Sunday, March 31, 2024

Carnival Cruise Line Updates COVID-19 Protocols for Guests NBC 6 South Florida

carnival cruise vaccine policy

Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail and are no longer required to apply for a vaccine exemption, except for cruises in Australia or on voyages 16 nights and longer. Voyages 16 nights and longer will continue to have vaccination and testing requirements that are specific to the itinerary. Requirements for long voyages and destination-specific protocols are available on Carnival’s Have Fun.

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However, the line advises staying up to date on inoculations and following guidelines issued by federal health authorities. Vaccination is not mandatory for Atlas cruises, but passengers must comply with regulations in countries on their scheduled itinerary, which could require that they be up to date on their shots. In order to bypass test cruises and move straight into sailings with paying passengers, 95% of passengers and 95% of crew must be vaccinated, per the CDC.

carnival cruise vaccine policy

Oceania Cruises

Carnival's announcement came just two days after the world's largest cruise line Royal Caribbean and sister line Celebrity Cruises announced they were dropping their COVID-19 vaccine requirement for many but not all sailings, effective Sept. 5. Norwegian Cruise Line and sister lines Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises on Monday dropped their vaccine requirements for many sailings, effective Sept. 3. "Carnival has implemented a suite of protocols that are designed to flex up as needed to adapt to the changing public health situation related to COVID-19," a company spokesman said in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. Passengers embarking on river and ocean voyages with Scenic will not need to be fully immunized prior to sailing.

Carnival Cruise Line keeps vaccine requirement…

carnival cruise vaccine policy

It also suggests that cruisers test themselves no further than three days from their sailing date to make sure they're in good health. The line also has through October limited all of its sailings to the Bahamas to vaccinated-only guests 12 and older due to an emergency order from that country that would not allow cruise ships to dock. Several of Carnival’s voyages from Florida feature stops in the Bahamas, and all cruise lines have put in place similar restrictions. Carnival further updates its testing and vaccine requirements, eliminating testing for vaccinated guests and removing vaccine requirement.

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That meant they required just about everyone on board to have their shots, with only a few exceptions allowed for young children and people who can't be vaccinated due to medical conditions or religious beliefs. Are you happy to hear that Carnival further updates its testing and vaccine requirements? Do you like the idea of removing the testing and vaccine requirements to sail with Carnival Cruise Line?

When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Testing is not required by the line but might be necessary based on local regulations, which with passengers must comply. Luxury brand Silversea does not require shots for its passengers or pre-cruise tests unless they're needed to meet local regulations. To board Royal Caribbean ships, you don't have to be vaccinated or provide test results.

Booked cruisers can search for requirements specific to their individual sailings by using this tool. On expedition cruises with Hurtigruten, passengers are not required to show proof of vaccination, except on 2023 and 2024 voyages to Antarctica and the Northwest Passage or West Africa sailings departing from and returning to Dakar. Immunization is also not necessary for the line's non-expedition itineraries, but it is recommended for both coastal voyages and expedition cruises. Neither type of cruise requires negative test results as a condition of embarkation. Passengers with reservations can check specific protocols for their specific bookings using this tool. Carnival also announced that vaccinated passengers no longer will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to board its ships in most places.

Vaccine required? Sometimes

It also recommends pre-cruise testing, no more than two days prior to embarkation, for anyone who doesn't have their shots. Celebrity does not mandate vaccination or testing for any passenger on any sailing unless required by regulations in the ports its ships are visiting. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has withdrawn its opt-in guidance for cruise lines, and most are now allowing unvaccinated passengers to sail.

The policy will be in effect through at least October and applies to sailings leaving from the company's Atlantic and Gulf homeports. All Viking passengers, whether on a river sailing or an ocean voyage, must be fully vaccinated for sailings departing on or before Oct. 31, 2023. Testing is no longer required unless passengers are exhibiting symptoms and seek medical assistance. Lindblad passengers no longer need to provide proof of vaccination in order to cruise, and pre-cruise testing is no longer required, including at embarkation. The line urges passengers to follow government recommendations for masking, testing and vaccination.

As of June 15, guests booked on Caribbean itineraries seeking a medical exemption from the cruise line's vaccination requirement will not require a doctor's note for approval. Carnival Cruise Line has eased its COVID-19 protocols for unvaccinated passengers sailing to the Caribbean this summer. Carnival sister brand Princess Cruises on Friday also announced that it would remove its vaccine requirement for most voyages of fewer than 16 days, effective Sept. 6. "These guidelines will make it a simpler process, and make cruising accessible for those who were not able to meet the protocols we were required to follow for much of the past 14 months," Carnival President Christine Duffy said in a statement.

Test cruises, which will be filled with volunteer nonpaying passengers, do not have the same mandate. But volunteer passengers are still required to share information about their vaccination status on test cruises, creating a murky situation regarding cruising's restart from the Sunshine State. Duffy added that Carnival is in the process of updating its website, communications, and processes, and sharing more details with guests and travel advisor partners to reflect these new, simplified policies. “We appreciate the patience of our guests and travel advisor partners as we update all materials, but the end result is a very positive one for all who are looking forward to cruising with us,” she said.

Testing requirements are determined by the countries the ships visit, but the line itself has no vaccine or testing mandates of its own. You can check the protocols for the places on your itinerary for the most up-to-date information by visiting the protocols page on Uniworld's website. Vaccination and testing are no longer terms of carriage when sailing with MSC Cruises.

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