Carnival cruise, Royal Caribbean and more to drop vaccine requirements

The four cruise lines said their vaccination requirements for some sailings next month would be scrapped.

Carnival Cruise Line will no longer require non-restaurant guests to apply for an exemption in order to cruise as of September 6, according to a press release. This does not include flights in Australia or flights of 16 nights or more, changes are subject to local restrictions.

Princess Cruises will also cancel vaccination requirements on “most cruises of less than 16 days so that anyone can set sail” starting September 6, according to a news release Friday. The Princess is currently requiring non-vaccinated guests to get a vaccination exemption before they can set sail, according to her. website.

Likewise, Royal Caribbean will welcome all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, as well as on cruises from Los Angeles, New Orleans, Galveston, Texas and Europe beginning September 5 “as long as testing requirements are met,” a spokesperson told USA TODAY via email Thursday.

“We are collaborating with local governments across the Caribbean to align vaccination requirements for additional pathways,” the spokesperson added.

Royal Caribbean currently requires guests 12 and older to show proof of vaccination before they can set sail from North America, according to it. website.

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Starting on the same date, Celebrity Cruises will welcome all passengers who follow test-sail rules from Los Angeles, the UK and Europe – with the exception of Iceland – according to it. website.

The changes come after Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. It announced plans to amend COVID-19 rules as well, allowing all passengers to board.

Many cruise lines have backed away from testing rules

Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity, also rolled back its testing requirements this month, following the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 cruise ship program. The company requires vaccinated passengers to take a test only on sailings of six nights or more, but testing is still required for unvaccinated passengers on all sailings.

Several other cruise line operators and brands have 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 only require testing for vaccinated passengers on cruises of 16 nights or more or where local rules require it, such as sailing to Canada and Bermuda, starting September 6, according to a press release.

Travelers who have not been vaccinated or do not show evidence of vaccination will still need to “submit negative PCR or antigen test results within three days of departure.” Those under 5 years of age are exempt from US vaccine and testing requirements

► Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. All pre-cruise requirements for vaccinated passengers aged 12 and over will be dropped effective September 3, according to a press release.

Guests 12 years of age or older who have not been vaccinated or show evidence of vaccination will still need to be tested within 72 hours before boarding. The company said it “continues to strongly recommend that all guests familiarize themselves with vaccination and testing protocols at their convenience before travelling.” Changes are subject to local requirements.

► When sailing from the United States, MSC Cruises requires tests for fully vaccinated passengers sailing on cruises of six nights or more and for all unvaccinated passengers aged two or more, regardless of flight length, according to a press release. Tests must be done within three days of riding. The cruise line recommends that guests take the test within one day of the cruise when possible.

► Princess Cruises will require passengers sailing on cruises of 16 nights or more to “take a supervised test within three days of departure (guests 5 and up)” beginning September 6, as well as those traveling the entire Panama Canal and some other cruises.

Unvaccinated passengers must show a negative result from a self-test performed within three days of their sailing journey of 15 nights or less, although unvaccinated children under five are exempted.

► Holland America Line requires all guests two years of age or older to test before their flight. All guests 12 and older must be vaccinated, according to the cruise line’s website. Passengers between the ages of 5 and 11 can also be non-vaccinated but will need an exemption.

Guests who are familiar with their vaccinations and have received a booster dose when they are eligible can take the test within three days before sailing. If they have been vaccinated but not updated, they will need to be tested in a couple of days.

Callie Robertson
“Twitteraholic. Total bacon fan. Explorer. Typical social media practitioner. Beer maven. Web aficionado.”

Outdoor Enthusiast magazine

Carnival cruise, Royal Caribbean and more to drop vaccine requirements

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