Holland America, Carnival Cruise and more to drop vaccination requirements for select sailings
Five major cruise lines are dropping their vaccination requirements for some sailings next month, the cruise lines said.
Holland America Line will welcome all passengers regardless of vaccination status on sailings up to 15 nights beginning Sept. 6, the cruise line said. Currently, guests 12 and over must show proof of vaccination in order to board, according to its website, with limited exemptions.
The change does not apply to full Panama Canal transits and select other voyages and is subject to local requirements.
For its part, Carnival Cruise Line will no longer require unvaccinated guests to apply for an exemption in order to sail as of Sep. 6, according to a news release. That does not include voyages in Australia or trips that are 16 or more nights, and the changes are subject to local restrictions.
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Princess Cruises will also remove vaccination requirements as well on “most voyages of less than 16 days so that anyone can cruise” starting Sept. 6, according to a news release.
Similarly, Royal Caribbean will welcome all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, as well on sailings from a Florida home port, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Galveston, Texas, beginning Sept. 5 “as long as they meet testing requirements to board,” according to its website.
The line will also welcome unvaccinated travelers on any trip on Oasis of the Seas from Cape Liberty and European home ports. Royal Caribbean currently requires guests 12 and older to show proof of vaccination before they can sail from North America, according to its website.
And starting on the same date, Celebrity Cruises will welcome all passengers who follow testing rules on sailings from the U.S. and Europe – excluding Canada – according to its website.
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► Carnival Cruise Line will require pre-cruise 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. 6, according to a press release.
Passengers who are unvaccinated or do not show proof of vaccination will still need to “present the results of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within three days of embarkation.” Those under 5 years old are exempt from vaccine and testing requirements in the U.S.
► Royal Caribbean will require vaccinated guests 5 and up to take a pre-cruise test on U.S. sailings 10 nights or longer within three days of boarding beginning Sept. 5, according to its website. Unvaccinated guests 5 and older must take a test within three days of their trip on all sailings. The changes are subject to local rules.
► Celebrity Cruises will only require vaccinated passengers to test on voyages that are 10 nights or longer within three days of sailing as of Sept. 5, according to its website, where local rules permit. Unvaccinated travelers age 5 and older must take a test within three days before boarding for U.S. sailings.
► Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will drop all pre-cruise requirements for vaccinated passengers ages 12 and over as of Sept. 3, according to a news release.
Guests ages 12 and older who are unvaccinated or do not show proof of vaccination will still need to test within 72 hours before boarding. The company said it “continues to strongly recommend all guests be up to date on vaccination protocols and test at their convenience prior to travel.” Changes are subject to local requirements.
► On sailings from the U.S., MSC Cruises requires tests for fully vaccinated passengers sailing on trips six nights or longer and for all unvaccinated passengers age 2 or older, regardless of trip length, according to a press release. Tests must be taken within three days of embarkation. The cruise line recommends guests test within one day of the trip when possible.
► Princess Cruises will require passengers sailing on trips 16 nights or longer to “take a supervised test within three days of embarkation (guests 5 and older),” starting Sept. 6, as well as those on full Panama Canal transits and certain other voyages.
Unvaccinated passengers must show a negative result from a self-test taken within three days of their trip on sailings 15 nights or less, though unvaccinated children under 5 are exempt.
► Holland America Line will no longer require pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests on sailings 15 nights or less, per a news release. Unvaccinated guests 5 and older must show a negative result from a medically supervised test or self-test taken within three days of sailing.
On cruises 16 nights or longer, all guests 5 and up must provide “a medically supervised COVID-19 test with written negative result.” Passengers must get tested within three days of embarkation, and unvaccinated travelers will still need an exemption.