What to Know About Testing and Vaccine Necessities for Journey

Celebrity Cruises, due to be the first U.S. cruise ship to resume operations on June 26 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said it was optimistic that a solution would be found in time. Guests 16 and over must be vaccinated while children are tested at the terminal.

Carnival Cruises announced Monday that its first ship would set sail from the port of Galveston, Texas on July 3 and would only be available for vaccinated passengers. Norwegian, which will operate cruises from Miami starting in August, said it would request it by October 31 and has threatened to skip the ports of Florida if the state does not allow cruise lines an exception to the law banning vaccination.

Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement on June 7th that “the current CDC requirements for cruises with an unvaccinated guest base will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests have come to expect, especially given that it is the great number “. from families with younger children who sail with us. “

“So our alternative is to operate our ships from the US with vaccinated guests in July,” she said.

But even if you are vaccinated, you need to consider the requirements of the country where the cruise is disembarking. The Caribbean island of St. Maarten, for example, on which Celebrity Cruises set sail on June 5, requires a negative test in addition to proof of vaccination.

This also depends on where you are going, but a good rule of thumb is to have your physical vaccination card (if you have one) and proof of a negative test if necessary.

Mr. Alexander, the tour operator, recommends bringing the original documents with you. While a number of digital health certificates – showing vaccine status and test results – are in the works, he said, they are not yet widely accepted. You should also check that your document is in the correct language. For example, the UK requires test results to be in English, Spanish or French.

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