The CDC program for cruise ships is no longer in effect

[coast2coastmickey]

A step in the right direction. If they remove the vaccine requirement, I'll book a trip immediately.

I think I'm different from others in that I don't hate the idea of pre-cruise testing. I don't like it, but I don't hate it. Anyway...we'll see which cruise line is first to take the plunge and remove some of these requirements.

 

[Luv2run2WDW]

Testing with the antigen at home test is not reliable for this variant. Many people are testing negative the first time even when symptomatic, and then test positive a day or two later. I learned this first hand....4 of us tested negative at least once with symptoms, then a day or 2 later, tested positive. That is why testing is not keeping it off the ship.

 

[DisneyMusicMan]

Not sure what the motivation is for DCL to remove the pre-testing requirement. It’s not a cost to them, and the ships are essentially full. I only see them dropping the requirement if it starts affecting their booking rates. Otherwise, how is the pre-testing requirement hurting them?

 

[cvjw]

Testing with the antigen at home test is not reliable for this variant. Many people are testing negative the first time even when symptomatic, and then test positive a day or two later. I learned this first hand....4 of us tested negative at least once with symptoms, then a day or 2 later, tested positive. That is why testing is not keeping it off the ship.

Same. My family and my sister’s family. These antigen tests aren’t catching all the covid. Add in the 90 day recovery letters - you can be positive again with a different variant in the 90 days and not test at all. Lots of covid slipping thru.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Not sure what the motivation is for DCL to remove the pre-testing requirement. It’s not a cost to them, and the ships are essentially full. I only see them dropping the requirement if it starts affecting their booking rates. Otherwise, how is the pre-testing requirement hurting them?

I am curious to see what numbers are come mid to end of august when schools start going back.

 

[Husker Mike]

Same. My family and my sister’s family. These antigen tests aren’t catching all the covid. Add in the 90 day recovery letters - you can be positive again with a different variant in the 90 days and not test at all. Lots of covid slipping thru.

The current policy of rapid-testing 2 days before is meaningless theater. I came down with COVID earlier this month and despite having some mild symptoms, I tested negative one day. I felt worse overnight and tested positive then. It really comes down to the honor system because the rapid tests are simply not that accurate. The 90 day letters made sense when you were required to have a PCR test, which could continue to detect the remnants of the COVID infection for weeks after recovering. That doesn't apply to rapid testing, and the new variant have made it all moot.

Personal opinion: I suspect that until ALL ports relax their vaccine requirements, I think the vaccine requirements will remain (and may, in fact, expand to more ages)...but the testing requirements will be dropped.

 

[Maria_Ohana]

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-travel-during-covid19.html

Wonder what Disney will do?

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

The current policy of rapid-testing 2 days before is meaningless theater. I came down with COVID earlier this month and despite having some mild symptoms, I tested negative one day. I felt worse overnight and tested positive then. It really comes down to the honor system because the rapid tests are simply not that accurate. The 90 day letters made sense when you were required to have a PCR test, which could continue to detect the remnants of the COVID infection for weeks after recovering. That doesn't apply to rapid testing, and the new variant have made it all moot.

Personal opinion: I suspect that until ALL ports relax their vaccine requirements, I think the vaccine requirements will remain (and may, in fact, expand to more ages)...but the testing requirements will be dropped.

Testing will be gone for the most part soon. Vaccine mandates (at least for guests, crew may be different for a while longer) I think will start to shift to only 12 and up sooner than later, but I also don't see them around past end of winter either.

 

[Cheburashka]

Not sure what the motivation is for DCL to remove the pre-testing requirement. It’s not a cost to them, and the ships are essentially full.

The ships (aside from the Wish) are not sailing full. GT rates are widespread because they still aren't filling the ships at pre-Covid levels.

 

[nancipants]

If testing isn't required onboard, there is no way for that to happen. Most Covid cases are very mild, so there aren't going to be a lot of passengers presenting for medical treatment and getting Covid tested onboard.

Depends on how you define mild. My case last month was the sickest I've felt in a long time, but it would have been described as "mild" by doctors.

 

[mousefan73]

Not sure what the motivation is for DCL to remove the pre-testing requirement. It’s not a cost to them, and the ships are essentially full. I only see them dropping the requirement if it starts affecting their booking rates. Otherwise, how is the pre-testing requirement hurting them?

