The largest cruise companies in the world announced this week that they are easing COVID testing requirements on some voyages that last less than a week.
Both CCL-Carnival Cruise Line and RCG-Royal Caribbean Group said they had made the changes in response to the end of the CDC-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID cruise program earlier this month.
Starting Thursday, July 28, Carnival announced that fully vaccinated passengers would not need to take a COVID test before boarding if the voyage is 5 nights or fewer. For sailings 6 nights/longer, travelers still need to test, but the tests can be done 3 days before the departure.
Unvaccinated passengers still must present proof of a negative COVID test, administered by a lab/supervised as a self-test within 3 days of boarding, the line said. Testing on the day of departure in cruise port terminals will not be required.
Carnival said more changes would be announced shortly and all changes were subject to any requirements of destinations on the itinerary.
RCI-Royal Caribbean removes pre-embarkation COVID testing
Royal Caribbean announced on Thursday, July 28, that it is no longer requiring vaccinated passengers to take a COVID test before embarking on cruises 6 nights or less.
The protocol goes into place starting August 8, 2022.
Cruise officials said any passengers departing before then have to adhere to the current protocols in place, which differ depending on where travelers are leaving from.
The cruise company will still require unvaccinated cruisers and vaccinated passengers embarking on voyages 6 nights or longer, to take a COVID test within 3 days of the departure date.
Royal Caribbean also announced it will continue to maintain a high percentage of fully vaccinated passengers, and crew will continue to be fully vaccinated/boosted as well as tested regularly when eligible.
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We’re going on a holy land cruise in Oct. and are getting to Rome a day early. Do we have to get a test when we get to Rome or can we get one before we leave?