The vaccination requirement will still apply to guests aged 12 and over
From 2 September, the line’s requirement to be vaccinated will no longer apply to guests aged 5 to 11 for sailings out of US and Canadian ports. However, the company will still require guests over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated.
Despite the line updating its website to reflect the changes, it still “highly recommends” guests aged 11 and younger be fully vaccinated before sailing.
Covid-19 testing is also still required for all guests, with different requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.
Fully vaccinated guests who provide a negative test result taken one to two days before sailing are exempt from testing at the cruise terminal.
Carnival Cruise Line today announced protocol updates for COVID-19.
\With these changes, Carnival said is making it easier for more guests to sail with simplified vaccination and testing guidelines, including no testing for vaccinated guests on sailings less than 16 nights, and eliminating the exemption request process for unvaccinated guests, who will only need to show a negative test result at embarkation.
All new guidelines are effective for cruises departing on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, or later, and include:
• Vaccinated guests must continue to provide evidence of their vaccination status prior to embarkation. 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. • Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail and are no longer required to apply for a vaccine exemption, except for cruises in Australia or on voyages 16 nights and longer. • Unvaccinated guests or those who do not provide proof of vaccination must present the results of a negative PCR or antigen test was taken within three days of embarkation. • All policies are subject to local destination regulations.
Guests under the age of five years are exempt from vaccination and testing requirements from the United States and under the age of 12 from Australia, the company said.
Voyages 16 nights and longer will continue to have vaccination and testing requirements that are specific to the itinerary. Requirements for long voyages and destination-specific protocols are available on Carnival’s Have Fun. Be Safe. page on Carnival.com
For guests who have a pending vaccine exemption application and are awaiting confirmation for cruises departing Sept. 6 or later, the booking is confirmed unless booked on a sailing that calls on Canada, Bermuda, Australia or if the voyage is 16 nights or longer.
“Our ships have been sailing very full all summer, but there is still room for more of our loyal guests, and these guidelines will make it a simpler process, and make cruising accessible for those who were not able to meet the protocols we were required to follow for much of the past 14 months,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“We’ve got lots happening, with Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Celebration joining our fleet this November and more to come in 2023. Whatever the ship, homeport or itinerary that works for you, our great onboard team is ready to deliver a fun vacation – something we all look forward to even more nowadays!”
Duffy added that Carnival is in the process of updating its website, communications, and processes, and sharing more details with guests and travel advisor partners to reflect these new, simplified policies. “We appreciate the patience of our guests and travel advisor partners as we update all materials, but the end result is a very positive one for all who are looking forward to cruising with us,” she said.
With the CDC dropping its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, Cruise Industry News looks at the timeline that led to the decision.
Week of March 9, 2020: Despite efforts by the industry’s lobby group CLIA, cruise lines decide to voluntarily suspend operations in the United States. Most companies plan 30-day operation pauses, aiming for early April resumptions.
March 14, 2020: The CDC issues a No Sail Order, essentially banning cruise ship operations in U.S. ports for 30 days.
April 9, 2020: The No Sail Order is extended for the first time and is now valid for an additional 100 days. During the same announcement, the health agency defines additional parameters for the expiration of the ban, such as the official end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
July 16, 2020: The CDC extends the No Sail Order again, this time setting a September 30 expiration date.
July 23, 2020: After extending the No Sail Order, the CDC asks for public input on new cruise protocols.
September 30, 2020: Previously set to expire on September 30, the No Sail Order is extended for another month.
October 30, 2020: The CDC finally drops the No Sail Order, replacing it with a new Conditional Sail Order. The 40-page regulation plan is said to allow cruise lines to start planning their return to service through a framework of phases and public health measures.
November 21, 2020: While cruise operators work to meet the Conditional Sail Order requirements, CDC raises its warning for cruise travel. The health agency now advises against cruising, with a Level 4 warning.
December 31, 2020: As the year ends, no operator has been granted permission to return to service in the U.S. under the original Conditional Sail Order guidance.
March 24, 2021: After Royal Caribbean’s then-CEO Richard Fain speaks out against CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sail Order, calling it “unworkable,” more pressure is put on the organization to relax its set of rules for cruising. Mentioning the advance of the COVID-19 vaccination across the country, CLIA asks the health agency to allow for a return of operations by the beginning of July.
April 2, 2021: The CDC issues the first new cruise guidance since October 2020, outlining a technical framework that would allow for the resumption of sailing.
April 3, 2021: Three U.S. Senators introduce an act to revoke the Conditional Sail Order. Called CRUISE Act, the bill requires the CDC to provide mitigation guidance for cruise lines to resume safe domestic operations.
April 5, 2021: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces a lawsuit against the Biden Administration, the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services to allow cruises to restart in the United States.
April 25, 2021: The CRUISE Act is blocked from passing in the Senate and the Conditional Sail Order continues to be the way for the service return.
April 28, 2021: In a letter sent to cruise lines, the CDC says it is looking at a timeline that will allow restarting of the U.S. cruise industry by mid-July.
May 5, 2021: In yet another step for cruise resumption, the CDC publishes technical instructions for cruise ship operators preparing to conduct simulated voyages in advance of restricted passenger voyages under the COVID-19 Conditional Sail Certificate.
May 15, 2021: The CDC releases further updates to the Conditional Sail Order, paving the way for the restart of cruise operations in the United States. The changes add new rules for screening of embarking passengers, vaccination requirements and more.
May 18, 2021: The State of Florida’s lawsuit to reopen the cruise industry against the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services heads to mediation.
May 25, 2021: Under the Conditional Sail Order, Royal Caribbean International becomes the first cruise line to receive the CDC’s approval for a simulated voyage with volunteers.
May 26, 2021: The CDC significantly relaxes cruise ship regulations for passengers and crew that have been vaccinated against COVID-19, allowing a quicker restart of the industry.
June 17, 2021: Seven months after raising it, the CDC lowers its warning against cruise travel from Level 4 to Level 3.
June 26, 2021: As more cruise lines get ready for test voyages, Celebrity Cruises becomes the first cruise major company to resume service in North America. Sailing from Port Everglades, the Celebrity Edge launches the first U.S.-based cruise in over 15 months.
First Week of July 2021: More operators resume service in the U.S., including Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International.
August 21, 2021: The CDC issues updated guidance that says that people who are at high risk of severe complications from COVID-19 should avoid cruise ships.
October 25, 2021: With most of the U.S.-based cruise lines and various ships now in service, the Conditional Sail Order is extended by the CDC. The extension of the framework is valid through January 15, 2022.
December 30, 2021: The CDC once again raises its warning for Americans going on cruises, telling them to avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status. After being lowered just a few months back, the warning returns to Level 4, the highest such level.
January 15, 2022: Despite pushbacks from some U.S. politicians, the CDC lets the Conditional Sail Order expire. To replace the guidance, the health agency prepares a new voluntary plan, which cruise lines will opt-in.
February 9, 2022: The CDC finally releases its new COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships operating in U.S. waters. The program is recommended and includes the continuity of the agency’s colour status system for disease cases on ships.
February 19, 2022: Ten days after the revelation of the new CDC program, 18 cruise brands and 110 ships have officially enrolled in it.
March 15, 2022: After being initially lowered in February, the CDC’s warning for cruise travel goes down once again. For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk is classified with a Level 2 (moderate) warning.
March 30, 2022: The CDC finally drops its cruise health travel warning notice after two years.
July 18, 2022: The CDC ends its COVID-19 program for cruise ships. The health agency also reportedly stops tracking cases of the disease on cruise vessels.
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