Cruise Lines Further Relax COVID Rules

Oct 29, 2022 — Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line have lifted more COVID-19 restrictions for passengers.

Carnival no longer requires proof of vaccination or COVID testing for trips of 15 nights or less, the cruise line said on its website. However, the company encourages everybody over 5 to get vaccinated and carry a vaccination card.

The rules are different for Carnival trips of 16 nights or more. Passengers 18 and older must be fully vaccinated and boosted if it has been more than six months since their last dose of a primary vaccine series. Guests 5 years and older must present a PCR or antigen test taken within three days before the ship sails. 

Self-tests are not accepted. If travelers are unvaccinated, they must apply for an exemption. 

Holland America Line no longer requires passengers to take a pre-cruise COVID test for its “standard protocol” voyages, whether they were previously vaccinated or not, Cruise Industry News reported. However, guests on “enhanced protocol” voyages will be provided additional information about COVID rules based on ports to be visited, Cruise Ind

USA Today said other cruise lines, including Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, made similar changes recently in lifting their remaining vaccine and testing requirements for most voyages.

In July, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that it had stopped posting information online about COVID cases on ships in U.S. waters. Though cruise lines still have to send COVID data to the CDC, travelers should contact individual cruise lines for information about outbreaks on ships.