Protocols are subject to change and we are committed to keeping you informed if they do. Have no fear, we provide all the relevant links and information you need for all of the major cruise lines below. The injections were the biggest failure in my lifetime. "MSC Cruises will continue to monitor pandemic conditions and port requirements outside of the U.S., with a goal to relax testing and vaccination protocols to open cruising to all guests, while prioritizing the health and safety of its guests, crew and destinations," MSC said in the release. Beginning September 5th, 2022, all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, can now cruise on the following Celebrity Cruises sailings as long as they meet any testing requirements to board: All other sailings (and sailings departing before September 5, 2022), the old restrictions still apply. Virgin has only two ships sailing, with a third on the way ( albeit a bit delayed) with Miami being its sort of U.S. homebase. for Royal Caribbeans testing requirements FAQ. The CBS Miami team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSMiami.com. Understanding Covid test requirements needed for a Royal Caribbean cruise can be a bit confusing. Now that basically all covid rules have gone away, Royal Caribbean has seen business return to near historical levels. Pre-Cruise: All guests 2 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result. In addition to the at-home test and pharmacies, Covid tests can be found at urgent care locations, pop-up testing sites, health clinics, and more. They made people sicker and killed many people. All rights reserved. The changes are subject to local rules at various destinations, and the cruise-line operator "continues to strongly recommend all guests be up to date on vaccination protocols and test at their convenience prior to travel," per the release. Royal Caribbean is making it easier for passengers to sail this fall, eliminating the requirement to test negative for COVID-19 prior to departure on select U.S. sailings, regardless of the guest's vaccination status. Just two weeks ago, Royal Caribbean published updates to its testing requirements. Generally, proof of inoculation must include your name, the type of vaccine you received and the dates on which you received all required doses. Royal Caribbean does not retain any part of the testing costs. Because of this, each port may have its own testing requirements, so it's important to ensure you're following the requirements of your cruise departure port. Currently, the island nation requires all cruise ship passengers 12 and over to be fully vaccinated to enter the port. Dont miss a single travel story: today! All Royal Caribbean guests aged 12 and older must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. You get more when you book with us instead of booking directly with the cruise line. Royal Caribbean Removes Testing Requirements. To avoid the chance of you missing your next cruise, whether domestic or international, we suggest being fully vaccinated. Your email address will not be published. Previously, pre-cruise testing was also required for all cruises visiting Haiti or Honduras, both popular ports of call with private . Cunard Line said in a news release thatself-testing beforesailing will be "highly recommended," rather than required, for vaccinated passengers on most trips beginning Sept. 6. Azamara dropped its COVID-19 embarkation testing rule,"excluding ports where it is still required in accordance with country regulations," the company said in a news release. Specifically, all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, can now cruise on the following itineraries as long as they meet any testing requirements to board: What do you think of the news that Royal Caribbean drops its vaccine requirement for some cruises? Royal Caribbean still strongly recommends that guests are fully vaccinated, if eligible, with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing, the company notes. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Norwegian Cruise Line made headlines when it announced it would end its vaccine requirement. Effective November 9, 2022, all travelers on U.S. sailings regardless of vaccination status will no longer require pre-departure testing ,the email read. Now, Branson's company has become the first major cruise line sailing . (Or you could go buy it on Amazon. A little more than a week after dropping vaccination requirements on some cruises, Royal Caribbean has opened up most of its sailings to unvaccinated cruisers. Royal Caribbean, "strongly recommends" guests get boosted before their cruise. Certain countries and regions have relaxed Covid-19 requirements whereas others maintain more strict requirements. Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, can be completed using any type of PCR or antigen COVID-19 test. Unvaccinated guests aged 2-11 will have another COVID-19 test taken at the cruise terminal on embarkation day. It also comes in handy after the CDC recently updated its requirements for passengers to . Pre-cruise testing costs and scheduling are the guest's responsibility. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. This remains in effect and, in fact,has now been expanded to sailings less than 5-nights in length. The cruise line indicated that these protocols better aligned with the travel and hospitality sector and met destination regulations. Royal Caribbean counts tests by days, not hours, so there is no need to worry if it has been ~50 hours instead of 48 hours since your test by the time you board the ship. