The Disney Cruise Line has just updated its Covid-19 policy, allowing children younger than 12 to join a Disney cruise without being vaccinated from next month.
Yesterday, the Walt Disney Company subsidiary updated its information page regarding Covid-19 health requirements for passengers in the US and Canada. The current measures will apply until 1 September, but, as of 2 September, the new requirements will be followed.
For sailings departing US and Canadian ports through September 1, 2022, Disney Cruise Line requires Guests ages 5 and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Beginning September 2, 2022, for sailings departing US and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line will only require Guests ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the CDC.
Although it will no longer be mandatory, the cruise line still highly recommends that guests ages 11 and younger be fully vaccinated before sailing, in consideration of CDC guidance.
As for testing requirements, these differ depending on a passenger’s vaccination status. Fully vaccinated guests on sailings departing US and Canadian ports must provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test result taken one to 2 days before setting sail to be exempt from embarkation testing at the terminal.
Pre-trip test results must be uploaded into the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Guests who do not upload test results by midnight prior to embarkation day must be tested at the terminal on embarkation day before boarding the ship and will be charged for the cost of the test, $74 (USD) or $95 (CAD) plus tax for the initial antigen test, and, if needed, $125 (USD) or $160 (CAD) plus tax for a confirmatory PCR test.
Travellers who are not fully vaccinated must provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken one to 3 days before the sail date. The test should be a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), a rapid PCR test or a lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted. This will be the first of 2 tests required, the second test being conducted at the terminal on embarkation day, paid for by Disney Cruise Line.
