Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise operator, has announced updated vaccination and COVID-19 testing policies for several of its brands.

The eased measures follow the CDC’s decision last month to drop its COVID-19 program for cruise ships, essentially allowing cruise lines to manage their own COVID-19 mitigation programs. Since then, several cruise lines have updated their stance on mandatory vaccination and pre-embarkation testing, including Royal Caribbean, NCLH, Virgin Voyages, Margaritaville at Sea, and Azamara.

As the world’s largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation operates a fleet of 92 ships sailing under nine brands, including Carnival Cruise Line, the company’s biggest brand with 24 ships.

Carnival Cruise Line

Effective for cruises departing September 6, 2022 or later, Carnival Cruise Line is making it easier for 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.

• 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 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 U.S. and under the age of 12 from Australia.

Voyages 16 nights and longer will continue to have vaccination and testing requirements that are specific to the itinerary. For requirements for long voyages click here.

For guests who have a pending vaccine exemption application and are awaiting confirmation for cruises departing September 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.

Princess Cruises

Princess is removing the vaccine requirement for most voyages of less than 16 days so that anyone can cruise, and is also adjusting pre-travel testing requirements to make it less complicated.

Starting September 6, vaccinated guests sailing on voyages of less than 16 days will no longer have to test before boarding and only need to upload proof of vaccination while getting OceanReady.

Unvaccinated guests, or those who do not provide proof of vaccination, on those itineraries will self-test within three days of sailing and upload proof of a negative test before boarding.

These new guidelines apply to itineraries from all departure ports except where government regulations and protocols may vary like Canada, Greece and Australia.

• No pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests on voyages of up to 15 nights (guests 5 and older) with the exception of full Panama Canal transits, trans-ocean and other special itineraries; unvaccinated guests must provide a negative self-test result taken within three days of embarkation (unvaccinated children under 5 years do not require pre-cruise testing)
• Guests sailing on voyages 16 nights or longer, or sailing on full Panama Canal transits, trans-ocean and other specific itineraries, need to take a supervised test within three days of embarkation (guests 5 and older). Guests on these types of voyages will be contacted directly by an Ocean Navigator to assist.

Cunard

Effective September 6, 2022, self-testing for COVID-19 prior to travel will change from “mandatory” to “highly recommended” for vaccinated guests on the vast majority of holidays.

Only guests sailing on longer, more complex itineraries will be required to have an observed or in-person antigen or PCR test with a fit-to-travel certificate prior to departure. These include a number of holidays of 16 nights or more and other specific voyages.

These new guidelines apply to all Cunard itineraries sailing from Southampton and all other departure points, with the exception of countries where government regulations and protocols may vary including Canada and Australia.

The vaccination policy for Cunard guests remains the same, and full details can be found here.

P&O Cruises

Like Cunard, P&O Cruises will adjust its pre-embarkation self-testing requirement from “mandatory” to “highly recommended” for vaccinated guests on the vast majority of cruises, effective September 6, 2022.

Only guests sailing on longer, more complex itineraries will be required to have an observed or in-person antigen or PCR test with a fit-to-travel certificate prior to departure. These include a number of holidays of 16 nights or more and other specific cruises.

These new guidelines apply to all P&O Cruises’ itineraries sailing from Southampton and all other departure points, with the exception of countries where government regulations and protocols may vary including Australia.

The vaccination policy for P&O Cruises’ guests remains the same. Click here for full details.

Source: Travelweek