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Do you know about when you'd like to sail? In the U.S., kidsyounger than 5are exempt from testing and vaccination requirements. Allowing unvaccinated guests back on at least some ships is a major shift in policy from the last two years. Here is what they said: Fully vaccinated guests will only have to show a test result at boarding if the sailing is 6 nights or longer. Testing requirements have not been finalized, All sailings departing from the UK and Europe (with the exception of Iceland), All sailings departing from Los Angeles to Mexican Riviera. Effective November 9, 2022, all travelers on U.S. sailings regardless of vaccination status will no longer require pre-departure testing (excludes sailings to Colombia), the email read. Vaccinated people get Covid so whats the difference? Vaccine requirements will remain in place, but the cruise line said it "is currently evaluating this policy and will announce further updates in the near future." Royal Caribbeans business has basically returned to pre-pandemic levels, he explained. Several ships routinely visit Labadee each week. the organization will continue to monitor and offer guidelines to ships. Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. However, some lines have dropped those and other rules. Vaccinated travelers will not be required to take a coronavirus test on sailings of nine nights or less. If not, just leave blank. For sailings from the United States (except Puerto Rico), on or after March 11, 2022,a Certificate of Recovery will be accepted for a positive COVID-19 case at least 11 days before boarding, but no more than 90 days ago. Royal Caribbean drops the vaccine requirement from select U.S. homeports on departures from September 5, 2022. Requiring testing for unvaccinated guests on all sailings, and for vaccinated guests on sailings that are six nights or longer. Related: How to use the ArriveCAN app for your Alaska cruise. However, they will not need to test again at the terminal. All sailings departing from the UK and Europe. NCL's rule change is subject to certain local guidelines, so cruises visiting Canada, Bermuda, or Greece will still require adults to be vaccinated. A guest is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the required number of doses in their vaccine series have been fully administered (e.g. Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for sailing lengths of 5 nights or less. As with any rapidly changing scenario like this one, laws, and regulations change at a rapid pace, and this often affects your cruise vaccination requirements as well. In Honduras, Roatan island is a favorite port of call, visited by several cruise lines. The Company does note that requirements may differ for guests traveling on voyages departing from or visiting destinations with specific local regulations, including but not limited to Canada, Greece, and Bermuda. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. The CDC issued new COVID-19 guidancefor cruise ships on July 20, with updated health and safetyrecommendations. Tests come in packs of 2-6, and it is recommended to order more than you need in case of any discrepancies within the tests (missing items, invalid result, etc.). This is what it's like cruising with a disability right now, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. So when Royal Caribbean testing requirements changed today, guests who are booked on or are considering booking a cruise in the near future have options to consider. Guests will now have the same test standard, regardless of vaccination status: You can show a negative test result from a supervised PCR or antigen test taken within the 3 days before your boarding day. Royal Caribbean International is dropping pre-cruise test requirements for visits to Haiti and Honduras, welcome news for cruises to Labadee. Having vaccine requirements and mask-related rules may have been the right thing for passenger safety, but it was not good for business. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Maintaining a high percentage of fully vaccinated guests onboard all sailings, far above the general population. Many popular cruise lines have eliminated the vaccine and pre-embarkation test as the industry is beginning to shift away from mandatory vaccines and testing. Labadee, the cruise lines private island, Carnival Confirms Documentation Requirements After Rumors, Mechanical Issue Forces Disney Ship to Skip Port, Adjust Itinerary, First Cruise Ship Arrives for Busy Montreal Season, Another Overbooked Oasis-Class Royal Caribbean Ship. Guests will need to provide the following documents: Royal Caribbean is careful to note that a Certificate of Recovery will not be accepted in lieu of a vaccination record cardfor guests of vaccine eligible age. ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. What Cruise Lines Sail Out Of Port Canaveral, Norwegian, Regent, Oceania will drop vaccine mandate on Sept. 3, Where Do Cruise Ships Dock In Barcelona Spain, Royal Caribbean published updates to its testing requirements, What Is The Best Alaskan Cruise For Families, Kings Bay Scenic Cruise From Crystal River, Where Do The Cruise Ships Dock In Santorini. Watch our special report news brief on the requirement changes: Here are the latest protocols for our guests sailing from Vancouver, British Columbia. With much discussion about cruises and vaccines, it can quite become quite confusing to determine your specific cruise vaccination requirements. Morgan Hines, a USA TODAY Travel Reporter, detailed her time aboard a cruise ship with positive COVID-19 cases on board. