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Disney Cruise Line Announces All Guests Ages 12 & Older Must Be Vaccinated to Sail

Big news coming out of the Disney Cruise Line! We have been following along as Disney has once again set sail in the big blue after over a year of closure due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the Centers of Disease Control required test cruise. Recently, the Canada cruise ban was lifted which will open the door for Disney’s Alaska cruises to return. And while we know progress is being made, we’re also seeing that Florida has become the hot spot for the new coronavirus Delta variant. As previously shared, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, introduced “an executive function” designed to prevent businesses from refusing to serve customers who were unable to prove they had the COVID 19 vaccination. Well, one cruise industry (Norwegian Cruise Line) decided to challenge the Florida Governor as they wanted to require cruisers to be vaccinated before boarding their ships coming out of Port Canaveral. Norweigian won the battle and began requiring their cruisers out of Florida to be vaccinated and show proof with vaccine passports. Now, due to the lifted DeSantis order and a new conditional sail order with Bahamas requiring the COVID 19 vaccine, we have learned that all Guests ages 12 and older are required to be fully vaccinated to sail with the Disney Cruise Line.

Previously, Disney Cruise Line was requiring proof of vaccination for vaccinated passengers or proof of a negative COVID 19 test for unvaccinated Guests. Reporter Ashley Carter took to Twitter to share: “In response to the latest restrictions issued by the Bahamas, Disney Cruise Line has announced that starting September 3 it will require all passengers ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated to board its ship.” The tweet included the following image of text:

Credit: Ashley Carter Twitter
Castaway Cay

The official Disney Cruise Line website has been updated with the vaccine requirement to state: “IMPORTANT: Sailings beginning September 3, 2021, until November 1, 2021: For sailings to The Bahamas beginning September 3, 2021, until November 1, 2021, The Bahamas will require that all passengers ages 12 and older be fully vaccinated in order for a ship to be allowed entry into any of its cruise ports, including private islands like Disney Castaway Cay.”

The update comes from a recent announcement from Bahamas officials that “all eligible passengers traveling on cruise ships to The Bahamas, including cruise line private islands, must be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to new regulations released by the country on August 22. The emergency order requires any cruise ship stopping at any port in the country to release a manifest of all passengers and their vaccination status. It also forbids a ship that has passengers older than 12 who are not vaccinated to come to the country. The rules take effect on September 3, 2021, and are in effect until November 1, 2021.”

Disney’s Castaway Cay

InsideTheMagic reported a message from Disney with more details stating: Beginning September 3 until November 1, 2021, The Bahamas will require that all cruise ship passengers ages 12 and older be fully vaccinated in order for a ship to be allowed entry into any of its cruise ports, including private islands like Disney Castaway Cay. To comply with this new requirement, all Guests ages 12 and older on upcoming sailings must be fully vaccinated to board the ship. Approved vaccines include those produced by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. Please note, in accordance with CDC guidelines:

  • Guests who have received both doses of Moderna, Pfizer or AstraZeneca are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the second dose has been administered.
  • Guests who have received Johnson & Johnson are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving one dose.
  • Guests with both one dose of Moderna and one dose of Pfizer are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the second dose.
  • Guests who have received one single dose of a vector vaccine (e.g. AstraZeneca) and one single dose of a mRNA vaccine (e.g. Pfizer, Moderna) are not considered fully vaccinated.
  • Guests who choose not to provide proof of vaccination to meet the requirements of The Bahamas will not be permitted to board the ship.

Guests on a sailing to The Bahamas (including Disney Castaway Cay) departing from September 3, 2021, to prior to November 1, 2021, may modify their sail date or cancel their sailing without any Disney-imposed cancellation fees by contacting your travel agent by September 3, 2021. Please note that cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, including airlines, as well as travel insurance, are not refundable. Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment. Standard cancellation policies and terms and conditions apply for any cancellation or modification requests received on or after September 4, 2021.

Are you willing to agree to the vaccination requirement to be a passenger on a Disney Cruise Line getaway to the Bahamas? We will keep you updated as we learn more from the Disney Cruise Line. In the meantime, get that COVID 19 vaccine requirement checked off your list so you can look forward to your embarkation day!

Jamie Sylvester

I'm a Disney nerd! A kid at heart who loves the magic and memories of Walt Disney World. I follow all things Disney and enjoy the vacations, day trips, weekend getaways, and geek out over the planning of such events. My goal is to experience as many Disney desserts and cocktails as possible! Married to another Disney nerd and blessed with a daughter and son, we thoroughly enjoy the magic at Disney and are here to help others experience the magic as well.

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