. abruptly stopped any covid-related regulation. honestly, we should have never gotten rid of mask mandates in the first place. And every destination has its own thing. 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. Cruise lines will lift their mask mandates as they shift to a series of relaxed regulations under the CDC's voluntary Covid-19 Program for Cruise Ships operating in U.S. waters. These new guidelines apply to itineraries from all departure ports except where government regulations and protocols may vary like Canada, Greece and Australia. 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. For cruises from Barcelona, both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers have to present a negative test taking within one day before embarking. For four out of five ships in the fleet, the changes come right on time for the popular Halloween cruises. If this is the case, you still need a negative test or be vaccinated. As any client who has cruised recently knows, the logistics of requiring COVID-19 testing before, during or right after a trip can be daunting. With the CDCs removal of the pre-embarkation testing requirement, we are hopeful and pleased that the travel and cruising industries are sailing toward a new normal, said Oneil Khosa, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea. These new requirements apply to voyages from all ports except those in Canada, Bermuda, Greece and Australia, where government regulations still require vaccinations. Some cruise lines are still limiting the number of unvaccinated guests onboard. Help us keep hyperlocal news alive in Long Beach. Subscribe to Apple News. READ NEXT: 18 Most Unique Cruise Ship Bars in 2022. Before boarding all three cruise lines, passengers must show their original vaccination cards. Royal Caribbean drops the vaccine requirement from select U.S. homeports on departures from September 5, 2022. Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. But like Celebrity, this mandate was rolled back in early June for all cruises sailing out of Florida and Texas. We know you like itthats why youre here. The new guidelines effect NCL, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas. That's likely only partly true because Royal . 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. Learn to how to find the cheapest awards. Registered in England and Wales. He joined the Post in May 2021. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Be Safe. Copyright 2023. Starting Sept. 6, vaccinated travelers on cruises under16 days will no longer have to test before embarking and only need to upload proof of vaccination while getting OceanReady. From Sept. 5, Royal Caribbean International will no longer require COVID-19 vaccination for cruises from California, Louisiana, Texas and Europe. The vaccine-mandate reversal is the latest update in a heated battle between cruise lines and the state, which has banned vaccine passports. All guests must be vaccinated to sail with Viking. The establishment failed to implement vaccine mandates and passports in the west, but that does not mean they have given up on the agenda in other parts of the world . scott@travelcodex.com, For updates: This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. On 5 April, the proposal was amended to lift the age threshold to 60 years. 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.. Passengers no longer have to wear masks onboard while they are indoors, and while capacities have not returned to 100% . The cruise line has announced a further easing of its protocols by dropping the vaccine requirements on select sailings from September 5, 2022. Starting September 3, Norwegian Cruise Line will experience a major change in health and safety . Please view our privacy policy for details about the information we share with our partners. We want to ensure a great experience going ashore at these ports, for guests of any vaccination status, while meeting local health regulations.. Guests who have not been fully vaccinated will be required to provide a COVID-19 test taken one or two days before the sail date. 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. All unvaccinated guests ages 2 and older are required to receive a lab-administered PCR or antigen test up to 3 days before sailing. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all require anyone 12 and older sailing on their ships to be fully vaccinated. Norwegian Cruise lines is just a one cruise lines which has updated their requirements for cruises this fall. Especially if you are unvaccinated. Instead, the cruise line will introduce these on a rolling basis across the fleet. This doesnt apply to select destinations where local regulations vary, including Australia. Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. On most sailings, kids and teens ages 17 and under do not have a vaccine requirement. 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. "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 three major cruise lines sailing from U.S. ports -- Royal Caribbean International ( RCL) - Get Free Report, Carnival Cruise Lines CCL, and Norwegian Cruise Line NCLH -- still require pre . Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Registered in England and Wales. Testing is still required for some cruises. 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. Free expert cruise tips and news from Cruise Hive! For departures five nights or less out of Los Angeles and Galveston, unvaccinated guests aged 2 and over must show a negative test result to sail. Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, a physician who serves as chairman of Norwegian Cruise Line's SailSAFE Council, on March 3 spoke on the possibility of cruise lines being able to drop vaccination requirements. Cruises 6 days or more: All guests are required to take an official COVID-19 test before boarding. Children under five are not required to apply for a vaccine exemption. 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. Cruise travel's CDC status has come a long way in the past few months. 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 . Copyright 2023. Paragliders record never-before-seen footage of world's second-tallest mountain, Elizabeth Holmes has 2nd child as prison sentence looms, Dozens of sharks swarm fishing boat in feeding frenzy off Louisiana coast, video shows, Death of man found near stores on Ladys Island Tuesday ruled suicide, Oneil Cruz hits first homer but Pirates walked off by Tigers, Why coyote confrontations are up in Hudson Valley, and what to do if you're approached, Bryan Kohberger's Pennsylvania warrants unsealed. Apr 12, 2022 10:20 AM EDT. For those who are unvaccinated, pre-embarkation testing is required. Princess Cruises, which sails out of the Port of Los Angeles, also announced similar changes to their vaccination guidelines on Friday. Though . The big question is, what cruise lines allow unvaccinated guests to sail? But there's a catch: Unvaccinated passengers - or those unwilling to show proof of the vaccine - will face onboard restrictions, extra COVID-19 tests, and additional costs, according to the cruise line. (That mandate does not include a booster shot.). "The U.S. consumer is sitting on $2 trillion of savings," Liberty said. Thats why were asking readers like you to support our independent, fact-based journalism. Royal Caribbean Group which owns Silverseas and Celebrity is hinting at unvaccinated cruises later this year. 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. Action Alerts PLUS is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. Fed Chair Says Russia-Ukraine Shows This Problem With Crypto. This takes effect Sept. 6. webpage. 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