Carnival Corp Testing & Vaccination Changes

Carnival Corporation

Updated October 26, 2022

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. 

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

• Important Cruise Details
• Vaccination & testing requirements
• Enhanced guidelines voyages
• FAQs

Updated:  August 24, 2022

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

Additionally, please be aware that on August 22^nd Bermuda updated their Cruise Passenger Travel Authorisation page and they are now allowing unvaccinated visitors who follow testing protocols to travel to the island. Currently, Carnival is the only cruise line to announce testing changes that reflect this update by the Bermudian government.

 Statement

Carnival Cruise Line is informing guests and travel agents of additional updates to its pre-cruise testing protocols for unvaccinated guests for voyages departing September 6, 2022, and later. These changes are consistent with what local destinations have advised will be acceptable for arriving cruise guests, and Carnival will continue to work closely with local destinations to protect the health of its guests, crew, and the communities the cruise line visits.

What You Need to Know

• In addition to lab administered tests, self-testing is accepted for unvaccinated guests on cruises 15 nights and shorter.
• Certain destinations do not accept unsupervised pre-cruise self-testing, including Bermuda, Canada, Greece, and Spain. If used for visiting these destinations, self-testing must be supervised by a medical professional.
• Regardless of the type of test taken, unvaccinated guests will be required to present their negative test results via VeriFLY or as part of the embarkation process. 
• Travel insurance is no longer a requirement for unvaccinated guests unless it is required by a destination, such as Bermuda. 
• Regardless of vaccination status, travel insurance is required for all guests visiting Fiji.

Norwegian Cruise Line Protocol Updates

Norwegian Cruise Line Updates

Updated October 3, 2022

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

• Cruise Travel Requirements by Country
• For more information about the required travel documentation they will need for their NCL voyage – www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents 
• Sail Safe
• Cruise Line Vaccine & Testing Requirements

---

(Last Update: September 28, 2022)

 Norwegian Cruise Line has updated its health & safety requirements.

Statement

Effective for sailings beginning September 30, 2022, all COVID-19 travel requirements, including vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing and quarantine/isolation protocols will no longer be required for travelers entering Canada by land, air or sea. Although Canada has lifted its COVID-19 travel requirements, including those specific to cruise passengers, all guests must still meet the following NCL embarkation requirements to board their upcoming cruise.

 

What You Need to Know

 

Embarkation Requirements:

• All guests ages 12 years and older, must provide proof of ONE of the following:
• Proof of completed series of one-dose or two-dose vaccination regimen.
• Proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or NAAT test (i.e., PCR) taken within three days of the embarkation date.
• Guests 6 months to 11 years are welcome aboard with no restrictions.

Important Note: While Norwegian welcomes unvaccinated guests, it is the responsibility of the guest to be aware of any local protocols and/or travel restrictions in place at the visiting destinations at the time of sailing.

237K and Counting

click image to enlarge

Do you want to return to the sea on your favorite Carnival Cruise ship or perhaps experience their brand new Mardi Gras?  Would you want to have one of those yummy Guy Fieri Burgers?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, you aren't alone.

Today, Carnival Cruise line President Christine Duffy sent an update to their travel partners reporting on the three month period since cruises resumed on July 3, 2021.  Carnival Vista was the first to return to service out of Galveston.  Since then 10 additional ships resumed operations including the brand new Mardi Gras which is a remake of one of their legacy ships.  Of course, she's nothing like her namesake with modern attractions including BOLT, the first roller-coaster at sea.

Guy's Burger Joint

There have been 98 voyages with 237,000 passengers enjoying one of the Carnival FunShips.  Without looking at the infographic, can you take a guess at how many Guy Fieri Burgers they consumed?   Well, it looks like most passengers had at least two of them since 499k burgers were served.

Christine Duffy Commented:

*Our resumption of service has provided much-needed vacations to hundreds of thousands of loyal guests, a boost to the economies in its homeport and port-of-call communities and opportunities for its shipboard team members to support their families in 120 countries around the world. 

We announced plans to have 17 ships back in guest service by the end of 2021, with additional ships returning in January and February and the entire U.S. fleet back in guest operations by spring 2022."

What's It Like Onboard?    Check out this video (click here)  

It looks like 8,000 people have partially paid for their vacation by taking home $1000 jackpots from the casino.    If you are yearning to get back on a cruise (or perhaps you've never been on one before), this is the time to book while the crew to passenger ratio is low, everyone is vaccinated (keeping you healthy) and prices are at an all time low.    

We are travel memory makers - let us turn your dreams into reality.

 

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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.

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How Bahamas Emergency Order Impacts Cruises

Bahamas Emergency Order

Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis issued the emergency order on August 19. The restriction is valid through Nov. 1.

 

Yesterday the Bahamas announced that it is requiring eligible cruise passengers be fully vaccinated. As a result of this, cruise lines are updating their health and safety protocols

We strongly encourage you to book with a Travel Professional.   Updates like this are frequent, and we can keep you informed of any changes impacting your vacation.

