Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Cruise Lines Lifting Testing Protocols

Covid-19 Test

Covid-19 Rapid Testing


The image on the right may look familiar to many of you who have cruised during 2022.   It is the Abbot Labs self-test kit accepted by the majority of cruise lines as a valid proctored rapid test.

While there hasn't been any formal declaration of an end to the pandemic, there have been some positive trends which has prompted the cruise lines to relax some of their Covid-19 protocols.   The latest round of updates includes the lifting of testing requirements with certain exceptions.

We just returned from our Transatlantic cruise on Celebrity Beyond.  This image was actually captured when we did our pre-cruise test at the airport.
Our particular cruise was one of the exceptions requiring passengers to be fully vaccinated, and to have a proctored PCR or Antigen test with negative results presented in order to board the ship.

Here are the latest updates from the cruise lines regarding testing requirements.   It is best to consult your cruise lines' health and safety page prior to sailing as requirements fluctuate frequently.


Royal Caribbean and Disney have announced that they are lifting testing protocols for sailings departing from the United States with some exceptions. Check out all the details below.

Royal Caribbean

Summary  
Royal Caribbean has already made the decision to welcome all guests, regardless of vaccination status, onboard their itineraries. Now, effective November 2, 2022, travelers on U.S., Barbados, or Singapore sailings — regardless of vaccination status — will no longer require pre-departure testing, with a few exclusions outlined below.
  

 What You Need To Know

 Vaccination Recommended:

  • We recommend that guests be fully vaccinated and boostered against COVID19.
  • While vaccination is not required, we kindly ask guests disclose their status during check-in.

 Testing: 

  • Effective November 2, 2022, all travelers — regardless of vaccination status — will no longer require pre-departure testing.
    • Exclusions apply to sailings to Colombia, Haiti, Honduras, Transatlantic and Australia sailings.
  • The Barbados Customs & Immigration form is no longer required for entry into Barbados.

 U.S. & Barbados Departures visiting Colombia, Haiti, & Honduras: 

  • All unvaccinated guests ages 12 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days prior to sailing.
  • Fully vaccinated guests and guests ages 11 years and younger are exempt from this test.

 Resources


Disney Cruise Line

 Statement

Beginning November 14, 2022, for sailings departing from the United States, Disney Cruise Line will no longer require Guests (regardless of vaccination status) to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to sailing. Disney Cruise Line continues to highly recommend that all Guests be fully vaccinated and encourages unvaccinated Guests to take a COVID-19 test two days prior to sailing.

 Resources


Celebrity Cruise Line

Celebrity Cruise Line has announced that they are lifting testing protocols for sailings departing from the United States with some exceptions. Check out all the details below. 

Statement  

Beginning with departures on November 2, 2022: All travelers, regardless of vaccination status, are welcome to cruise with us and will no longer be required to provide proof of pre-departure testing, except for specific sailings where vaccination or testing are required by law.

What You Need to Know

Exceptions currently include:

 Resources


Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line has updated their pre-cruise testing protocols. Please see the details below.

Statement

Carnival Cruise Line is informing guests and travel agents of additional updates to its pre-cruise testing protocols for guests on voyages 15 nights or less. These changes are consistent with the evolving public health guidelines and will be acceptable for arriving cruise guests effective immediately. Vaccines, proof of vaccination, and testing for unvaccinated guests are no longer required on cruises of 15 nights or less. However, Carnival encourages all guests 5 years and older to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, when eligible, carry proof of vaccination, and get tested before embarkation.

What You Need to Know

  • Cruises of 15 nights or less: Although not required for either vaccinated or unvaccinated guests, Carnival encourages all guests 5 years and older to take a pre-cruise test within three days of their cruise.
  • Cruises of 16 nights or more: Guests age 5 years and older have to present a PCR or antigen test taken within 3 days before sailing (unsupervised self-tests are not accepted).
  • A VeriFLY pass is no longer necessary for check-in.


Resources

 

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruise Lines has lifted all protocols for most voyages.

Statement

Beginning October 21, protocols to cruising have been lifted. This means that for most voyages there are no longer vaccination or testing requirements. This applies to itineraries to all destinations except where government regulations may vary like Australia and on a few enhanced guidelines voyages that have their own vaccination and testing requirements.

Resources

 

Bermuda

Bermuda has announced that they will no longer require testing for cruise passengers beginning October 25, 2022. Health insurance requirements will remain the same.

 Please be mindful that at this time, not all cruise lines websites are updated with the below information. It is important to continue referencing the cruise line websites for specific health and safety guidelines.

Statement

All Cruise travellers arriving October 25, 2022, onwards will no longer require a pre-travel test, arrival test or a day 4 test. Unvaccinated non-resident travellers will still be required to upload valid proof of travel health insurance to enter Bermuda. 
 