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will drop all pre-cruise requirements for vaccinated passengers age 12 and older beginning Sept. 3. Cruise lines are continually monitoring guidelines from their homeports as well as port of call destinations, and will adapt cruise requirements as necessary to meet changing protocols. There was no thorough check or attempt to match the card to my identification but there was at least a perfunctory effort. Shop Deals: Find exclusive promotions on Royal Caribbean cruises at JJTravelAssociates.com. Like what you see? ", Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Here's what passengers can expect. Just two weeks ago, Royal Caribbean published updates to its testing requirements. MSC Cruises no longer requires pre-embarkationtesting for vaccinated passengers on sailingsfive nights or fewer from U.S. ports, the cruise line said. Beverage Packages. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Are you happy with this change or did you like knowing that everyone onboard was vaccinated? Cruise ship crime: What to know if youre sexually assaulted on a cruise. This allowed the cruise lines to develop their own protocols, instead of it being mandated. Another important update has come through regarding enhanced boarding measures, specifically for our short itineraries. Additionally, they said they are continuing to work with their destination partners to evolve and finalize other travel protocols. Now that they dropped them, we can do business again. Vaccinated guests aged 12 and over will no longer have any pre-cruise COVID-19 related protocols. After more than 2 years under a COVID cloud, the answer is yes. Exclusive! Vaccinated guests must present a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR or antigen) taken within, Unvaccinated guests aged 2-11 must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within, All vaccinated guests must present a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR or antigen) taken within, Unvaccinated kids aged 2-17 must present a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR or antigen) taken within, All guests aged 2 and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR or antigen)taken within, Unvaccinated kids aged 2-11 must present a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR or antigen) taken within, All guests must present a negative COVID-19 test result (nasal swab or saliva test)taken within, If your cruise leaves on Sunday, you can take your Covid test Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, If your cruise leaves on Monday, you can take your Covid test Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, If your cruise leaves on Tuesday, you can take your Covid test Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, If your cruise leaves on Wednesday, you can take your Covid test Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, If your cruise leaves on Thursday, you can take your Covid test Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, If your cruise leaves on Friday, you can take your Covid test Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, If your cruise leaves on Saturday, you can take your Covid test Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, If your cruise leaves on Sunday, you can take your Covid test Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, If your cruise leaves on Monday, you can take your Covid test Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, If your cruise leaves on Tuesday, you can take your Covid test Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, If your cruise leaves on Wednesday, you can take your Covid test Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, If your cruise leaves on Thursday, you can take your Covid test Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, If your cruise leaves on Friday, you can take your Covid test Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, If your cruise leaves on Saturday, you can take your Covid test Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, If your cruise leaves on Sunday, you can take your Covid test Saturdayor Sunday, If your cruise leaves on Monday, you can take your Covid test Sundayor Monday, If your cruise leaves on Tuesday, you can take your Covid test Monday or Tuesday, If your cruise leaves on Wednesday, you can take your Covid test Tuesday or Wednesday, If your cruise leaves on Thursday, you can take your Covid test Wednesday or Thursday, If your cruise leaves on Friday, you can take your Covid test Thursday or Friday, If your cruise leaves on Saturday, you can take your Covid test Friday or Saturday. In Haiti, Royal Caribbean ships frequently call on Labadee, the cruise lines private island on the northern coast. Virgin will also allow 10% of passengers to be unvaccinated on U.S. sailings, and travelerscan contact Sailor Services about booking. Resources, laws. Matt Hochberg. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports. Unvaccinated cruisers must apply on a first-come, first-served basis. This ensures you can sail stress-free knowing you wont have your voyage cut short due to any cruise vaccination policy when entering another state or territory. The CDC has discontinued thecruise shipcolor status page on its website, but the agency said in the Frequently Asked Questions section thatcustomers can reach out to cruise linesabout outbreaks on their ship. If you want to ensure you have a worry-free voyage, we strongly suggest reading these cruise health policies carefully. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. We want to ensure a great experience going ashore at these ports, for guests of any vaccination status, while meeting local health regulations.". Tests may be taken up to three days prior to embarkation, and can be any type of PCR or antigen test, professionally proctored or self-administered at home without supervision. Check out our recap of youth immunization policies for details on cruise vaccination requirements for kids.