For cruises of five or fewer nights from Los Angeles, vaccinated passengers won't need to test for COVID. 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. Oct 26, 2021, 4:08 AM. 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. Now nursing homes are pushing to lift the vaccination mandate altogether. They say it has made it all but impossible to find enough willing workers, and the resulting staff shortages have forced . But like Celebrity, this mandate was rolled back in early June for all cruises sailing out of Florida and Texas. 32. Under the current voluntary CDC guidelines, 95% of passengers must be vaccinated. For allsailings 6 nights or longer, vaccinated guests must present a digital or physical copy of a supervised and negative COVID-19 test result from a test taken within 3 days prior to sailing. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. "The U.S. consumer is sitting on $2 trillion of savings," Liberty said. Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for the shorter sailings. The outgoing executive also took some measured shots at the federal agency as he explained when Carnival (and likely Royal Caribbean and Norwegian) will make a change. Under the new rules, Unvaccinated passengers ages 12 and older must still present a medically supervised negative PCR or antigen test taken no more than 72 hoursbefore sailing. These protocols include that fully vaccinated guests do not need to provide proof of a negative test result. Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises will soon lift vaccination mandates for many cruises and ease testing, while Cunard is easing testing. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. 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. Carnival, the largest cruise operator in the world, operates three vessels out of Long Beach. Guests of . The CDC will now classify ships with a 90% or higher vaccination rate as "highly vaccinated". Each sailing is unvaxxed capacity-controlled based on the total number of vaccinated guests projected to be on board. Given this realization, and how vocal some potential customers and cruise lines have been about such remaining restrictions, cruise lines were already starting to lift testing requirements even before the aforementioned CDC news. The new guidelines effect NCL, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas. Passengers who are not fully vaccinated will need to bring a negative COVID-19 test result taken withinthree days before embarking. Be sure to familiarize your self, or reach out and Im happy to help find you a cruise that meets you and your family needs. On October 15, the procedures will be implemented onboard Disney Dream. The Uniglobe travel agency says most cruise lines are making the same call: to keep the guidelines. Eric Boehm | 2.7.2023 5:15 PM. Commercially available tests will be accepted, including self tests. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. The industry is still recovering and working under a patchwork of regulations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has removed its "cruise ship travel health notice" after two years of warning travellers about COVID-19 infections linked to boarding a cruise ship. When will vaccination no longer be required to cruise? The vaccination policy for Cunard passengers remains the same. What Is It Like to Travel to Saudi Arabia. No business wants to make a choice -- or in this case have choices made for them by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- that alienates potential customers. RELATED: Carnival Drops Pre-Cruise Testing & Vaccination Requirements. 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. 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. If you are unvaccinated and looking to cruise, be sure to work with a travel partner, such as Scott & Thomas, who is familiar with the individual cruise lines policy. Otherwise all guests must be fully vaccinated 14 days before departure. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. 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.. The cruise line is working with the ports and says it will share information to travel agents and guests as it becomes available. If unvaccinated guests have recently recovered from COVID and can provide appropriate documentation, they will also be exempt from the testing requirement. Vacation cruising has nearly returned to normal. The news about the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)] removing the COVID-19 Programfor CruiseShipsis the mostpositive indication yet that we are moving further away from the pandemic, said Brad Tolkin, co-chairman and CEO for World Travel Holdings. Check with Carnival for specific cruise requirements. "The options available to unvaccinated guests continue to expand, according to Princess. Children under 12 will not have to present negative Covid-19 tests. On October 16, it is Disney Wonders turn to implement the new protocols, sailing from San Diego on a 5-night Baja California cruise. All rights reserved. On 5 April, the proposal was amended to lift the age threshold to 60 years. Cruise Lines Relax COVID Testing and Vaccination Policies For trips shorter than six days, vaccinated passengers will no longer need to obtain a negative test result before boarding. 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. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered the travel advisory for cruise ships, indicating the agency thinks conditions have slightly improved from late last year. All rights reserved. For the next 12 months, he believes a lot of people are likely to get a booster to take them through the fall and winter. 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 . 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. abruptly stopped any covid-related regulation. Princess Cruises removed its vaccine requirement for most voyages of less than 16 days and adjusted testing requirements. Children under 12 will not have to present negative Covid-19 tests, regardless of vaccination status. The changes are nuanced, depending on embarkation ports and destinations and, in some cases, by cruise length, and vary by . Coronavirus. He acknowledged some people don't want mask mandates lifted and predictedmany will still wear masks in congregate settings, particularly in winter when flu and COVID circulate. 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. ), This announcement is the most significant to date, and is another step to greater consumer confidence in travel, Tolkin said. Most Americans have a strong opinion on vaccines -- strong to the point that the topic has caused family rifts and led friends to stop speaking to each other. 