Resources

  • Apply for a Bermuda Travel Authorisation
  • Click here for Bermuda’s definition of fully vaccinated
  • Click here for the requirements for valid proof of travel health insurance
  • Click here for the requirements for a valid pre-travel test.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Today, Norwegian Cruise Line announced it will eliminate COVID-19 requirements …

 What You Need To Know

  • Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it has updated its global health and safety protocols by removing all COVID-19 requirements effective October 4, 2022 including:
    • Testing
    • Masking  
    • Vaccination
  • With the easing of the Cruise Line’s health and safety protocols, NCL will continue to follow the travel guidelines as required by the destinations it visits.
    • Please see the resources below for more detailed information about the country requirements.

Resources




I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.




Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat







Monday, September 19, 2022

Hurricane Fiona Impacts Cruise Ships

Hurricane Fiona

Archive | Graphics

Hurricane Fiona
Updated 9/20/22


Hurricane Fiona is now a major Category 3 hurricane.  Hurricane Fiona left a wake of destruction including catastrophic flooding, widespread power outages, and mudslides, as it swamped Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Sunday and Monday, resulting in multiple deaths and dozens of rescue operations. Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas are the next areas expected to be hit, with the National Hurricane Center projecting an estimated 4-8 inches of rainfall. 

Fiona is moving toward the north-northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). This general motion is expected to continue through today, followed by a turn toward the north tonight or Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will continue to move near the eastern Turks and Caicos during the next few hours, away from those islands by tomorrow, and approach Bermuda late on Thursday.
 
Several Cruise Lines have made changes to their itineraries in anticipation of the approaching hurricane.  Several ports are planning closures, which is part of the reason for the changes.
We have listed several changes below.

Airports in the region were also impacted with several of them closing or cancelling flights. This included Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Puerto Rico.  Some operations have resumed.  Businesses and airports will be closed in Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas on Tuesday and Wednesday.

If you are sailing this week or next, please consult with your travel agent or the cruise line's website for up to the minute information.  The information below was accurate at the time of publication.
 
Hurricane Fiona
1100 AM EDT Tue Sep 20 2022

...MAJOR HURRICANE FIONA CONTINUES TO BATTER THE TURKS AND CAICOS...
WIND:
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH...185 KM/H
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

None

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
 
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Turks and Caicos

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* Southeastern Bahamas, including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long
Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana, and the Ragged Islands



Click Here to Learn More


Royal Caribbean Itinerary Updates 
(click for latest)
   



Harmony of the Seas: 

Other than keeping its originally planned visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Harmony is swapping out its Eastern Caribbean sailing, which departed September 18, for a Western Caribbean itinerary. In place of port calls to St. Thomas and St. Maarten, the ship will visit Costa Maya and Cozumel.

Follow @JamesVanFleet or visit the Royal Caribbean Facebook page for frequent updates.


Disney Cruise Line Weather Alert (click for latest)

Disney Fantasy

Disney Fantasy is keeping a scheduled call to Castaway Cay on September 23, but otherwise swapping over from an Eastern Caribbean sailing to a Western Caribbean itinerary. Instead of visiting Tortola and St. Thomas, the ship will call on Cozumel on today, Grand Cayman on September 20, and Falmouth, Jamaica on September 21.

MSC Cruises

MSC Seashore: 

Like Disney and Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises is keeping its scheduled stop in the Bahamas this week, but replacing the rest of MSC Seashore’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary with a Western Caribbean one. Instead of visiting Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and the Dominican Republic, the ship will make stops in Roatan (Honduras), Cozumel and Costa Maya. 


Norwegian Cruise Line Weather Alert (click for latest)

Norwegian Sky: 

Norwegian Sky’s scheduled Eastern Caribbean sailing, which departed Miami on September 18, has been switched to a Western Caribbean itinerary. In place of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola and Great Stirrup Cay, the ship is stopping at Costa Maya, Roatan, Harvest Caye (Belize), and Cozumel.

Carnival Cruise Line Travel Alerts (click for latest)

Carnival Legend: 

Carnival Legend, which departed Baltimore on September 17 on an eight-day sailing, will visit Nassau in The Bahamas on Wednesday, September 21 instead of Grand Turk. On Thursday September 22, the ship was scheduled to visit Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, but will now visit Bimini in The Bahamas, instead. 

Carnival Freedom: 

Carnival Freedom is currently on a five-day cruise out of Part Canaveral. On Tuesday, September 20, the ship will spend the day at sea instead of calling at Grand Turk. Instead of a day at sea on Wednesday, September 21, it will stop at Freeport, The Bahamas.


Virgin Voyages

Scarlet Lady: 

Scarlet Lady made one change to its scheduled itinerary. Instead of visiting Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on Sunday, September 18, the ship instead called in at Costa Maya, Mexico.


Hurricane Season Dates 

Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1st and ends November 30th. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15th and also ends November 30th.
Make a Plan (FEMA) 




Read entire series (click here)



More links and information about tropical storms and other weather conditions can be found in the Weather & Hurricane Zone tabs above.


