Updated May 26th
While most of these changes have been expected and/or already announced by other cruise lines, Carnival now officially outlines its COVID Cruise Policies and Procedures called Have Fun. Be Safe. From pre-embarkation testing to mask mandates, we discuss all the new requirements.
Carnival Outlines COVID Cruise Policies and Procedures with Have Fun. Be Safe.
Carnival Cruise Line has developed these Have Fun. Be Safe COVID Cruise Policies and Procedures based on guidance from the CDC and in accordance with the recommendations set forth in the Conditional Sailing Order.
Of course, these requirements are subject to change based on current conditions and/or evolving recommendations.
The line’s new Have Fun. Be Safe protocols include several new procedures and requirements for sailing on Carnival cruise ships in 2021. The cruise line designed these measures to “maximize the health and safety of guests and crew.”
Of course, Carnival is also aiming to still deliver a fun and unforgettable cruise vacation with these new procedures in place.
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As part of yesterday’s release, the cruise line outlined protocols based on itinerary, with separate procedures for Alaska summer 2021 sailings.
The new measures are broken up into six categories.
Booking a Cruise
Carnival advises guests to review the warnings and pre-cruise health advisories posted on its website. Also, before booking, travelers should be aware of the travel recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Enhanced Health Screenings
All guests will undergo a health screening at the pier before boarding the ship. As part of this procedure, the cruise line will test all guests for COVID-19. These health screenings will also include temperature checks and a health questionnaire.
Those with symptoms or who might be at risk will be detained for additional screening before boarding. The cruise line might conduct further screenings as need onboard. Further, the line will employ contact tracing on every voyage.
Responsible Physical Distancing
The cruise line will require individuals to stay distanced from other parties throughout the cruise. Although, the Have Fun. Be Safe protocols provide no specific distance requirements.
Carnival did indicate that distancing will be required at check-in and embarkation, at the terminals, onboard ships, on private islands, and during shore excursions.
While not providing specifics, the cruise line will make several changes to facilitate physical distancing. Chief among them will be reduced occupancy.
The cruise line will also stagger activity times on ships and “closely manage group sizes”.
Further, the cruise line will make changes to restaurants and entertainment venues to allow for social distancing.
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Face Masks
Cruisers will need to wear face masks in several instances during the voyage. Again, these protocols are vague.
Carnival will require face coverings in situations where travelers cannot maintain physical distance on a vessel.
Also, face masks must be worn where instructed by health authorities, on Carnival ships, private islands, and shore excursions. At this time, there appears to be no exemption to these policies for cruisers who are vaccinated.
Personal Hygiene
Throughout the vessels, guests will be encouraged to practice good personal hygiene. These practices will include regular use of hand sanitizer and proper handwashing techniques.
Regular reminders throughout the cruise will encourage adherence and maintenance of proper hygiene via announcements, program updates, app messages, and in-room literature.
In addition, the cruise line will remove all self-service options for meals.
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Shore Excursions
Guests will only be allowed ashore on tours and shore excursions that meet the cruise line’s protocols.
Carnival Cruise Line is currently working with its destination partners to implement similar enhanced safety and health measures.
In addition, cruisers will need to adhere to local health requirements. These new protocols might result in fewer tour options and smaller tour sizes. Cruisers who do not comply with this shore excursion requirement will not be allowed to re-board the ship.
Again, Carnival does not stipulate different procedures or protocols for shore excursions based on vaccination status.
The cruise line has been pretty vocal that it will not require vaccinations for most cruises. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that its Have Fun. Be Safe program does not mention anything about vaccines.
Now, the CDC has recently updated its cruise guidelines to eliminate the need for face masks and physical distancing on ships that meet a 95% vaccination rate. So, it is unclear if this will change the brand’s decision-making on a vaccination requirement.
Given that Carnival Cruise Line is a family-oriented cruise line, it would likely be difficult to achieve a 95% vaccination rate even if it was a requirement for all cruisers 12+ years old.
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Carnival Health and Safety Protocols for Alaska Cruises
With the recent announcement of Alaska sailings this summer, there are different requirements in place for these Alaska cruises on Carnival Cruise Line. Chiefly, cruises on Carnival Magic in Alaska are open only to fully-vaccinated travelers.
The cruise line explicitly states that this vaccination requirement includes children. All cruisers will need to show proof of receiving the final dose of the vaccine at least two weeks before sailing.
Thus, children not age eligible to obtain a vaccine will not be able to cruise on Carnival in Alaska this summer.
