by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
January 13, 2022
Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean may have cancelled some of their current sailings, but Disney Cruise Line is still steaming ahead with its current schedule. However, a November Disney Cruise Line policy update to passenger boarding requirements has kicked in as of today, January 13, 2022.
Disney Cruise Line passengers ages 5 and up are now required to show proof of full vaccination status, while pint-sized sailors 4 and under must show a negative COVID test within the previous 3 days to 24 hours before sailing.
Following the CDC and FDA’s approval of vaccines for children ages 5 and over, all Disney Cruise Line guests ages 5 and up will need to be fully vaccinated by their sail date, starting January 13, 2022. Disney Cruise Line’s website advises:
“Currently, Disney Cruise Line continues to require all vaccine-eligible Guests (based on US eligibility requirements) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the time of sailing. This is a requirement for all Guests (US and international) ages 5 and older. Guests who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by the Guest) taken between 3 days and 24 hours before their sail date. Guests ages 4 and under must complete the testing requirements. The test should be a NAAT test, rapid PCR test or lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.”
Changes for cruise requirements are happening frequently, and often suddenly, and the CDC has a number of ships under surveillance for reports of COVID cases, so if a cruise – Disney or otherwise – is in your future, you need to stay on top of changing regulations.
For current Disney Cruise procedures, head to the Disney Cruise Line website. The website also offers instructions for uploading COVID test results to the Safe Passage website, as well as discounts for a special rate of $98.33 per PCR test (which includes a 3.5% processing fee) through the third-party vendor, Inspire Diagnostics. Guests are also welcome to use their own choice of independent test suppliers for their pre-sail COVID test.
- In addition to pre-sailing tests, Disney says, “All Guests, regardless of age and vaccination status, are required to take a COVID-19 test (paid for by Disney Cruise Line and administered by Inspire Diagnostics) at the terminal before boarding.”
According to The Orlando Sentinel, Norwegian Cruise Line, “the first cruise line to cancel sailings on active ships during this wave of COVID-19,” has expanded its list of cancellations, “including the first ship sailing out of Port Canaveral and more ships from PortMiami and Tampa as the omicron variant of COVID-19 surges. Norwegian Escape, the line’s sole ship sailing from Port Canaveral, had its next two sailings taken off the board.”
Last week, Norwegian pushed planned restarts on some of its other ships to March amidst the current wave of COVID infections.
The Orlando Sentinel also reports that Royal Caribbean has seen some shuffling and cancelling of sailings, including “the world’ largest ship, Symphony of the Seas,” which was due to sail out of Miami, but is now “offline until Jan. 28, and Jewel of the Seas also out of Miami out of commission until Feb. 20.” Other ships on the Royal Caribbean line have had changes of sailing dates as well.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
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