Royal Caribbean International

Statement  

We’d like to share our health & safety protocols for our sailings departing from U.S. or Bahamas homeports in September 2021. This includes the recent advisement from the Bahamian Government that cruise ships will only be permitted to enter a Bahamian port, including private destinations, if all passengers ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated. 

What You Need To Know

Currently, the enclosed information pertains to sailings departing U.S. or Bahamas homeport in September 2021. Health and safety protocols are subject to change and, as these occur, we’re committed to updating you.

 Pre-Cruise Requirements

• Vaccination
• All guests 12 years and older must bring proof of vaccination, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination record card, with the final dose of the vaccine completed at least 14 days before sailing.

• Testing
• All Guests: Required Pre-Cruise Testing: All guests age 2 and older — regardless of their vaccination status or the length of their cruise — will need to take a COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) with an accredited test provider, such as a drugstore chain or diagnostic lab, no more than 3 days before arriving at the terminal and show their negative test result upon arriving. The results can be printed out, or can be presented on your phone, such as the email result from your test provider. Costs associated with this test are the guest’s responsibility.
• Kids Age 2-11: Additional Testing: In addition to the pre-cruise test, kids will take one or two more tests, depending on the length of the cruise. Royal Caribbean’s test provider will administer these, at no cost to our guests.
• At the Terminal: For all cruises, kids will take a complimentary PCR test when checking in at the terminal. Registration details will be sent via email in advance.
• Prior to Disembarking: For cruises that are 5 nights or longer, kids will take a complimentary antigen test onboard before the cruise ends. Vaccinated guests who require a COVID-19 test for re-entry into their country may receive one onboard as well. Guests will be notified onboard about how to register for this test.
• Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested.   

Going Ashore

• We've worked with local tour operators to ensure they follow our Healthy Sail Panel health guidance for all Shore Excursions. These tours are available at a variety of price points and may be purchased in advance on Cruise Planner.

Tour Requirements

• No Tours Required for Vaccinated Guests: Fully vaccinated parties may book a shore excursion or visit the port freely.
• Tours for Families: Families traveling with unvaccinated kids must purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean if they wish to go ashore. This applies to all ports of call except Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Port Canaveral, FL.
• Tours Recommended in Port Canaveral, FL: For ships that stop at Port Canaveral, we strongly recommend that families traveling with unvaccinated kids purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean if they wish to go ashore.
• No Tours Required at Perfect Day: Tours or planned activities are not required of any guest who wishes to go ashore at Perfect Day at CocoCay, our private destination.

Mask Guidance

• Below is our current mask guidance for all guests, except those under the age of 2 years, who do not need to wear a mask at any time.
• Masks are NOT required to be worn:
• In open-air areas of the ship, unless you are in a crowded setting
• In the pool or any activity where they may become wet
• At venues designated for vaccinated guests only, such as select bars, lounges, restaurants and shows
• In your stateroom when you are with your traveling party
• While visiting our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless they are in a crowded setting
• Masks ARE required to be worn:
• While indoors in public areas of the ship, unless seated and actively eating or drinking
• While visiting public ports of call, where local regulations may require them

Dining

• All dining areas will feature spaced, sanitized seating. Nearly all restaurants and cafes will be available to all guests, though a select few specialty restaurants may be reserved for vaccinated guests only.

 

Other Venues

• If you have sailed with us before, you will notice there are fewer guests onboard, letting you ease back into vacation mode. The ship’s venues are set up to easily allow for physical distancing and there will be signage to guide you.
• Theaters and activity venues will offer spaced seating and more showtimes. Some events will be reserved for vaccinated guests only. You  should make show reservations once onboard using the Royal Caribbean app.

 

What To Bring

Travel Documentation Checklist

• Passport Book or Passport Card, valid for at least six months after your cruise, is strongly recommended. If you do not have a Passport, you may present a state-certified U.S. Birth Certificate (not a "baby feet" hospital certificate or baptismal paper). Guests age 16 years and older that present a Birth Certificate will also need to provide a valid Driver's License or government issued picture ID.
• A COVID-19 vaccination record card for all guests 12 years of age and older. 
• A negative PCR test or antigen test for COVID-19 for all guests 2 years and older is required. This test must be taken within 3 days of the sailing date and before arriving to the terminal. Proper documentation (printed negative test results or negative test results presented on your phone) from an accredited laboratory (no doctor’s notes) is required to sail. All costs for this test are the guest's responsibility and must be done on their own, not at the terminal.
• For Bahamas Homeport only: Bahamas Health Visa is required for entry by the local government for all guests 18 years and older. Guests under 18 need to be added to a parent or guardian’s visa profile. 
• For additional protocol information, please click the link below to read the detailed FAQs.

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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? 

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Grateful on National Travel Advisor Day

Today is National Travel Advisor Day and we are proud to be part of this incredible industry! 

