Great news! Carnival Cruise ships will be back in the water starting in July! We are your resource for the most up to date information around vaccination & testing requirements, whether you will need a mask, taking shore excursions, and health & safety measurements taken by the cruise line.
Do I need a vaccine to travel on a Carnival Cruise?
Carnival has announced a vaccine requirement for its first few ships departing in July and August. These cruises will operate with at least 95% of guests who will have had their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise.
Guests traveling on the following ships will have to be vaccinated.
- Carnival Vista® from Galveston; Sailings starting July 3, 2021
- Carnival Horizon® from Miami; Sailings starting July 4, 2021
- Carnival Breeze® from Galveston; Sailings starting July 15, 2021
- Carnival Miracle® from Seattle; Sailings July 27 through September 14, 2021
- Mardi Gras™️ from Port Canaveral; Sailings starting July 31, 2021
- Carnival Magic® from Port Canaveral; Sailings starting August 7, 2021
- Carnival Sunrise® from Miami; Sailings starting August 14, 2021
- Carnival Panorama® from Long Beach; Sailings starting August 21, 2021
- Carnival Glory® from New Orleans; Sailings starting September 5, 2021
- Carnival Pride® from Baltimore; Sailings starting September 12, 2021
- Carnival Dream® from Galveston; Sailings starting September 19, 2021
- Carnival Miracle® from Long Beach; Sailings starting September 27, 2021
- Carnival Conquest® from Miami; Sailings starting October 8, 2021
- Carnival Freedom® from Miami; Sailings starting October 9, 2021
- Carnival Elation® from Port Canaveral; Sailings starting October 11, 2021
- Carnival Sensation® from Mobile; Sailings starting October 21, 202
Carnival will continue to welcome unvaccinated guests, including children under 12 who are not eligible for a vaccine. These exemptions for children and adults are not guaranteed and are capacity-controlled based on the total number of vaccinated guests on board. Unvaccinated guests granted an exemption must abide by certain requirements and protocols and requirements, including testing, mask wearing, no independent sightseeing, etc.
Travel Insurance Requirement for Unvaccinated Guests - Florida & Texas Based Ships -
In addition, sailings departing July 31, 2021 from Florida, & August 2, 2021 from Texas, guests must also show proof of travel insurance coverage during check-in.
- Effective with sailings departing July 31, 2021 from Florida, and August 2, 2021 from Texas, guests must also show proof of travel insurance coverage during check-in.
- This requirement is currently being waived for children under 12 who are ineligible for a vaccine. However, parents are advised that purchasing travel insurance for their children is strongly recommended.
- Each unvaccinated guest must provide proof of a valid travel insurance policy at the time of check-in that has a minimum of US$10,000, per person, in medical expense coverage and US$30,000 coverage for emergency medical evacuation and without COVID-19 exclusions.
- The insurance policy must name the unvaccinated guest as the policy holder or beneficiary and may be purchased from a travel insurance company of the guest’s choosing or through Carnival Vacation Protection™, which includes the required coverage.
- Guests without the required proof of insurance will not be permitted to sail and no refund will be provided.
Carnival has not announced a vaccine or testing policy for other ships that might return to service in the coming months.
We do not collect vaccination cards or store proof of vaccination. Those cruise lines that have vaccine requirements to cruise will likely ask for proof at the time of boarding.
Things to know:
- Complete online registration IMMEDIATELY (answer the vaccination survey question ASAP). Failure to answer the vacation survey question in a timely fashion will result in Carnival automatic cancellation of your reservation.
- The CDC’s guidelines for operating a highly vaccinated cruise provide the ability to accommodate a small number of unvaccinated guests (children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated and exemptions as required by federal law) on restricted voyages, based on the total number of vaccinated guests on board and Carnival Cruises plans to accommodate a small number of exceptions
- For your reference, any vaccine approved by either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) meets this requirement
- All guests, including children who are age-eligible for vaccines, will need to show proof of vaccination. All guests will be asked to confirm their status as fully vaccinated for COVID-19 during check-in and provide proof of vaccination in advance of boarding
- It’s important for guests to come prepared, as those who arrive at the embarkation terminal without the proper proof of vaccination may not be able to cruise and may not receive a refund
- There is an exemption process to accommodate a small number of guests who are unable or ineligible to be vaccinated (children under 12 and other exceptions as required by federal law).
What Vaccines are accepted?
- For cruises departing the U.S., the CDC requires both vaccines in a 2-dose series to be of the same type. They also accept mixing mRNA vaccines only (Pfizer and Moderna).
