With the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently ending its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, cruise lines are now starting to ease the testing requirements gradually. Download the free TPG App to upgrade your travel! Children are never allowed to travel with the line, which caters only to cruisers 50 and older (and travel companions who are at least 40 years old), making age-related exceptions irrelevant. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. The updated guidelines are subject to the local regulations of applicable homeports and destinations. Per Norways regulations, Norwegian coastal voyages do not list vaccination as a requirement for boarding. The cruise line continues to practice health and safety measures that exceed other types of vacations. No precruise testing is required for vaccinated guests on sailings of five nights or less. As to what percentage of his clients he thinks are unvaccinated and will be affected by this announcement, he estimates no higher than around 10%. Check out our recap of youth immunization policies for details on cruise vaccination requirements for kids. What Is It Like to Travel to Saudi Arabia. Starting September 3, 2022, passengers on Regent cruises will no longer have to provide vaccine documentation in order to sail. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. Starting Sept. 6, vaccinated guests sailing on voyages of less than 16 days will no longer have to test . Effective on September 6, 2022, Princess Cruises will remove all of its vaccine requirements for most voyages less than 16 days long. Margaritaville at Sea Paradise welcomes all guests onboard regardless of vaccination status. And the rules are constantly changing. Windstar guests will no longer require a pre-cruise COVID-19 test for embarking guests (unless required by a country visited). Starting September 5, 2022, all guests can sail, regardless of vaccination status. While most cruise lines require adults to be vaccinated right now, unvaccinated readers want to know when the vaccine mandate may go away. They will still need to show proof of a negative PCR or antigen test result taken within three days prior to departure. Guests two to 11 years of age who are not fully vaccinated will need to bring a negative test result for an antigen or PCR test taken within the three days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of the cruise, but they will no longer be required to take a second test at the terminal. And other cruise brands, such as Carnival Cruise Line, currently make way for select exemptions, but they have yet to permit them across the board. Precruise testing is required for all guests. Children 11 and younger are exempt from both immunization and testing. Learn more. Starting in September, a larger number of unvaccinated travelers will be allowed onboard cruise ships both big and small on select routes but will be required to be tested for COVID first. Score: 4.1/5 (60 votes) . Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. Carnival Cruise Line Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail on all voyages except. CunardAll guests age 16 and up must be vaccinated, including with booster shots. And documented guests ages 12 and older who are fully vaccinated (according to the destination they are embarking and/or traveling to) no longer need to be tested for the coronavirus prior to sailing. This update includes fullPanama Canaltransit, trans-ocean, and designated remote voyages, for guests ages five and up. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Find out which cruise lines that don't require vaccine and pre-cruise testing, along with easing protocols for cruises. Consequently, most cruise lines opted to make masks optional. AFAR participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission if you purchase an item featured on our site. 2023 AFAR Media, ended the intense monitoring of the cruise industry, The Best Time to View D.C.'s Cherry Blossoms This Year is Sooner Than You Might Think, Low-Cost Carrier Norse Atlantic Adds London Routes From 4 U.S. Cities, Europe Pushes Back ETIAS Entry System Until 2024, Damon Dominique Believes Youre Already a Global Citizen, Stay Here Next: The Muir Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Stay Here Next: The Alpina Gstaad in Switzerland. NCL will continue to follow the travel requirements of the destinations it visits, such as Greece which still requires a negative Covid-19test for vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers 12 and older, or a certificate of recovery. All guests, regardless of vaccination status, can cruise out of the UK, Europe and Los Angeles as long as the testing requirements can be met. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Which Cruise Lines Require COVID-19 Vaccinations? Booster shots are also mandatory for all eligible passengers. The company has relaxed its protocols more than any other, with vaccinated guests aged 12 and over no longer having to undergo any pre-cruise requirements. Additionally, all eligible passengers 12 and older must have their booster shots in order to sail. A survey by review site Cruiseline.com found that 72% of those who would cruise in 2021 or 2022 said they would sail if a vaccine is required; 17% will not and 11% are unsure. Exceptions might apply for departures from certain destinations. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Currently, Viking will require all guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to travel. The line will no longer require guests to be fully vaccinated, and fully vaccinated guests will not have to test before boarding except for full Panama Canal transits, trans-ocean, and other unique itineraries. AzamaraPrecruise testing is no longer required for vaccinated guests, except in ports where testing is required. I will have a better idea at the end of this week.. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Fully vaccinated cruisers will not have to test prior to sailing. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Any person who is ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccination due to medical contraindications is exempt from this requirement. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. For all unvaccinated guests aged two years and up, a lab-administered negative viral test (NAAT or antigen) taken within three days of embarkation is needed for all cruises from U.S. ports. What happens if someone tests positive for COVID-19 on your cruise, Cruise ship contact tracing: How the worlds major lines are tracking COVID-19 exposure, Why I feel safer now on a cruise ship than in my hometown, first major cruise line to say it would roll back vaccine requirements, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Here's what it said. Anyone who does not produce a vaccination card will need to show negative results from either a self-test or a proctored test taken no more than 72 hours before embarkation. On August 10, Royal Caribbean announced that further updates would be coming on departures from September 5, 2022, on select sailings. Norwegian still strongly recommends that all guests be up to date on their vaccination status and test at their convenience before travel. For Europe and Tahiti, your last COVID-19 shot is now required within the last 270 days. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. (The line will send you that information prior to your sailing.). However, lines that planned to welcome unvaccinated adults have had to get stricter about vaccine requirements to adhere to new government policies. Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Children under 12 years of age do not need to test prior to boarding. One Cruise Planners franchise owner in San Diego, Calif. has yet to record an immediate boost in bookings. Exceptions include Panama Canal transits, ocean crossings and other specialty voyages. This includes major ocean-going cruise lines such as Carnival, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean as well as U.S. river cruise ships such as those run by American Cruise Lines and the. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. Our guests have been excited to return to cruising, and these changes will make it easier for more guests to explore the world in a safe and enjoyable environment, said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line, in announcing that the cruise line would be dropping its vaccine requirements as of September 6, 2022. The line notes that passengers also could be required to be boosted in certain countries. This article was originally published in May 2022; it was most recently updated on August 17, 2022, with current information. Fully vaccinated guests will need to show proof of vaccination status, and guests who are not fully vaccinated or are unable to present an appropriate vaccination record prior to embarking must take a NAAT or PCR test (not a rapid antigen test)1-3 days prior to embarkation. Beginning December 1, 2022, the line will waive vaccination requirements for all passengers on Europe and Caribbean itineraries, except where required by local regulations. Exclusions include voyages of 16 nights or more; itineraries that the line labels as "complex"; and sailings that begin in, end in or visit Australia, Canada and other countries with testing requirements. For Galapagos sailings, all travelers 3 and older must show proof of vaccination. Precruise testing is required for all guests. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. On shorter cruises that are five days or less from August 4, 2022, fully vaccinated guests no longer have to provide a pre-cruise test result. Enrollment required. Testing is not required of vaccinated guests. While the cruise was okay, the staff highly professional and friendly. Guests under two years oldwill have no vaccination or testing requirements. They included vaccination requirements for anyone age 12 and up (some companies such as Disney Cruise Line later went with a 5 and up requirement as vaccinations became available for younger children), precruise testing requirements, mandatory masking in public areas, social distancing, and other measures the CDC said would help contain the spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships.