The cruise lines are making strides to include all travelers to enjoy the cruising experience. Starting in September, the cruise line has lifted the rules for the 12+ who are unvaccinated. Regardless of vaccination status, if you test positive, you will be denied boarding. It is important that you have trip insurance to cover cancellation due to COVID-19.
Here are the rules for cruise lines that have announced the changes for unvaccinated travelers.
What Cruise documentation do I need?
A Passport Book valid for at least six months after your cruise is required
Negative PCR or Antigen COVID-19 Test Result by a supervised in-person or a telehealth professional
Health Questionnaire
Recommended Tips
Extra Test Kits in case you do test positive
Cold Medication as supply is limited
Book at least 2 nights' stay before the cruise for European sailings
Download the App for the cruise line as well as the airlines
Royal Caribbean
Starting with September 5th departures, your clients, regardless of their vaccination status, can cruise on the following itineraries, as long as they meet any testing requirements to board.
Cruises from Los Angeles, California
Testing:
Cruises 5 nights or less:
Unvaccinated guests aged 2 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date.
Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for sailing lengths of 5 nights or less.
Cruises 6 nights or more: All guests aged 2 years and older, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date.
Accepted Tests: Any FDA‐approved PCR or antigen test supervised in person or by a telehealth professional meets this requirement. Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test with eMed Telehealth Services for Travel - 2 Pack | Optum Store
Cruises from Galveston, Texas
Please note, that currently, only guests that show a valid vaccination record can get off the ship in Grand Cayman.
Testing:
Cruises 5 nights or less:
Unvaccinated guests aged 2 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date.
Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for sailing lengths of 5 nights or less.
Cruises 6 nights or more: All guests aged 2 years and older, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of the sail date.
Accepted Tests: Any FDA‐approved PCR or antigen test supervised in person or by a telehealth professional meets this requirement. Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test with eMed Telehealth Services for Travel - 2 Pack | Optum Store
Cruises from New Orleans, Louisiana
Please note, that currently, only guests that show a valid vaccination record can get off the ship in Grand Cayman.
Testing is not finalized yet
Cruises from a European homeport
Please note, that guests who are not “up to date” on their vaccination per EMA standards will need to take a test on board in order to get off the ship in Greece and Spain.
Testing:
Pre-Cruise
Unvaccinated guests must bring a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 1 day before boarding day.
Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested.
During the cruise
In addition to the pre-cruise test, guests age 12 and up (18 and up for sailings departing Sweden) who are considered not up to date with their vaccination, will require additional testing to be completed onboard at their own expense, in order to go ashore in select countries. To learn more about requirements by port, please visit our Europe Port Testing Requirement FAQs.
For guests age 12 and up (18 and up if sailing from Stockholm), the cost of testing to go ashore is at their own expense, conducted onboard by a licensed third-party testing provider for $55 USD per test. Royal Caribbean does not retain any part of the testing costs. Any required testing for kids age 6 to 11 (17 & under if sailing from Stockholm) is complimentary.
Celebrity Cruises
Beginning September 5th, 2022, all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, can now cruise on the following itineraries as long as they meet any testing requirements to board:
All sailings departing from the UK (with the exception of Iceland)
Pre Cruise Testing: Must test negative for COVID-19 within 1 day of sailing.
Based upon conditions or regulations in the countries you will visit, you may be required to go ashore on a shore excursion provided by Celebrity Cruises.
All sailings departing from Europe (with the exception of Iceland)
Barcelona, Italy, and Amsterdam
Pre Cruise Testing: Must test negative for COVID-19 within 1 day of sailing.
Mid Cruise/ Port of Call Testing varies depending on vaccination status and itinerary. Unvaccinated and/or Vaccinated guests who are not Up to Date* will need to cover any cost for mid-cruise or port-required testing. Testing costs and vendors vary by port and country. Celebrity will cover the costs for unvaccinated children, who are not eligible to be vaccinated.
No Debarkation Testing is required.
Order your test kits at least 10-days in advance: Celebrity Cruises COVID-19 Tests | Optum Store
Based upon conditions or regulations in the countries you will visit, you may be required to go ashore on a shore excursion provided by Celebrity Cruises.
All sailings departing from Los Angeles
For all sailings, unvaccinated guests must present a digital or physical copy of a supervised and negative COVID-19 test result from a test taken within 3 days prior to sailing. Antibody tests are not accepted.
All guests may go ashore on their own.
Order your test kits at least 10-days in advance: Celebrity Cruises COVID-19 Tests | Optum Store
For all other sailings, please visit the Country Travel Requirements page for the country of embarkation for your sailing for more information regarding vaccination age requirements.