Concerning Canadian Vaccinated Guests - The Canadian government is encouraging the mixing of vaccines (e.g., first dose of Pfizer, second dose of Moderna). Carnival does not recognize these passengers to be fully vaccinated; and as such, these customers will be treated as unvaccinated guests. Additionally, all Canadians are required to get tested before reentering Canada (including vaccinated Canadians); however, Carnival does not offer tests to vaccinated passengers. This means Canadian guests will need to find a testing site after disembarking the ship.
What proof of Vaccine do I need to provide?
Vaccinated cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to embarkation day and have proof of vaccination. You will also need to provide proof of vaccination at the terminal in advance of boarding, as follows:
- Guests must bring their original vaccination record issued by the country’s health authority that administered the vaccination (i.e., U.S. CDC's Vaccination Record Card). Copies or photos are not accepted.
- The name and birth date on the vaccination card must match the guest’s travel documents and show the guest is fully vaccinated. Vaccine type, dates administered, and lot numbers must be clearly visible. Vaccination dates must indicate the guest has completed the required doses no later than 14 days prior to the sailing date.
- Alternatively, guests may present a digital COVID-19 Certificate (QR code acceptable) and a record of COVID-19 vaccination from a healthcare provider (original digital email accepted), personal electronic health record or government Immunization Information System record.
Please note that these guidelines are subject to change.
Do I need to wear a mask?
Vaccinated guests on a vaccinated cruise do not have to wear face masks (except in the medical center) or maintain physical distancing while on board.
- All guests must wear masks during the entire embarkation and debarkation process (at the home port and ports of call), during water shuttle operations, any Carnival-approved shore excursions and while on any transportation vehicles.
- Additionally, when going ashore, guests must be prepared to follow all local guidance regarding masks and physical distancing.
- The status of local guidelines will be shared with guests prior to debarkation at the destination.
Unvaccinated Guests
- We recommend that all unvaccinated guests 2 years of age and older wear masks when indoors or not in their staterooms.
- Masks will be required for unvaccinated guests in enclosed areas of the ship such as the piano bar, arcade, spa, salon, casino, Fun Shops and medical center.
- Additionally, masks are required at any indoor activity with children under 12 years, (i.e., Build-A-Bear®, Family Harbor, Sky Zone®).
It is recommended that unvaccinated guests maintain physical distancing as follows:
- Indoors – Remain at least 5 feet from others not in your cruise companion group. As such, we encourage you to take the stairs whenever possible, if you are able to do so.
- Outdoors – Remain at least 3 feet from others when not wearing a mask and not in your cruise companion group.
Can I get off the ship at port?
It will be necessary to follow the health protocols for every port we visit, which are under the control of local government and subject to change without prior notice.
- There is no independent sightseeing in ports of call for unvaccinated guests, who may only debark if booked on a Carnival-sponsored bubble tour.
- Guests must follow all local protocols and we cannot guarantee that additional restrictions will not be imposed by local authorities in the destinations we visit.
- Carnival-approved bubble tours are excursions that operate in a controlled environment. In the event you choose not to purchase a bubble tour, bubble tours are sold out, or cancelled due to weather, unvaccinated guests will have to remain on board for that call.
- Guests will be escorted from the ship to their excursion and back to the ship immediately upon return from the shore excursion. No unscheduled stops are permitted (i.e. gift shops, bars, restaurants, etc.).
- Guests participating in a bubble tour, regardless of vaccination status, must follow all tour protocols and local guidance regarding testing/screening, mask wearing, physical distancing, etc.
- Guests who do not comply with the controlled environment of a bubble tour will be removed from the tour.
- In private ports of call, such as Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays, unvaccinated guests may participate in independent exploration or purchase any of our tours.
These restrictions are under the control of local government and are subject to change without advance notice, so we encourage guests to come prepared for potential mask requirements ashore.
Health & Safety on the Ship
Ships and terminals will undergo a thorough sanitization between sailings and guests will be encouraged to use the hand-washing sinks and hand sanitizer dispensers at venue entrances and in high-traffic areas throughout the ship. Guests will also be asked to follow health information about the ways to stay healthy on board and when ashore.
Carnival has not yet made an announcement about how buffets will operate.
Things to know:
- All guests and crew embarking a ship will likely undergo enhanced pre-embarkation health screening in accordance with prevailing health best practices, such as health questionnaires and touch-free temperature checks as appropriate
- Ships have introduced enhanced fresh air distribution into public spaces and staterooms and HEPA filtration systems to key areas such as Medical Centers and dedicated isolation rooms
- Rapid response and contact tracing plans exist in case of on-board illness
- Ships have a team of highly-trained medical staff including qualified doctors and nurses who have experience in caring for a broad range of medical conditions and medical centers with both outpatient and inpatient facilities including critical care capabilities
- There are enhanced Health & Safety Trainings and Continued Education for Crew Members focusing on COVID-19