If you live in, or plan to vacation in, an area where hurricanes are prevalent, please prepare in advance by reading our series.

 








I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.




Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat





Friday, October 9, 2020

Now Trending: River Cruising

Every Friday in October is  #RiverCruiseFriday 

We continue our #CLIA Plan a Cruise Month #ChooseCruise series with this special introduction into the newest and fastest growing segment of cruising.... River Cruising.

Click here for River Cruising Guide

Discover the Beauty of River Cruising

See more than you could ever imagine on a river cruise. Get up-close and personal to destinations larger ships only dream to go and become one with history, culture and refined grace. River cruising is becoming really popular and several cruise lines are ramping up to meet the demand.

Viking River Cruises® Adds 7 Longships

Viking River Cruises® grew again in 2019 with plans building an additional 7 ships. New ship Viking Helgrim will sail the Douro River in Portugal. The remaining six will sail the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. Their names will be Viking Einar, Viking Sigrun, Viking Sigyn, VikingTir, Viking Ullur and Viking Vali. These six ships will have Viking River Cruises' signature Longship design, carrying 190 passengers in all-outside cabins. As of July 2018, parent company Viking Cruises® operates a fleet of 62 river vessels and 6 ocean ships.

Adventures by Disney® & AMAWaterways® 
Introduces Family River Cruising

Up until 2016 river cruising was predominantly a couples-only cruise vacation option. The narrow, long, 3 deck ships have cabins that were designed for double occupancy. There were a few exceptions, such as some single occupancy cabins on some AMAWaterways® vessels, made possible when additional stairways had to be added for safety.

Adventures by Disney® now offers sailings along the Danube River aboard the all-new, 170-passenger AmaViola, a river cruise ship that was custom built by AmaWaterways® with families in mind. New family-friendly design elements include specific room configurations, including six sets of connecting staterooms, as well as some rooms and suites that accommodate three- and four-person families, and other unique details that lend themselves to luxury family vacations.

Onboard activities offer something for everyone. Adults can enjoy wine tasting, music, dancing and an onboard fitness center, along with some of the finest cuisine and service available, while Junior Adventures can enjoy activity nights, movies, karaoke, relay games, life-size chess lessons, video games and more. Teens will also find activities created specifically for them.


 
 
Viking River Cruises® has advanced public awareness about river cruising with their unprecedented expansion and advertising campaigns.  Now, with the partnership of AMAWaterways® & Adventures by Disney®, river cruising has been taken to yet another level as families can be introduced to this great way to explore Europe.

Avalon Waterways® Announces 
More in View - More to Do

Not all river cruise cabins or ships are alike.    Cruising down the Rhine & Mosselle Rivers is an amazing experience on any river cruise ship, but it's  even more amazing when you can recline on your bed with your cabin's doorway open truly being immersed in your surroundings.

When it comes to exploring, all river cruises offer excursions included in the cost of your trip, but Avalon Waterways® has expanded that to include several options so that you can explore your way.

Dining on a river cruise is fabulous, with food and drinks usually sourced from local markets.  Avalon Waterways® now offers several options for you to dine when and where you want during your cruise.   This video explains it better than I can.



As with all cruises, you'll want to speak with a professional to determine which cruise is right for your particular vacation situation.   While all the river cruise ships look alike, they all have something different to offer.






Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions
 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.



Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

@ChrisPappinMCC

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 


Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Donald Duck's Ocean Connection

Click here for more Donald Duck & Disney Art
Donald Takes to the High Seas

We are still celebrating National Oceans Month, so on this Donald Duck day we thought it would be fitting to find a connection between Donald and the seas.

While on Disney Dream a few years ago we captured images of some of the Disney art work that adorns the vessel.   Here is one of our favorite images of Donald Duck.  He's sliding down Disney Dream's Aqua Duck - but wait, he should be on a raft.  Oh no!!

If you've not been on a Disney ship before, and you love Disney art, you should put a Disney cruise on your bucket list.   It's like walking into a museum of Disney characters.  If you are so inclined, you can even purchase a piece of Disney to bring back home with you.


Donald Duck's Debut


Donald first appeared to us in a 1934 film called The Wise Little Hen, a retelling of the original little red hen story. Throughout Donald is repeatedly asked to help plant the corn, and harvest the corn, each time finding him claiming some form of ailment that prevents him from participating.

If you’ve seen this episode or read The Little Red Hen. Unlike that parable, The Wise Little Hen took a more direct approach to showing her displeasure. She told Donald she’d cure him of his ailment so he could eat the corn… and gave him castor oil.

While that was his first appearance, the angry rage filled Donald we came to know and love didn’t really show up until Orphan’s Benefit, and it was also then that his relationship with Mickey was formed. Since then he has gone on to appear in video games, episodes of cartoons, and stands out as the Disney character who has appeared in the most films to date, outstripping even Disney Mascot Mickey Mouse. Apparently, there’s something about a rage-filled duck we just can’t get enough of.




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