Here Are the Cruise Lines that Have Announced Vaccination Requirements

As cruise lines are eager to resume sailings, and many restart outside of the U.S. because of delays in approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some are ensuring a safe return by requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to board.

Here’s which cruise lines have already committed to vaccination requirements: 

American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines, two sister brands sailing U.S. rivers, will both require a COVID-19 vaccination for all guests and crewmembers beginning on July 1, 2021. According to the cruise lines, the requirement will remain in place “until the CDC recommends otherwise.”

Azamara, which plans to begin sailing to Greece at the end of August, will require all guests and crew will be required to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before boarding a ship.

To board Celebrity Cruise Lines, guests 18 and older must be vaccinated at least two weeks before boarding. Those under 18 and older than 2 years old will be required to show proof of a negative PCR test. Celebrity will return to the Galapagos first with Celebrity Flora, the brand’s state-of-the-art mega-yacht, on July 4, and then will follow with Celebrity Xpedition on July 24 and Celebrity Xploration on Sept. 18. Celebrity Cruises will depart out of Greece this summer with the launch of the new Celebrity Apex. The seven-night sailings will kick off on June 19 out of Athens and stop at the Greek islands of Mykonos, Rhodes, and Santorini; in Limassol, Cyprus; and Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel.

Crystal Cruises will require all guests to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before boarding. It will begin sailing seven-night trips from Nassau and Bimini starting in July on the Crystal Serenity and 10-night cruises from St. John’s in Antigua in August.

Cunard will first return to sailing with a series of UK voyages on board Queen Elizabeth (up to and including departures through until Oct. 1, 2021) for UK resident, COVID-19 vaccinated, guests only. Proof of vaccination and the dates given will be required. All other Cunard vacations currently on sale do not currently require guests to be vaccinated, including all voyages departing on Queen Elizabeth on or after Oct. 2, departing on Queen Mary 2 on or after Nov. 13, and departing on Queen Victoria on or after Aug. 28.

Disney Cruise Line sailings this summer from U.K. ports, including London Tilbury, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Southampton, will require all guests age 18 and over to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Norwegian Cruise Line will require all guests will be required to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before boarding for sailings through at least Oct. 31. Norwegian will restart operations in Europe from Barcelona and Rome as well as itineraries to the Mediterranean and Greek Isles beginning Sept. 5, 2021. Norwegian Epic will cruise seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries from Sept. 5 through Oct. 24. Norwegian Getaway will sail a mix of 10 to 11-day Greek Isles voyages from Rome (Civitavecchia) from Sept. 13 to Oct. 25.

When Ocean Cruises restarts sailing to Scandinavia and Western Europe in August, all guests and crewmembers must be vaccinated in order to be allowed on board. Oceania will also require COVID-19 antigen testing prior to boarding and a second test prior to disembarkation.

Ponant will require all guests and crew members to be vaccinated when the French cruise line resumes sailing on June 16. The new policy will require all passengers and crew members over 16 years old to be vaccinated before the cruise. Guests and crew will also need to show proof of a negative PCR test carried out within 72 hours of boarding the ship.

Guests 18 and older aboard Royal Caribbean International ships will be required to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before boarding. Guests under 18 must show proof of a negative RT-PCR test. Jewel of the Seas will kick off Mediterranean sailings on July 10 sailing out of Cyprus. Jewel will remain in the Mediterranean until October.

Princess Cruises Summer Seacation voyages on Regal and Sky Princess will be for UK resident Covid-19 vaccinated guests only. All other Princess Cruises holidays currently on sale do not require guests to be vaccinated.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises will require all guests and crew must be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before boarding.

All Seabourn guests aboard Greece cruises this summer must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to boarding.

Luxury cruise line Silversea will require all guests to have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when it launches new sailings aboard Silver Moon – the cruise line’s new flagship – beginning June 18. The 10-day itineraries will sail the Eastern Mediterranean from Greece, with calls to Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, and Crete, as well as Haifa (Israel) and Cyprus.

Viking will require guests to be fully vaccinated to board its slate of summer cruises. Viking has added more sailing dates this summer from Iceland and Bermuda, and will homeport two ships in the Maltese capital city of Valletta for 11-day roundtrip itineraries in the Mediterranean between July and early October 2021.