Travelers must show this documentation at the cruise terminal. Failure to provide the requested proof of vaccination will result in a denial of boarding.
Further, those who fail to deliver COVID-19 vaccine documentation at the pier will not receive a refund.
At this time, face masks will still need to be worn on Carnival Cruise Line ships in Alaska. While the CDC has offered further guidance on face masks on cruise ships, Carnival has yet to include this stipulation in its protocols.
Although, the cruise line does indicate that “protocols are evolving”, so face mask requirements could change in the future.
In addition, Carnival reminds cruisers that each locale has guidelines when it comes to social distancing and face mask requirements. When visiting each port of call, cruisers need to ensure they comply with local health requirements. These guidelines could include facial coverings in public or in specific situations and tours.
Comments
Will you still cruise with these Carnival COVID Cruise Policies and Procedures in place? What are your thoughts on these requirements? Drop us an anchor below to share when you plan to cruise with Carnival again.
43 comments
Georgia Kapshuck
I am a Gold member of Carnival right now and I just booked two cruises yesterday and now today I have to cancel them. I am not taking the vaccine so I guess I wont be cruising any more as long as this is a requirement. So sad! I do understand all this, but I do not feel I should be forced to take the vaccine. I am happy to wear a mask, wash hands frequently, social distance etc,.. BUT I REFUSE to take a vaccine I do not feel is totally safe for everyone.
Lynn Hamm
I was a cruiser until now. I will not be cruising if they decide to make vaccines a must! Our family will not be getting the vaccine! No more cruising for us we will just vacation to a selected island!
Tina Stengel
No mask, not be so strict. I feel being vaccinated is much safer
Don
We agree.
Lanessa Honeycutt
We are booked for a Dec cruise and we will not be getting the vaccine! We hope that it does not come to that requirement cause we have been cruise for years and will not get the vaccine just to cruise. I feel if everyone has a negative test or has been vaccinated then why is there so many restriction it is no different than us being on land and having restriction lifted there. I would hope we are notified of any new requirements so we have plenty of time to get a full refund.
Don
Hi Lanessa, it appears with these updated protocols that vaccines will not be required, but wearing face masks in certain instances.
Scott
With all of the restrictions…why are you calling it a cruise?
Bob Marley
I stood in line for hours to get my vaccine when available for my age group and as an avid cruiser with over 25 cruises, I say to the UN-Vaccinated if you do NOT want to follow the rules or print a fake card or not Vaccinate THEN by ALL means stay home!!!! I do not believe that it will hurt the bottom line of Carnival Inc. CCL on the Stock Market as there are plenty of cruisers that are willing to completely follow all guidelines whatever they may be. I myself have a cruise with my grandchildren in early August that one may not be able to go on the cruise because he will NOT be vaccinated due to age, but the rest of us are and will be aboard if the cruise happens. We as a family lost 7 cruises last year in 2020 and have only re-booked one; there are options. Finally there have always been rules to cruising the rules just have tightened up a bit for a little while and the Cruise companies are NOT the ones calling the shots on the rules right now. As the old adage say’s” Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way”.
Nancy Jackson
If your going to cruise each person needs to show proof of receiving the full dose of the Covid vaccine then you do not need to be tested. All crew must be vaccinated this is the only way this Covid can be stopped.
Debra Bradie
Carnival is one of my favourites lines but i feel that wearing a mask 24/7 is going to far. tTo tell us that we cannot do a self tour or just walking around by the port is going to far. You want everyone to book your tours but you are to expensive for me so in other words we have to stay on ship. What is the point of booking a trip. Why don’t you make your cruises all fully vaccinated trips.Must have vaccine passports or you don’t get on. i do agree to cut back on guests, i do agree that staff serves us in buffets. Don’t agree that we have to make reservations for pool shows etc. I will probably have to consider to rent a cabin etc instead of cruising for now. I do agree that there will be times to wear a mask but 24/7 on ship no thank you. I need some normalcy right now. We need to go somewhere were we don’t have to wear masks. Hopefully we will be back to cruise in future.
Don
Yes, the restrictions do seem a bit much, thanks to the CDC!
Steven Walker
I will not cruise with all these restrictions, what kind of vacation would that be
Ricky Early
Myself and wife are fully vaccinated and would like to see this as a requirement to cruise.we are currently booked to cruise in September.
