Disney Cruise Line Update: New Vaccine Requirements Take Effect

Beginning on January 13, 2022, Disney Cruise Line will enforce its new vaccine requirements. All passengers as young as five and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to be welcomed aboard.

Previously only required for Guests ages 12 and older, Disney announced the policy change back in mid-November. The statement posted on the cruise line’s website reads as follows:

Currently, Disney Cruise Line continues to require all vaccine-eligible Guests (based on US eligibility requirements) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the time of sailing. This is a requirement for all Guests (US and international) ages 5 and older. Guests who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by the Guest) taken between 3 days and 24 hours before their sail date. Guests ages 4 and under must complete the testing requirements. The test should be a NAAT test, rapid PCR test or lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.

All Guests as young as two years old, regardless of vaccination status, are also still required to wear face coverings whenever indoors and maintain physical distancing.

Disney’s fulfillment of its announcement comes on the heels of further travel advisories linked to the rise in the omicron variant. DisneyFantatic also relayed the news that four Disney Cruise Line ships found themselves in another CDC investigation, alongside nearly 90 other ships from Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and others.

Read More: Disney Cruise Line Among Cruise Vacations Undergoing New COVID-19 Investigation by the CDC

Even with a full-vaccinated 0r negative testing and fully-masked crew and passenger manifest, Disney Cruise Line ships have still found themselves finding positive cases on board. The most recent story involved the Disney Fantasy where all Guests were refused disembarkation at St. Thomas when less than 1% of them were put into isolation after testing positive mid-sail. It should also be mentioned at this point that cruise lines already had an active pre-pandemic policy of quarantining all passengers who fall ill of any disease while aboard.

According to Disney Cruise Line’s website, the next available sailings depart on Monday, January 17. The Disney Dream will set sail from Port Canaveral for a 4-night Bahamian cruise, and the Disney Magic will depart Miami for a 5-night Bahamian cruise with two stops at Disney Castaway Cay and a Marvel Day at Sea.

As always, please visit disneycruise.disney.go.com for all of the latest information.

What do you think of the new vaccine requirements Disney Cruise Line has in place, and how do they affect your decision to sail with them? Let us know in the comments!