Disney Cruise Line makes changes to COVID-19 vaccination requirements for children

Aug 15, 2022 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Disney Cruise Line

Posted: Monday August 15, 2022 10:22am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney Cruise Line has updated its COVID-19 vaccination requirements to include only guests ages 12 and over, effective September 2 2022.

The previous requirement, still in effect through September 1 2022 requires all passengers age 5 and up to be vaccinated.

Disney Cruise Line returned August 2021 after more than a year of suspended sailings

The updated travel requirements is as follows:

COVID-19 Vaccination: For sailings departing US and Canadian ports through September 1, 2022, Disney Cruise Line requires Guests ages 5 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Beginning September 2, 2022, for sailings departing US and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line will require Guests ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the CDC. In consideration of CDC guidance, Disney Cruise Line highly recommends that Guests ages 11 and younger be fully vaccinated before sailing.
In consideration of guidance from the CDC and the World Health Organization, Disney Cruise Line accepts the following vaccine types for Guests ages 5 and older: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (VeroCell), Sinovac-CoronaVac and Covavaxin (Bharat Biotech).
For Guests ages 5 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines fully vaccinated as 14 days after receiving one of the following:
A single dose of an accepted 1-dose vaccine
The second dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccine
The full series of an active (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine in the US-based AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials
The second dose of any “mix and match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines (administered at least 17 days apart)

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wannabeBelleSep 27, 2022

I just got this notice on this a little while ago. This is awesome to hear. Small steps but we are slowly getting back to normal. I still think that the testing may be dropping soon as well. And for Canada: COVID-19 border measures end on October 1, 2022 Starting October 1, 2022, all COVID-19 border requirements, including vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing and quarantine/isolation requirements will end for all travellers entering Canada whether by land, air or sea. Until then, find out if you can enter Canada and use ArriveCAN before you enter.

DCBakerSep 27, 2022

Update on vaccine requirements - Beginning October 14, 2022: COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Requirements (Disney Wish, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wonder) This policy will apply to Disney Magic sailings beginning November 7, 2022. Guests ages 12 and older Full vaccination not required but highly recommended Testing for fully vaccinated Guests not required To be exempt from testing requirements, fully vaccinated Guests must upload their proof of vaccination to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Testing for unvaccinated Guests required Unvaccinated Guests must provide results of a COVID-19 test taken 1 to 2 days before sail date. The test may be an observed antigen test through a proctored telehealth service with digital results. A rapid or lab-based PCR test, or Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) are also acceptable. Guests ages 5 to 11 Full vaccination not required but highly recommended Testing for fully vaccinated Guests not required To be exempt from testing requirements, fully vaccinated Guests must upload their proof of vaccination to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Testing for unvaccinated Guests required Unvaccinated Guests must provide results of a COVID-19 test taken 1 to 2 days before sail date. The test may be an observed antigen test through a proctored telehealth service with digital results. A rapid or lab-based PCR test, or Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) are also acceptable Guests ages 4 and younger Full vaccination not required but highly recommended Testing not required https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/why-cruise-disney/experience-updates/us/

wannabeBelleSep 06, 2022

Check out this link for the current DCL Policies. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/why-cruise-disney/experience-updates/before-you-leave-home-us/ From what I am seeing non proctored tests are not accepted by DCL at this time. Other lines are accepting them however. I hope this helps! Marie

TrainsOfDisneySep 03, 2022

Unless the cruise is the only part, or very beginning of your vacation you’ll be in the same situation most likely. Ideally both would be an option. I think free tests at the terminal should be an option. It would have saved me money, time, and the hassle of finding a place while on vacation.

EOD K9Sep 02, 2022

If you take a non proctored test, do you bring in the results card? Do you just tell DCL you are negative?

wannabeBelleSep 02, 2022

In so sorry for your loss. To have that on your mind during a vacation is tough. Marie

PhonedaveSep 01, 2022

My wife's best friend's husband died two weeks before our cruise, and the wake and funeral was the weekend before - we had to go, and pretty much for the full duration. We both wore masks, but the whole thing added to the stress as well.

ToTBellHopAug 31, 2022

We had a 2020 Europe trip that moved to 2021 and then 2022. Finally happened. But we spent a week in Paris, then a few days in Barcelona, then a cruise. It was definitely stressful traveling around Europe hoping to somehow avoid COVID. We definitely masked more than we otherwise would have. Once we tested negative, I felt like I could finally breathe. It was stressful but worth it. Glad we didn’t delay another year.

wannabeBelleAug 31, 2022

I for one, am just grateful that they did away with the testing at the port. THAT to me was the most stressful thing ever. I realize this was probably the best way to do it but what happens if you test positive? You couldnt board, couldnt go home ( unless you drove to the port in your own car) etc. so that was by far more stressful than taking a test at home and if it is positive at least you are home and can deal with the cancellation from there. I couldnt imagine not being allowed to board and having to deal with quarantine as well. Any of the cruises (Celebrity Cruises) I took did require a test but it was done by my house. Marie

PhonedaveAug 31, 2022

I get it, I was on a Celebrity cruise in July. It was supposed to happen in July 2020, and then again in July 2021, and as we got closer, stress levels were getting up there. So much so that when we had to test on a Friday, and had a headache on Wed, we tested just to be sure. When all 4 people who were going passed our tests on Friday AM, that was when we were all like "this is finally happening"

wannabeBelleAug 31, 2022

I'm not holding out much hope for a change in the date, since it has already been announced. Sorry! Marie

goalman43Aug 30, 2022

What are the odds Disney changes again by next Sunday? At least maybe to a do it yourself test, without the proctoring. We are so not concerned about Covid but the test and possible refusal of boarding is stressing me to the moon. I also don't get why the Magic is so far back. We are doing a British Isles cruise and none of our ports have any restrictions. It's idiotic.

PhonedaveAug 30, 2022

There is CYA and there is CYA. If they hope to cover some sort of potential lawsuit from a sick passenger by saying "we told people to test and not cheat" that is not going to C anybody's A. Things like that do not fly in court.

PhonedaveAug 30, 2022

That is part of what is overall wrong. There is no such thing as a "silly +" result. If you are sick, then keep yourself off a cruise ship. That should really be the case. "People are going to protect their vacation" is just an other way of saying "people would rather get other people who also paid and planned just as much for their vacation sick, than stay home because they are sick". And I am not just talking about COVID. If people are really sick, then they should stay home. But nope, people will get on a ship, and get everybody else sick because they are more important than the 2,000 other people on the ship. But this is what we deal with, and this is why we have things like testing. I'll put my soapbox away now.