ashore in Greece or Spain. 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