The ships are not full. The Wish is because it’s new, But I’ve seen and personally received a rate on an upcoming sailing that is once in a lifetime. Right now the ships seem crowded and they probably are because it’s summer break. In the fall there’s tons of availability. My gut feeling is if Royal gets rid of testing Many families will think twice before booking Disney if they keep it

 

[otten]

The ships are not full. The Wish is because it’s new, But I’ve seen and personally received a rate on an upcoming sailing that is once in a lifetime. Right now the ships seem crowded and they probably are because it’s summer break. In the fall there’s tons of availability. My gut feeling is if Royal gets rid of testing Many families will think twice before booking Disney if they keep it

Even the Wish isn’t truly full. All staterooms might be booked but many are booked with only 2 in a cabin. Just look at how few kids were on the maiden.

 

[mousefan73]

Depends on how you define mild. My case last month was the sickest I've felt in a long time, but it would have been described as "mild" by doctors.

It’s all subjective on what someone considers “mild”. I have just generally observed that we’ve all been spoiled thanks to Covid in avoiding other typical illnesses like the common cold and the flu the past three years. So we kind of forgotten what it was like to be sick for a week or maybe 2. I had a friend who was knocked off her feet for two or three days with Covid and she was reporting to everyone that she had a horrible case. Maybe because she was comparing it to other people that just had the sniffles. But in reality being knocked off your feet for two or three days or even a week is often standard for a cold or flu . For me personally mild is anything that doesn’t require a hospital visit or prescription medication. But that’s just how I see things like I said it’s subjective

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Even the Wish isn’t truly full. All staterooms might be booked but many are booked with only 2 in a cabin. Just look at how few kids were on the maiden.

The Vaccine mandates for under 12 have kept quite a few families with kids off all Disney ships. The rate for fully vaccinated under 12 in the US is very low.

 

[DMMarla07860]

It’s all subjective on what someone considers “mild”. I have just generally observed that we’ve all been spoiled thanks to Covid in avoiding other typical illnesses like the common cold and the flu the past three years. So we kind of forgotten what it was like to be sick for a week or maybe 2. I had a friend who was knocked off her feet for two or three days with Covid and she was reporting to everyone that she had a horrible case. Maybe because she was comparing it to other people that just had the sniffles. But in reality being knocked off your feet for two or three days or even a week is often standard for a cold or flu . For me personally mild is anything that doesn’t require a hospital visit or prescription medication. But that’s just how I see things like I said it’s subjective

I was knocked off my feet for a week in 2014 with Flu, not good and to top it off. Doctor and rheumatologist think my autoimmune disease was put into a 5 year flair up because of it.

So when people say it’s just mild well you really don’t know people’s situation

 

[Kwami]

Even the Wish isn’t truly full. All staterooms might be booked but many are booked with only 2 in a cabin. Just look at how few kids were on the maiden.

I think that's just because the maiden voyage is full of ultra Platinum guests, though. The next few sailings are expected to have many more kids.

 

[Husker Mike]

Depends on how you define mild. My case last month was the sickest I've felt in a long time, but it would have been described as "mild" by doctors.

The official definition of "mild" was apparently "not requiring treatment at a hospital", for what it's worth.

 

[Trisaratops]

Just more FYI, Mexico does not require testing/vaccine, Jamaica does not require testing/vaccine, VI does not require testing/vaccine, Turks and Caicos requires vaccine for 18+, Grand cayman requires vaccine 12+. On my quick research, I can’t find anyplace that requires under 12’s to be vaccinated for entry.

America is an outlier in most of the world for recommending <12 to be vaccinated

 

[Trisaratops]

Just more FYI, Mexico does not require testing/vaccine, Jamaica does not require testing/vaccine, VI does not require testing/vaccine, Turks and Caicos requires vaccine for 18+, Grand cayman requires vaccine 12+. On my quick research, I can’t find anyplace that requires under 12’s to be vaccinated for entry.

America is an outlier in most of the world for recommending <12 to be vaccinated

 

[DCLMP]

True. Also, if 1000 tested positive, it doesn't seem like the testing before sailing is keeping it off the ship.

Everybody I know has had Covid some multiple times. I think most people have excepted it as part of life like all other viruses we deal with yearly. I doubt you would ever have 1000 people test positive on a ship anyway. That seems very unlikely. I dont think it would get much of a reaction out of people if it did happen.