Carnival Updates Health and Safety Protocols

Carnival Cruise Line updated its health and safety protocols to include booster shots on certain cruises and to update testing information for fully vaccinated guests.

The cruise line announced that guests who are up-to-date with their vaccines, including all booster shots, can obtain a negative COVID-19 test within three days of their scheduled sailing date.

Travelers who are fully vaccinated but not up-to-date on a booster will need a test within two days of the cruise departure.

Providing an example to clarify the cruise line notes in its protocols that ‘if the sailing is on Saturday, guests who are up to date with their vaccines may take their test as early as Wednesday and as late as Saturday, if guaranteed to receive results in time for check-in. A fully vaccinated guest who is not up to date with their vaccines may take their test no earlier than Thursday and as late as Saturday.”

Certain longer cruises will also require that guests receive booster shots as well as be fully vaccinated.

Currently, those sailings include:

Carnival Spirit 16-day Carnival Journeys – April 17, 2022

Carnival Pride Transatlantic – April 24, 2022

Carnival Pride Barcelona departures – May 8, May 19 and May 29, 2022

Carnival Splendor 23-day Carnival Journey (Transpacific) – September 6, 2022

Travelers who are not vaccinated will, for the most part, not be allowed to go ashore unless they are booked on a Carnival shore excursion. Once the excursion concludes, guests can enjoy shopping and meals in the port facility but not beyond.

Unvaccinated children age 11 and under are not required to purchase a Carnival Cruise Line shore excursion and may go ashore with their vaccinated parents/guardians.

There are several exceptions to this rule, however, unvaccinated guests should view the safety protocols to determine what restrictions pertain to each cruise and cruise passenger.