What Are the New Rules for Cruising
CDC has worked closely with the cruise industry, state, territorial and local health authorities, and federal and port partners to create a safer and healthier environment for cruise passengers and crews. Cruise ships have access to guides and tools to manage their own COVID-19 containment programs. In addition, cruise passengers have access to recommendations that allow them to make informed decisions about cruise ship travel. While cruises pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission, the CDC will continue to issue guidelines to help cruise ships continue to provide a safer and healthier environment for crew, passengers, and communities. Note that the lines make it clear that it is your responsibility to determine the COVID-19 vaccine or testing documents you need to travel through countries by air or land en route to your cruise. With restrictions easing to effect on September 6 for most travel up to 15 nights, vaccinated passengers over the age of five no longer need to be tested and unvaccinated passengers can use self-administered testing within three days of departure – except in areas where local restrictions are contrary (such as Canada, Greece and Australia) and on some routes (such as Panama Canal crossings, Transoceanic Voyages and some remote locations). Travel of 16 days or more always requires a “medically supervised” COVID test with written results within three days prior to travel. Our passengers were thrilled to resume cruising and these changes will make it easier for more passengers to explore the world in a safe and enjoyable environment,” company president Gus Antorcha said in a statement last month. No. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued rules that cruise lines had to follow to resume cruises in U.S. waters, which touched on everything from the policy of wearing masks on ships to pre-cruise testing.
However, the rules have been transformed into non-binding guidelines in several stages over the past year. In many cases, yes. But as mentioned above, some lines make exceptions to vaccination rules for young children. While much of the travel industry has returned to pre-pandemic state, cruising has recovered more slowly from some of the strictest restrictions over the past two and a half years. But now, cruise lines are starting to abandon these vaccine and testing requirements, making it easier for cruise passengers to sail at sea. Already, the rules for wearing masks on ships have largely disappeared, but not everywhere. Not so long ago, the answer for most cruise ships was “all of the above.” But today, it`s not so easy. Some cruise lines have relaxed their COVID-19 rules.
Others have mostly embraced the policy. Related: Do I Need to Get a COVID-19 Test Before Sailing The divergence has emerged as more and more countries around the world, including the United States, are rolling back their COVID-19 rules for cruise ships, leaving it up to each company to decide whether they want to be strict — or not. Keep in mind that regardless of your cruise line`s testing policy before the cruise, some countries around the world, such as Japan, still require a negative COVID-19 test to enter. If you`re planning a cruise from one of these countries and you`re not in the country yet, you`ll still need to get a negative test before traveling, even if your cruise line doesn`t require a negative result. Access what you need to know for your cruise depending on the destination. Other lines are taking a more dispersed approach to abandoning testing requirements, mainly due to ongoing testing rules in some of the countries where they operate. Where you`ll always find mask rules on ships, it`s a bit random. These are often local laws mandating masks or cruise line concerns about short-term spikes in COVID-19 cases in certain areas. Virgin Voyages is one of the lines that has relaxed the testing rules the most. On Thursday, it said it would no longer require pre-cruise testing in the two markets where it operates: Europe and North America (the new policy will go into effect on July 24 for cruises in Europe and July 27 for cruises in North America).
Our protocols have been implemented as a top priority in the best interest of the health and safety of our guests, crew and the destinations we serve. Even if our logs are in place, positive cases of COVID-19 may occur during your cruise. Our ships` medical centers have diagnostic and testing capabilities and are equipped for contact tracing. Our crew is fully vaccinated, receives booster shots when eligible, and wears masks indoors at all times. Given our protocols, positive cases are far below what communities experience on earth. This means that two different itineraries on the same cruise line may not have the same rules – so it`s more important than ever to check testing, vaccination and recycling requirements specifically for each departure. Even if your cruise line doesn`t have a pre-trip testing requirement, still test one to three days before your trip to minimize risk to others. A new test three to five days after return and especially if symptoms have developed, is also recommended, “says Dr. Jasmin Valentin of Sameday Health. “Once booked and on board, passengers need to take proper precautions, but they also need to remember to have fun – it`s a vacation!” Related: I was quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19 on a ship; So, in recent months, it has included itineraries where mask-wearing on ships was more common, trips to the Mediterranean that include stops in Italy (where ports specifically require passengers to wear KN95/FFP2 masks), and a few crossings to Alaska. Wearing masks on ships is also required by local regulations on all departures from Singapore.
Here are the main COVID-19 information pages on the websites of the eight major companies that make up the bulk of cruises in North America: This is the general policy on almost all cruise lines since cruises have allowed Americans to resume in 2021. In recent weeks, some cruise lines have slightly relaxed their vaccination rules, but not on a large scale. The CDC`s original conditional shipping regulations, which imposed COVID-19-related rules on cruise lines, expired in February and were replaced with a set of recommended guidelines that cruise lines could refuse or refuse. On July 18, that subsequent optional program was replaced by an even less formal set of recommendations, which the agency said cruise lines “should carefully consider.” Before finalizing your travel plans, here`s what you need to know to explore your favorite destinations safely and unlimitedly. “These guidelines will facilitate the process and make cruises accessible to those who have not been able to comply with the protocols we have had to follow over the past 14 months,” Carnival President Christine Duffy said in a statement last month. The MedallionClass app makes it easy to complete OceanReady milestones® and check in for cruises. These include: Warning: The accuracy of attack rates depends on the frequency of routine screening of asymptomatic passengers on board. To reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, cruise ship operators should include the following in a written IPCP: [6] Isolation by 10. Day is recommended for people with moderate illness (shortness of breath or difficulty breathing) or severe illness (hospitalized) due to COVID-19 or with weakened immune systems. While isolation of at least 5 days is recommended for most people with COVID-19 in community facilities, cruise ships should consider 10-day isolation due to their collection nature and limited access to higher medical care. [6] As of September 6, passengers on routes of 16 nights or less who present proof of vaccination are no longer required to be tested prior to boarding. Guests on cruises longer than 16 nights must take a test to see if they stop at destinations that require on-site testing (such as Canada, Bermuda, Greece, and Australia; these destinations require testing to be monitored).
Cruises of 16 nights or more may have additional requirements depending on the itinerary. To board Carnival ships, unvaccinated guests must present a negative PCR or antigen test within three days of boarding (self-tests are now accepted by Carnival for boarding purposes). Don`t panic. We`re here to help. In the following segments, we look at the COVID-19 political landscape as it currently stands at the world`s largest cruise lines and try to understand it all. Strict adherence to screening protocols for passengers and crew will help reduce transmission, and maintaining high vaccination rates will reduce the likelihood of serious illness on board. However, ongoing prevention efforts are needed to reduce the possibility of transmission to others if a case occurs on board the vessel. The CDC recommends that all travelers stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. In addition to the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide to individual travelers in preventing serious illness or death from COVID-19, a high proportion of travelers on board who are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines reduces the likelihood of cruise ship medical centers being overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 after exposure should self-isolate until testing for COVID-19 can be performed and results are available in accordance with the Isolation Procedures section below.
A single negative antigen test result does not rule out infection. To better detect infection in a person with symptoms of COVID-19, a negative antigen test should be repeated at least 48 hours after the first test. Passengers arriving at boarding without the required pre-cruise test may be denied boarding and no refund will be given.