All passengers aged 5 and over will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to board Disney cruises, the cruise line announced Wednesday.
The vaccine mandate will go into effect on Jan. 13, 2022. It comes after federal regulators green-lighted the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children on Nov. 2 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before Jan. 13, children aged 5-11 who are not vaccinated need to test negative for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus and present with proof of the test result before boarding. The test must be paid for by the passenger, and be taken between 3 days and 24 hours before the sail date.
“The test should be a NAAT test, rapid PCR test or lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted,” Disney Cruise Line noted.
Children aged 4 and under must continue to present with negative COVID-19 test results before boarding.
The vaccine mandate will apply to U.S. and international passengers.
Disney Cruise Line will accept the following brands of vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
“As we set sail again, the health and safety of our Guests, Cast Members, and Crew Members is a top priority,” the cruise line said.
No-fee cancelations are available for guests who don’t comply with the new mandate, reported Bloomberg.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in late October extended its conditional sailing order for cruise ships until at least Jan. 15. The order, first issued in October 2020, requires COVID-19 testing and other measures for crew members to take to enable cruise operations to resume in a phased approach.