SJ
You are aware that you are vaccinated and safe from others, right……….or are you? Seems like you don’t trust the science.
larry harbaugh
i agree with your requirements except for the thought that you might want us to have shots i am not in favor of the thought having the shot other than that i have no problem with you have listed
Tomas Hernandez
Please print out an update on the summer sailings, now that most passengers will be vaccinated for Covid-19.
Will proof of vaccination be enough or will you require a negative test. If so, will the cruise line provide a rapid test upon boarding?
Gary Ives
We have had our shots and we’ve been waiting for the cruises to open again after being canceled twice. We are very excited to go in the Mardi Gras on September 25, 2021. Can’t wait it’s been a long time coming. Best of health to all
BrandyLee
Bottom line is if the cruise line puts these restrictions in and requires things then you do them. If you do not want to do them, then you do not go on a cruise. Just because you don’t want to wear a mask or be required to get a vaccine, shouldn’t give you a full refund. They are telling you what their policy is and you are not wanting to go along with it. That is on you not the company. Also stating well I will just cancel and that’s a lot of us that will cancel, is threating them and that is just plain ridiculous and they will not bother with it. They still will have plenty of guest who will follow their rules, so you think they will be losing a lot of money because of that and in all reality they will probably make more money due to the restrictions and policies because more people will want to and feel safer cruising. As far as the no self serve at the buffet, I think that is awesome personally, I don’t like self serve as it is because kids and even some adults play with the food and to me its just nasty. So I am wondering if they plan on keeping people further apart are they going to limit the number of guests on each trip, like less than they normally allow? Just wondering is all. Anways everyone has their own opinion, but just like stores if a place says no shirt no shoes no service. Whats different between that and a mask or any other policy a company has. And the cruise line wouldn’t be the only places requiring a vaccine to be got. Other places and things are already requiring it.
Sj
Sounds like you would fall for anything. A little resistance is good. Freedom loss is rarely retrieved.
Richard E Forsythe Sr
Not Cruising as long as Test are required, even though I have had my Covid Shots. Temp testing is fine, further than that i am not going there.
Reading the comments, there are some who refuse to believe in the Covid Vaccine. This is why so many have passed, and we cannot get to an ALL CLEAR situation. Just thinkng that way will not solve the problem. Remember, when this clears and they start charging for the shot or treatment if you don’t get the shots, IT was your choice!
Jeff Taylor
Doesn’t sound like fun. Think I will just stay here. Too bad nobody wants to hold China responsible for the mess they created for the whole planet
Bill
You are so right! We love to cruise We went on 4 cruises a couple of years ago and had so much fun. This is nuts to pay that much and not have nearly that much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bill
Our cruise for 2019 was canceled. We decided to wait till 2022. However at this point we are having second thoughts about that! It’s nuts to spend that much money and have to make reservations to go to the pool, hot tub or anything else!
Andrea mills
Nope. Too much hassle
Desiree
Our family has rebooked our 2021 cruise for 2023 hoping that all these restrictions will ease up by then. We have special circumstances why we can’t get the vaccination. So if this does become a requirement we will not be taking any more cruises. It is sad that we have come to this. There are people that have medical issues that do not allow them to receive the shot, such as allergic reactions, and/or certain medical conditions that would react in a negative way. These few should not be singled out from being able to enjoy their life to its full capacity.
Roxie Falsone
If vaccines are required to cruise all my family will not be going. These are experimental vaccines. They attack the lungs, kidneys and auto immune difficencies. Which I have all 3. I am in pretty good health and not a person that gets sick. I do not wear A mask. I think they are worse for you and are not much for protection. I have a Carnivals 50th Anniversary trip planned and I am hoping we all will be going. We have a big group whom will not get the vaccination. Not right to have to vaccinate for convenience. We would tolerate masks but not to happy about it. As far as the tests go they are so inaccurate. To bad they didn’t have something that was. A false positive test will surely ruin someones vacation they have been looking toward to. Not to mention all the money spent for it. I hope Carnival can stand strong on this.
Melissa
We were getting ready to book a cruise but will not be doing so now. People cruise to relax and explore various ports of call often times on their own. We are not getting the vaccine for multiple reasons or following a bunch of restrictions while on vacation. Having a negative test prior to boarding and simple daily temperature checks would suffice.
stacie lane
If these restrictions and or a vaccine is required we will not be going on our cruise we have booked for April 2022. Hoping by then masks won’t be required. I would rather have a refund instead of credit…not sure when we would be able to use if this is still going on!
Ronald Walker
I will not cruise under these conditions. I will wait until things get back to normal.
