Cruise companies are charting their way back to normalcy by easing vaccination restrictions and testing requirements. The CDC retired its Covid-19 Program for cruise ships in July, giving cruise lines the green light to drop their pandemic-era testing requirements and vaccination guidelines. Although the CDC wants ships to maintain high COVID-19 vaccination rates and pre-embarkation COVID testing, many cruise lines eased the requirements.
Norwegian, Carnival, and Princess have removed most vaccination requirements for guests but mandate that unvaccinated cruisers present a negative COVID-19 test within three days of embarkation.
Virgin Voyages and Azamara have done away with the testing before boarding but keeping the vaccine mandate. Disney Cruise Line raised its mandatory vaccination age to 12 on cruises from the U.S. and Canada, with testing before boarding required.
Royal Caribbean removed vaccination requirements for guests departing from California, Louisiana, Texas, and ports in Europe but requires unvaccinated guests to present a negative COVID-19 test within 3 days of boarding. Florida should be added to that list shortly, but locations like Grand Cayman aren’t ready for that yet. Canada is also slow to drop the requirements. The Bahamas is close, as well.
At some point, all of the protocols are going to keep changing and adapting, but all are going in the right direction. For all the details read Current Testing and Vaccine Guidelines for Cruise Lines.
Uniworld
Uniworld has become the first river line to relax the vaccination rules. Starting in 2023, passengers will still have to follow the entry requirements specified by each country visited and are fully responsible for the requirements. Uniworld is the first major river cruise line. Many ocean cruises started easing their vaccination and testing requirements starting in September.
Azamara
Beginning December 1, 2022, Azamara luxury cruise vacations will no longer require proof of vaccination for sailings starting and ending in the U.S. or sailings starting and ending in Europe. All other sailings require proof of vaccination and booster until further notice. Guests can check specific travel restrictions for countries listed in the itinerary.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Lines is donating nearly 3 acres of once-Indigenous land in Juneau to the Huna Totem Corp. for a cruise pier. Huma Totem Corp. is an Alaska Native Village corporation that operates the Icy Strait Point port. The corporation plans to build a year-round facility where NCLH will have preferential berthing rights. The complex will reflect the cultural and historical values of the Alaska Native people.
Viking Cruises
Viking officially named its newest ship to join its fleet offering Egypt River Cruises. The 82-passenger Viking Osiris will sail a 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, joining the Viking Ra on the Nile River. Three more ships are planned for the Nile as part of Viking’s continued expansion. The Viking Aton will set sail in 2023 and the construction of the Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek is underway, with the ships set to debut in 2024 and 2025.
Guests sailing the Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary will experience the iconic sights of Egypt, including visits to the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, as well as the new Grand Egyptian Museum slated to open in November of this year.
The Viking Saigon began its inaugural season of sailing on the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. The new 80-passenger ship sails between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and My Tho, Vietnam as part of the cruise line’s popular 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary.
Viking’s 9th ocean cruise ship, the Viking Saturn was floated out of dry dock at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy. She is scheduled to enter service in 2023.
The Viking Mars made her way to Valletta, Malta to be officially named on May 17, 2022. She will sail itineraries in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Northern Europe before repositioning at the end of 2022 for voyages around Australia and New Zealand. Viking’s ocean ships have a gross tonnage of 47,800 with 465 all veranda staterooms.