For Oceania Cruises
We've revised our SailSafe Health and Safety protocols to be simpler, and easier, and offer all travelers an open door to explore the world. Effective September 3, 2022 through October 31, 2022, for all sailings embarking from that date forward, unvaccinated travelers may embark by providing proof of a negative Antigen or PCR test not more than 72 hours old. Ease of access to travel is also provided for guests of all ages as children will also be welcomed without the restriction of age or vaccination status. Certain destinations have specific requirements which will vary from our new base-level protocols.
Unvaccinated travelers will need to present a negative, medically administered covid-19 test. Antigen and PCR test results may not be more than 72 hours old at the time of boarding. •
Travelers aged 11 and under are not subject to any cruise line vaccination requirements or testing protocols.
Travelers who cannot provide proof of vaccination will be able to travel but subject to any required testing protocols.
Local regulations may have different requirements to enter certain countries – make sure to check Travel Requirements by Country to understand country-specific requirements.
Vaccinated Sailings included Canada, Bermuda, and Greece
Voyages embarking from European Union Ports and Turkey
Unvaccinated travelers and those not meeting the European Union definition of Fully Vaccinated will need to present a negative, medically administered covid-19 test. Antigen and PCR test results may not be more than 72 hours old at the time of boarding.
Embarkation Testing Protocols may vary by itinerary; Oceania will communicate itinerary-specific protocols to you as soon as the information becomes available.
For all voyages calling at Italian ports, authorities mandate that all guests must wear face masks at all times when outside of their stateroom or suite except when actively eating or drinking while the ship is in port. Italian regulations mandate that guests wear a medical grade KN95 or FFP2 face mask.
Guests who fail to comply with the Company’s COVID-19 policies and procedures, including pre-cruise testing, will not be entitled to a refund or compensation of any kind. Guests should refer to the Guest Ticket Contract issued for their cruise for complete details.
All guests are required to accept the terms and conditions in our Guest Ticket Contract. In addition, guests will be required to agree to abide by all of the Cruise Line’s health and safety protocols and acknowledge the risks associated with COVID-19 during their voyage and shoreside experiences. Guests who fail to agree to these terms and conditions will not be permitted to board.
Regent Seven Seas
Effective September 3, 2022, for all voyages, subject to local regulations:
Unvaccinated travelers may embark with a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within 3 days prior to embarkation.
Testing and vaccination requirements will differ for guests traveling on voyages departing from destinations with specific local health regulations, including but not limited to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, and Greece. These requirements will be highlighted to guests approximately 30-days prior to sailing.
All guests will undergo pre-embarkation health screening including an enhanced health questionnaire and touchless temperature check.
There are a small number of cruises – currently sailings starting from a port in Canada, Greece or the United States – which as per local regulations will still require guests to produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within a specified timeframe at embarkation.
For cruises sailing from ports in the United States all guests are required to complete a COVID-19 PCR or Antigen test from a lab or pharmacy within 48 hours of arriving to the terminal.
For cruises beginning in a Canadian or Greek port all guests are required to complete a COVID-19 PCR test from a lab or pharmacy within 72 hours of arriving to the terminal or Antigen test from a lab or pharmacy within 48 hours of arriving to the terminal.
Please note that only test results from certified laboratories will be accepted by the Greek health authorities in Piraeus. Anything else such as self-tests or procedures via ‘’zoom’’ (including from Inspire Diagnostics) will be automatically rejected by Greek authorities and you will need to test at the port for a fee.
Guests participating in any Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ pre-cruise land program will receive complimentary testing.
In destinations which require guests to produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result, for guests unable to arrange a test prior to arriving to the terminal within the specified time-frame, Regent will have on-site Antigen testing available at the pier for a fee. On-site PCR testing is not available at the pier. Please be advised that testing at the terminal may result in delayed embarkation. In the event you test positive at the terminal prior to embarkation, there may be mandatory isolation protocols that must be followed, including close contact quarantine requirements in accordance with CDC guidelines specific to cruise vessels.
As the entry requirements by country are evolving, we recommend that all guests consult with local government websites to determine any additional requirements, including additional pre-cruise testing that may be required to travel.
Guests who must cancel their cruise before traveling to the ship due to a positive COVID-19 test prior to leaving home, or those that test positive for COVID-19 at the pier prior to embarkation and are denied boarding, should submit an insurance claim. For guests whose claims are denied or who do not have insurance, Regent will provide a pro-rata Future Cruise Credit (FCC) on the amount of cruise fare paid based on the number of nights sailed; the FCC will post to the guest’s account within 30 days. The Future Cruise Credit can be applied to any reservation within one (1) year on any Regent voyage departing within two (2) years.