Robin
I had Covid in June of 2020. In December, I went and had an antibody test which showed that I have STRONG antibodies against the Covid Virus. I am not opposed to getting an antibody test every six months to prove immunity. But I will NOT get a vaccine when I already have antibodies and I think Carnival needs to include positive antibody tests as a way to cruise freely. I also agree with other commenters that if you’ve had the vaccine or you test positively for antibodies, you should not have to wear a mask everywhere. Otherwise, what was the purpose of all the vaccinations? Until the antibody test issue is addressed, the cruising industry will not be getting my hard-earned dollars.
Melba Savoy
I will adhere to any of your rules during Covid. I’m just ready to go on a cruise!!! Even with a few restrictions. We have already booked a trip and I hope that it is not cancelled.
Mark
For the people who have had the vaccine there should be no restrictions on board. If we can’t get off of the ship to explore we should just float a few miles off coast. It defeats the whole purpose of going on a cruise.
Don
It will be tough for the cruise lines to monitor who has been vaccinated and who hasn’t while onboard. So, for the first few cruises, they will need to impose the same health and safety protocols for everyone aboard. Thanks for the comment.
Tom
Why don’t they just have vaccinated guests wear a certain wristband
Deborah Ann Zugel
Like a scarlet letter? It is no ones business who did or didn’t take the jab.
Any docs required for proof will be easily black-marketed anyway. Who want to cruise so badly that any non- ship sponsored excursions not being allowed is ok?
What a joke.
Michael Henley
I feel that if I have had the vaccine ( vaccine card) and test negative guest should be able to move about freely on board. All guest should have to prove that they have been Covid Vaccinated so that freedom on board can resume. We all are ready to do whatever is needed to get back on the high seas. Also, give discounts to us who have Carnival stock, remember we were supporting you while you were down.
Dwayne
They will give you an OBC if you send proof that you own at least 100 shares of Carnival stock.
Jess Kleemeier
No I will not cruise with all of this garbage. I’m calling now to cancel my cruise for 4.
Anthony
No way I am getting this vaccine for me or my family. I have a down payment on a cruise in the end of Aug 2020.
Would want my cruise REFUNDED NOT CREDITED if we are forced to have an unproven…untested vaccine!!!
My daughter is a cardiac patient and there is NO WAY she or ANY of us will submit to that!!
Brooke R.
We booked the first sailing out of Galveston TX in July, fully paid and ready to rock. There is absolutely NO way my family will be forced to vaccinate for this trip. I feel it is a GROSS overstep of the federal government to even suggest such a thing, let alone force the cruise line industry to mandate such a ridiculous thing. HIPPA, anyone? Since when did it become appropriate to have to furnish personal medical information to private businesses for admission? Where do we draw the line if this is allowed to fly? Of businesses are allowed to force proof of a bogus vaccine, that will only open the door to requiring proof of other personal medical instances. What about proof of not having the AIDS virus? Proof of seasonal flu shots? Don’t think for a moment that will not happen if this nonsense passes. Taking away the freedom to choose whether or not to have a FLU “vaccine” administered is just one more step closer to communism. My hat is off to Carnival for standing by the American freedom of CHOICE!! If Carnival Cruise Lines makes this gross concession to CDC, I expect a FULL refund and will get every official legal entity involved to do so. I booked this trip without this no sensical requirement. I expect that choice to be honored.
Joyce Dingman
Totally agree with you. I can about deal with a mask though in protest, but no way are we getting the shot, which is NOT a vaccine but an OPERATING SYSTEM. It does not make you immune to the virus, and if you DO get it, your reaction will be worse than if you didn’t have it. We should not be forced into getting it to cruise. And I agree it should be a FULL refund, NOT a cruise credit which will probably expire before the mandate would be lifted.
g
Fake news
Daniel Crist
I’m not wild about all the restrictions. Hopefully by Nov. when we have one scheduled they will be more lenient. If everyone has proof they have had the vaccine or have taken a test which is negative, I don’t see why all he restrictions. A quick temp. test daily should be an indicator if anyone is getting sick. No need for the masks continually throughout the whole ship especially outside on the open deck. Extra hand sanitizing places is a good idea. The buffets around home here have gone to gloves that people use when handling the utensils at the bar. I think people should decide whether they feel comfortable around a crowd or not. I will go on cruise to relax and not worry. If I have to follow a bunch a restrictions I might as well stay home. Many are anxious to return to cruising, so if they sign up they know and except the risks. Those who are worried will hopefully stay home until they feel they are safe.