Two other cruise lines, both part of Carnival Corporation & plc, have adjusted testing requirements for shorter cruises, relaxing protocols to allow passengers to sail more easily.
Cunard Line AND P&O Cruises are easing their requirements for cruises from 6 September 2022, but only for shorter cruises where government regulations allow. At some ports of embarkation, stricter local guidelines will still apply.
Cunard Line and P&O Cruises Relax testing requirements
For both lines, testing for fully vaccinated passengers will become “highly recommended” rather than “required” as of Tuesday, September 6.
Only on longer, more “complex” cruises will guests be required to present a negative antigen or PCR test to be allowed to board. While the exact details of what constitutes a “complex” cruise have yet to be clarified, stricter requirements are likely to apply to itineraries of 16 nights or longer, as well as some vacation cruises.
Regions with more stringent local protocols, at this time including Canada and Australia, still require testing and guests booked on applicable cruises will be notified of their exact requirements for cruise travel.
“These updated protocols reflect the current environment around the world and while some key elements have been relaxed, our commitment to protecting the health and well-being of all guests, crew and the communities we visit remains an ongoing and vital consideration. said Sture Myrmell, president of Carnival UKoverseeing both Cunard Line and P&O Cruises.
To continue to ensure health and wellness, both lines still require all guests aged 16 and over to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to departure.
Prospective guests should stay in touch with their cruise line to be alerted to changing protocols and updated guidelines closer to the cruise date, as requirements may change at any time if necessary or as local conditions evolve.
More cruise line drop testing
In recent weeks, a number of cruise lines has eased pre-cruise testing requirementsespecially for vaccinated passengers on shorter cruises.
This includes the most popular cruise line that is part of Carnival Corporation & plc, Carnival Cruise Line, which removed test requirements for short cruises as of August 4although some cruises are still excluded depending on their port destinations.
While other Carnival Corporation-owned brands — notably Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, as well as AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn — have not yet dropped testing requirements, those changes could be made in the near future. , especially as more cruises begin safely without the added burden of testing.
Other major lines, including Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises, have already dropped testing requirements, as have some smaller lines such as Margaritaville at Sea and Virgin Voyages, which was First cruise line to remove pre-cruise testing from US home ports.
Each cruise line has subtle differences in their evolving policies, however, and travelers should not assume that one line’s requirements will be the same as another.
Factors such as ship capacity, itinerary destinations, departure ports, cruise length, vaccination status, passenger age and more all affect whether or not a pre-cruise test may be required.
Stay tuned to Cruise Hive for ongoing updates on the evolving protocols of various cruise lines, where and when pre-cruise tests are or are not required, and how vaccination status affects testing guidelines.