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. Number 8860726. The big question is, what cruise lines allow unvaccinated guests to sail? However, with cruises providing notoriously great value for money, there's little worry from the cruise lines. Since September 6, passengers on itineraries that are 16 nights or less, and who show proof . Some cruise lines already let children and a select few customers travel unvaccinated. Now, the cruise lines could drop those rules -- the CDC has essentially left them to their own devices -- but the U.S. government is not the sole authority here. Only those sailing on longer, more complex itineraries will be required to have an observed or in-person test prior to departure. Free expert cruise tips and news from Cruise Hive! - As of July 25, 2022, the line no longer requires pre-cruise testing unless . Please view our privacy policy for details about the information we share with our partners. In late July the CDC relaxed Covid requirements for the cruise industry. Free expert cruise tips and news from Cruise Hive! Share. "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. Clients are booking now and into the future, and he believes the cruise lines are mostly getting back to normal operations and looking at long-term planning. An order imposing restrictions on . Gottlieb surmised US public health officials may take a decision on vaccination mandatesin springtime 2023,after the country gets through another fall and winter to see if COVID enters the endemic phase. The announcement came just weeks after Celebrity Cruises' unveiled its resumption of sailing plans aboard the Celebrity Edge. 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. In the case of European cruises, some destinations require travelers to be 'up to date' with their vacines to go ashore, Royal Caribbean said, andpassengersmay be subject to testing onboard in order to visit certain ports. The cruise line has dropped all pre-cruise testing for sailings less than 6 nights. 'This a transition year then they'll decide whether they want vaccinations in congregate settings like cruising, whether this becomes part of the childhood immunization schedule,' Gottlieb said. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Receive full access to our market insights, commentary, newsletters, breaking news alerts, and more. . The parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line says passengers are still splurging on luxury trips. Vaccinated travelers must continue to provide evidence of their vaccination status prior to embarkation. This doesnt apply to select destinations where local regulations vary, including Australia. Disney Cruise Line expanded its Covid-19 vaccination requirement Wednesday to include children ages five to 11 for cruises starting in January, one of the first major cases of vaccine . Its important to note if the cruise line has a limit of unvaccinated guests. Copyright 2023. As of August 8, 2022 only children under 12 are welcome as unvaccinated guests on Celebrity cruise lines when leaving the United States. 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. We highly recommend that all Guests become fully vaccinated before sailing and encourage unvaccinated Guests to take a COVID-19 test 2 days prior to their cruise. The cruise industry is also being affected by the change in requirements as ship passengers will no longer need to have pre-boarding COVID tests, be vaccinated, or use ArriveCAN, the agency said. Norwegian Cruise lines is just a one cruise lines which has updated their requirements for cruises this fall. You can keep up with her on Instagram at @IAmSarahJaneB. Since the CDC Voluntary Program for U.S. Based Cruise Ships ended in July, Carnival Cruise Line joined the list of cruise lines that have removed some testing requirements. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC. However, Azamara still lists Miami as a port requiring COVID-19 tests, and Viking has yet to remove its testing in the U.S. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. parent to the Norwegian, Oceania and Regent brands also confirmed that they would keep health and safety protocols in place for ships operating in U.S. waters with the following statement: We welcome the decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to end the CDC COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships operating in U.S. waters. These new requirements apply to voyages from all ports except those in Canada, Bermuda, Greece and Australia, where government regulations still require vaccinations. On 4 April, days before a vote in the Bundestag was scheduled, the initiative for a general vaccine mandate was effectively shelved, with a group of 237 parliamentarians who had favored it switching to proposing instead a mandate for those aged 50 and over. He has close to three decades of experience in journalism leading numerous investigations and long-form journalism projects for the OC Weekly and other publications. (Note: This information is accurate as of February 7, 2023. Family cruises will be a bit easier in Europe now as Celebrity Cruises has become the first line to drop the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement for guests under the age of 18. NCL's last two Prima Plus ships will accommodate green methanol, Moving forward on multiple sustainability fronts: Insights from NAPA. We'll send you a weekly newsletter to your inbox. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all require anyone 12 and older sailing on their ships to be fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian all require anyone 12 and older sailing on their ships to be fully vaccinated. "The fact is we were being held, and we felt unfairly, to a different standard: a zero-risk standard relative to the rest of the travel and leisure sector and the rest of society. The 10% rule remains in effect for cruising leaving the United States. November 11, 2021. The unvaccinated cruise is now back. Pre-cruise testing is no longer required, except for cruises to Canada, Bermuda, Greece and Australia (per local guidelines), and on voyages 16 nights or longer. 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. All rights reserved. The cruise industry has been bending over backward to show the public that cruises are a safe vacation opportunity. And one month later, the state passed a law to ban vaccine passports starting July 1. Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Cruises rolled back its COVID-19-vaccine mandate for Florida cruises. The . "Cruise lines, the all-inclusives in the Caribbean everyone has a set of protocols. Cunard testing changes, but not vaccination mandate. With that in mind, we've put together this list of cruise lines allowing unvaccinated guests to sail, as well as what the other lines currently require regarding vaccinations. Disney Cruise Line becomes one of the final major lines to remove the vaccine mandate, along with relaxing testing requirements. CRUISE HIVE LTD 2008-2023. Its another step to normality and follows other recently relaxed requirements. All guests must be vaccinated to sail with Viking. The short answer to the question is: I think this is kind of a springtime thing from a CDC policy standpoint. These cruises feature spooky character encounters and enchanted pumpkin trees. The federal Liberal government's COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing policy is facing yet another challenge after Maryland-based Novavax announced late Tuesday it may not have enough cash in a year's time to stay in business. Passengers no longer have to wear masks onboard while they are indoors, and while capacities have not returned to 100% . "We're going to announce very . Starting March 11, 2023, proof of vaccination for sailings to or from Europe will no longer be required. He became the CEO at Norwegian in 2015 after it brought a cruise line Del Rio founded in 2002. Action Alerts PLUS is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. Fed Chair Says Russia-Ukraine Shows This Problem With Crypto.