Disney Cruise Line to Remove Mask Mandate Starting Next Week

Disney Cruise Line will no longer require face coverings in most indoor locations on its ships starting on March 11. 

Disney made the announcement in a message to its travel advisor partners, explaining the change was made “following recently updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” 

Guests aged two years and up will still be required to wear face masks in the Walt Disney Theatre, and those under five years of age, currently ineligible to be vaccinated, will be required to wear face coverings in Youth Activities spaces and in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Other than that, Disney will only strongly recommend guests wear a face-covering in all other indoor locations and will continue to allow guests to go mask-free in outdoor spaces. 

Guests will be notified of the changes this week. 

The news comes a few weeks after Disney announced a similar change for guests at its U.S. theme parks and resorts.

Face-coverings are now optional for fully vaccinated guests in both indoor and outdoor locations at Disney’s U.S. resorts (Walt Disney World Resort and California’s Disneyland Resort) except for on enclosed Disney transportation vehicles (buses, monorails, and Skyliner). Disney said it will continue to expect guests who are not fully vaccinated to wear face coverings at all indoor locations, attractions, and theaters. That requirement is optional for outdoor areas.

That change was a major one for Disney, which had initially introduced the requirement when its reopening started in summer 2020. That time included the kick-off of Disney’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, an 18-month celebration that will see Disney’s Orlando theme parks and resorts continue their evolution, including the launch of new attractions. 

Disney Cruise Line is also getting set for the debut of its newest ship, Disney Wish.