Carnival Cruise Line has changed its shore excursion policy to permit unvaccinated guests of any age to explore ashore freely, without the need to purchase a tour.
This comes as vaccinations are becoming more widely available and just recently approved in the U.S. for children under 5 years old, as well as different destinations gradually easing their travel restrictions.
Unvaccinated Guests Can Freely Go Ashore
In a message sent to travel partners as well as changes to its Have Fun. Be Safe. protocols, Carnival Cruise Line has dropped its requirement that unvaccinated guests only book shore tours or else remain on board in ports of call.
The message reads, “as protocols continue to evolve, we are now pleased to share that except where specified below, unvaccinated guests are permitted to go ashore to enjoy one of our tours or independent sightseeing, regardless of vaccination status.”
This means that guests who have received vaccination exemptions (which are approved on a ship-by-ship basis depending on capacity and destination requirements) may now choose to arrange independent shore tours not offered by Carnival or simply debark the ship to explore on their own for shopping, dining, relaxing at the beach, or strolling through destinations.
Previously, Carnival’s protocols stated that unvaccinated guests age 12 and older “cannot visit ports of call on their own and may only go ashore if booked on a Carnival shore excursion.”
Not Universal in All Destinations
Unvaccinated travelers should note, however, that the message does state “except where specified below” and that not all popular cruise ports are yet permitting unvaccinated visitors.
Currently, the following ports of call still prohibit visits by unvaccinated guests:
- San Juan, Puerto Rico – age 12 and older
- Bonaire – age 12 and older
- Grand Cayman – age 12 and older
- St. Kitts – age 12 and older
- Tortola – age 12 and older
- Grand Turk – age 16 and older
- Cartagena, Colombia – age 18…
