Carnival Cruise Line Will No Longer Require Guests Be Fully Vaccinated to Sail

Carnival Cruise Line is changing its health and safety protocols to allow more unvaccinated guests to sail and to allow vaccinated guests to embark without pre-cruise testing.

The new guidelines, which start on Sept. 6, will allow unvaccinated guests to sail without having to apply for a vaccine exemption (except for those sailing on cruises in Australia or on voyages 16 nights or longer). Those guests will still have to show proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within three days of embarkation.

Vaccinated guests will now be able to get onboard without having to test except for cruises to Canada, Bermuda, Greece, and Australia, because of local guidelines, or on sailings of 16 nights or longer.

Guests under five years old will neither have to show proof of vaccination for sailings in the United States. That age is boosted to 12 for Australia.

“Our ships have been sailing very full all summer, but there is still room for more of our loyal guests, and these guidelines will make it a simpler process, and make cruising accessible for those who were not able to meet the protocols we were required to follow for much of the past 14 months,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. 

“We’ve got lots happening, with Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Celebration joining our fleet this November and more to come in 2023. Whatever the ship, homeport or itinerary that works for you, our great onboard team is ready to deliver a fun vacation – something we all look forward to even more nowadays!”

The full list of requirements for testing and vaccination for both river and ocean cruise lines can be found here.