A special thank you to all our loyal customers for entrusting us to plan their memorable vacations! Now is the time to plan and book your next vacation!  

Expressing My Gratitude

As a small business owner, we are grateful that we've been able to "weather the storm" during this pandemic and continue providing a service to our guests.   

As we look around our village and surrounding area, we see other small businesses that weren't as fortunate.   Many will never return.

Many of you had trips booked last year and had those plans put on hold.   You've taken Future Cruise Credits, or expressed your intentions to rebook when travel resumes, allowing me to continue providing you with my expert advice to plan your memorable trip.  Our trips too, including our National Conference, have been rescheduled.

We have fantastic travel partners that we work with that have also stood by us during the pandemic and provided us with timely updates and tools so that we could properly guide you in your planning.

Just today, we attended the 55th webinar with Royal Caribbean, who also expressed their gratitude for our loyalty, and expressed the reasons why they see the Travel Advisors as a critical component to their successfully resuming operations.   

Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have announced resumption of operations starting in June and July with some sailings hopefully beginning out of U.S. ports by July.  

Keeping passengers, crew, and destinations safe is critical to the resumption and continuing operations.   

As your Travel Advisor, we will have the answers, or be able to get them for you, that will allow you to book a vacation with confidence.  This is not the time you want to be going it alone.  Besides, we'll have access to special deals not available to the general public.

Other cruise lines are also making announcements as they work out details with the CDC.  Our job is to stay on top of all these changes, and provide you with details about requirements and documents for the cruise lines as well as the destinations visited.   These requirements are very fluid, requiring that we constantly monitor the situation.

Our Ask to You

We were there for our clients when the pandemic shut the world down.  We are very optimistic that the travel industry recovery has begun.  At the same time, health and safety of our guests remains our number one priority, and if we wouldn't feel safe ourselves, we will tell you.

Our services are provided to you free of charge - our travel partners pay us a commission when you travel.  So we have a favor to ask of you...

Please consult with us when your thoughts turn to resuming travel.   We can help with cruises, land trips, resort stays, etc.   We'll help you find the perfect vacation for your current situation, explain all the necessary steps before, during, and after your trip, and answer all questions you may have.

Also, when you hear friends, family, and co-workers considering a trip - please share our contact information with them, and encourage them to use a travel advisor.   Finally, we will recommend travel insurance be taken on any trip, so include that in your budgets.  Some destinations will require their own insurance as well, which we will advise you on as needed.

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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? 

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50 Million Guests Can't Be Wrong

#RoyalWOW

Royal Caribbean International®

Celebrates Major Milestone

50 Million Guests

This year there has been a lot of negative press and attention to the cruise industry.  While the majority of the press was aimed at one particular cruise line, all lines have seen an impact.  The industry is strong and in the long run, this will only be a small blip on the radar.  In fact, Royal Caribbean International has just welcomed their 50 millionth guest onboard their ships.

We live in what seems like "tragic times".   Every night on the news there are more stories with sad news about death, injury, and disasters, than there are uplifting stories with happy endings.  Through  the marvels of technology, we are connected in ways never before imagined and can be "live" on the scene anywhere in the world as news breaks out.

Unfortunately, there are many people that have considered cruising, but were not certain it was right for them.   When prospective first-time cruisers listen to the news and hear only negative "facts", it is understandable that they have doubts, and often decide to stay within their comfort zone.

Here is an Uplifting Story With More Happiness to Come

Royal Caribbean International was founded as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1968.  They currently operate with a fleet of 21 ships, two of which are the largest ships afloat in the entire industry.  There are three more ships being built over the next 3 years.

When you go on vacation, whether it be on a cruise, or to a hotel nearby or far from home, you have some expectations about your experience.    Royal Caribbean strives to deliver the "WOW" to each and every guest each time they sail on one of their ships. 

Royal Caribbean, upon achieving this milestone, has demonstrated that it has delivered on that goal over the years.  Guests who sail on RCI are very loyal.  In fact their Crown & Anchor® Society just recently expanded their tiers to recognize members with 700 or more cruise points (which reflect the number of cruises, nights, and type of accommodations).

Celebrating All Year

Royal Caribbean is celebrating this milestone all year long.   Currently they are asking guests to submit their "WOWs"  via Facebook, Twitter, or other means.  For more information see their 50 Million Guests Page.   Watch this video to learn more about this milestone.

As part of this year-long celebration, we are collecting your ideas about what you'd like to see on the next Oasis-class ship.  Maybe your idea will come to life ...   What Would You Like to See on Third Oasis-Class Ship

CONGRATULATIONS ROYAL CARIBBEAN ON THIS ACHIEVEMENT 

On a personal note, I'd like to thank Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President Sales and Trade Support & Service, and the entire Royal Caribbean family for being such great travel partners.  Together we strive to exceed our guest's dreams day after day.   It is pretty easy to do when we can offer such a great product as RCI delivers the #RoyalWOW.