CDC Updates Requirements for International Travel to US

The CDC’s updated COVID-19 testing requirement for international travel to the U.S. go into effect Monday, November 8 …

Statement
On October 25, 2021 CDC amended its January 25, 2021 Order, titled, “Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States.” This amendment updates COVID-19 testing requirements for air passengers 2 years or older boarding a flight to the United States, depending on COVID-19 vaccination status.

Effective November 8, 2021 at 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT), before boarding a flight to the US from a foreign country, all air passengers- 2 years or older – are required to present a negative COVID-19 viral test result, within a time period based on their vaccination status (see table below), or present documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days. Air passengers will also be required to confirm in the form of an attestation that the information they present is true.

Time Period for Testing for Air Passengers to Obtain a Negative COVID-19 Viral Test

Type of Air Passenger (2 years or older)	Number of Days to get a COVID-19 Viral Test Before a Flight’s Departure to the US
Fully vaccinated	No more than 3 days
Not fully vaccinated	No more than 1 day

For the full list of requirements and exemptions, please review the language in the Order.

Resources

• CDC COVID-19 International Travel
• Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination For Air Passengers
• Travel Assessment
• International Travel Information for U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, Lawful Permanent Residents and Immigrants
• Non-U.S. citizen, Non-U.S. immigrants: Air Travel to the United States

 

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Freedom Test Voyage from Florida

 One Step Closer!

Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas Test Cruise

Class is in session on the high seas and Royal Caribbean

 is hoping for a passing grade.

After the 15 months pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Caribbean International sailed from Miami this past Sunday with 600 employee volunteers.   They are sailing a "Test Cruise" mandated by the CDC as a requirement to verify new health and safety protocols before revenue sailings could begin. 

Freedom of the Seas departed from Miami, Florida on a two night voyage which will have one port stop at the lines' private island Perfect Day at Coco Cay.  All of the test passengers are fully vaccinated.  A CDC representative is also onboard in addition to the employee volunteers and staff.

Cruise lines had two choices in order to resume sailing from U.S. ports:  have 95% of passengers and 98% of crew vaccinated or successfully complete test voyages as dictated by the CDC.   Royal Caribbean opted for the test cruises while their sister line Celebrity Cruises opted for the fully vaccinated option.  Celebrity Edge is scheduled to sail this coming weekend, June 26th.

Return to Sailing a Bumpy Ride

Things got interesting when Florida brought suit against the CDC for it's halt of the cruise industry. A Federal court in Tampa on Friday granted Florida a preliminary injunction against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) decision to prevent an immediate resumption of cruise operations. The order will prevent the agency from enforcing against a cruise ship arriving in, within, or departing from Florida. 

The suit was brought by Florida's Attorney General Ashley Moody back in April. "The federal government does not, nor should it ever, have the authority to single out and lock down an entire industry indefinitely," Moody said. The injunction is stayed until July 18, after which time the CDC's sailing order will only persist as a non-binding "consideration", the order said.

Also, as discussed in Cruise Restart Saga Continues, Florida passed a law which prevents businesses from requiring vaccinations. Royal Caribbean is not requiring passengers to be vaccinated in Florida, guests sailing on upcoming cruises to Alaska out of Seattle will have a vaccination requirement. 

Vaccines are strongly recommended for Florida sailings and "unvaccinated guests must undergo additional COVID-19 testing at their own expense," according to Royal Caribbean's latest update.

Editor note:  Requirements are continually changing.  We meet weekly with Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines to review their latest requirements and protocols.  This is not the time to book travel on your own - please use a travel professional as they can best guide you through the process for a seamless experience. 

We look forward to feedback from the employee volunteers, the CDC representative, and the cruise line following the trial cruise.   Hopefully this will meet current CDC requirements to allow cruising out of Florida.

Royal Caribbean International has had a huge part in the cruise industry recovery by its participation in the Healthy Sail Panel of experts.  We thank them and other participants for those efforts.

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CDC Lowers Covid Treat Level for Cruising

As we approach the resumption of sailing from U.S. ports of call, the CDC has lowered the threat level for vaccinated guests and provided recommendations for all travelers. 

Key Information for Cruise Ship Travelers Who Are Not Fully Vaccinated 

• CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. Since the virus spreads more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships, the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high. It is especially important that people who are not fully vaccinated with an increased risk of severe illness avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. 
• Cruise passengers who are not fully vaccinated are more likely to get COVID-19, which spreads person-to-person, and outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on cruise ships. 
• People who decide to go on a cruise should get tested 1–3 days before their trip and 3–5 days after their trip. 
• In addition to testing, passengers who are not fully vaccinated should self-quarantine for 7 days after cruise travel, even if they test negative. If they do not get tested, they should self-quarantine for 10 days after cruise travel. 
• See recommendations for cruise ship travelers.

There still is no outcome on the battle between Florida and the CDC regarding requirements for vaccinations.  That suit is still pending.  Also, there is no clear answer on how cruise lines will be able to enforce the current vaccination requirement with the ban in Florida for businesses to require vaccines.  Celebrity Edge sails June 26th, so we should know soon.

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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.

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