Carnival Cruises have begun sailing again! Here's what you need to know.

Will I need to be vaccinated?

As always, Carnival's primary commitment is to the health, safety and well-being of guests, crew and the communities where they take their ships. We will continue to operate vaccinated cruises as defined by the CDC, including having their crew fully vaccinated. In an abundance of caution and in response to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. caused by the Delta variant, they are updating protocols and requirements. They expect these measures will be temporary and they will adjust their protocols based on the advice of medical and public health advisors. Please carefully review the information below regarding new, temporary testing requirements:

• Effective with cruises departing on Saturday, August 14, 2021, Carnival will require ALL fully vaccinated guests to produce a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 3 days of their embarkation on all Carnival Cruise Line sailings.
• Fully vaccinated guests will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test along with proof of full vaccination upon arrival in the terminal and can then proceed on board. Please note that testing in the terminal will not be available for vaccinated guests so it’s critical that you have your negative test results with you upon your arrival. Carnival will not be able to accommodate guests without proof of a negative test. Please check Carnival's Have Fun. Be Safe. protocols at Carnival.com for further details on testing requirements.
• Guests who are not fully vaccinated are still required to show the negative results of a PCR test taken between 72 and 24 hours prior to the sailing date, and will be tested again in the terminal prior to boarding the ship and again within 24 hours of debarkation (for itineraries five days or longer).
• For cruises departing the U.S., the CDC requires both vaccines in a 2-dose series to be of the same type. They also accept mixing mRNA vaccines only (Pfizer and Moderna). No other vaccine combination meets the criteria to be considered fully vaccinated.
• Children under two are exempt from testing requirements.

What if I am unvaccinated?

Carnival will continue to welcome unvaccinated guests, including children under 12 who are not eligible for a vaccine. The application process has it's own set of procedures that must be carefully followed. These exemptions for children and adults are not guaranteed and capacity controlled based on the total number of vaccinated guests projected to be on board.

Testing

• Presenting a negative PCR COVID-19 test at check-in, taken between 72 and 24 hours prior to the sailing date. Unvaccinated guests must take an additional antigen test at embarkation, and test again within 24 hours of debarkation on all cruises longer then 4 days. A US$150 per person charge will be assessed to the guest's onboard Sail and Sign account to cover the cost of testing, reporting, and health and safety screenings.
• Children under 2 are exempt from testing requirements.

Travel Insurance Requirement - Florida and Texas Based Ships

• Unvaccinated guests sailing on a ship departing from Florida or Texas must show proof of travel insurance coverage during check-in. This requirement is currently being waived for children under 12 who are ineligible for a vaccine. However, parents are advised that purchasing travel insurance for their children is strongly recommended.
• Policy requirements: a minimum of US$10,000, per person, in medical expense coverage and US$30,000 coverage for emergency medical evacuation and without COVID-19 exclusions.
• The insurance policy must name the unvaccinated guest as the policy holder or beneficiary and may be purchased from a travel insurance company of the guest’s choosing.
• Unvaccinated guests without the required proof of insurance will not be permitted to sail and no refund will be provided.

Shore Visits and Excursions

It will be necessary to follow the health protocols for every port visited, which are under control of the local government and subject to change without prior notice.

• There are no independent activities or sightseeing in ports for unvaccinated guests. You may only debark in the ports of call if booked on a Carnival-sponsered bubble tour.
• Carnival-approved bubble tours are excursions that operate in a controlled environment. Guests will be escorted from the ship to their excursion and back to the ship immediately upon return from the shore excursion. No unscheduled stops are permitted (i.e., gift shops, bars, restaurants, etc.)
• In the event you choose not to purchase a bubble tour, bubble tours are sold out, or cancelled due to weather, unvaccinated guests will have to remain on board.
• Guests participating in a bubble tour, regardless of vaccination status, must follow all tour protocols and local guidance regarding testing/screening, mask wearing, physical distancing, etc. They cannot guarantee that additional restrictions will not be imposed by local authorities in the destinations they visit.
• Guests who do not comply with the controlled environment of a bubble tour will be removed from the tour.
• In private ports of call, such as Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays, unvaccinated guests may participate in independent exploration or purchase any of our tours.

A request for a capacity-managed exemption must be submitted within 48 hours of making a new reservation. Requests will be processed after the booking is paid in full, in sailing date order, and once they have finalized the estimated vaccinated guest count. If you are an unvaccinated guest, your reservation is not considered confirmed unless you receive an approved exemption, which will be issued within 14 days of sailing. Any unvaccinated guests whose exemptions are approved will be required to review and agree to all the restrictions and protocols listed above prior to boarding the ship.

If Carnival is unable to approve the request, guests will have the option to cancel the unvaccinated guest(s) from a reservation, move to a future sailing date or cancel with a full refund to the original form of payment. Unfortunately, they cannot assist with expenses related to a denied exemption request, and guests assume all risks related to non-refundable travel costs (i.e., air fare, hotel)

NOTE: On Carnival Miracle® from Seattle and the 14-day Carnival Pride® October 31, 2021 sailing from Baltimore, vaccine exemptions will only be accommodated as required by law

All guests traveling on back to back cruises, regardless of vaccination status, will need to be tested in between voyages

Will I need to wear a mask onboard?

In addition to testing requirements, Carnival is also making adjustments to the onboard mask policy effective with cruises beginning Saturday, August 7, 2021, as follows:

• First, they strongly encourage all guests to wear face masks when indoors, particularly guests who are unvaccinated including children under the age of 12 who should wear masks in public areas, except when eating or drinking.
• All guests age 2 and older will be required to wear face masks in elevators and in designated indoor entertainment areas, all retail shops, and in the casino, except when eating or drinking.
• Guests will be required to wear face masks prior to being seated in our main dining rooms and in the Lido Buffet area and occasionally in other designated areas where larger number of guests may congregate.
• As a reminder, masks are required during the entire embarkation and debarkation process, during any Carnival-approved shore excursions and while on any transportation vehicles. These new requirements are being implemented to protect guests and crew while on board. Several destinations have implemented their own requirements and all guests will be required to follow the protocols in each destination Carnival visits.

It is recommended that all unvaccinated guests maintain physical distancing as follows:

• Indoors – Remain at least 5 feet from others not in your cruise companion group. As such, we encourage you to take the stairs whenever possible, if you are able to do so.
• Outdoors – Remain at least 3 feet from others when not wearing a mask and not in your cruise companion group.

NOTE: Alaska health officials monitoring the situation ashore have strongly recommended that all guests, including those fully vaccinated, wear a face mask at all times while indoors and also outside when physical distancing cannot be maintained. U.S. regulations require all persons to wear a face mask on public transportation including buses, trains, vans, airports, aircraft and dayboats.

If your cruise is cancelled by Carnival or boarding is delayed by twenty-four (24) hours or more due to government order or declaration of Public Health Emergency, you are entitled to a refund of the amount paid to Carnival within 180 days, or an optional Future Cruise Credit (“FCC”).

The following information applies to all sailings scheduled during the declared Public Health Emergency involving COVID-19. Except as specifically stated below, or as otherwise provided in the Ticket Contract for your cruise, the standard cancellation policies and penalties described in the Ticket Contract apply.

Cruise Cancelled by Carnival

If your cruise is cancelled by Carnival or boarding is delayed by twenty-four (24) hours or more due to government order or declaration of Public Health Emergency, you are entitled to a refund of the amount paid to Carnival within 180 days, or an optional Future Cruise Credit (“FCC”).

Cruise Cancelled by Guest

If, following a declaration of a Public Health Emergency, you cancel a booking for a cruise scheduled during the declared emergency, or must cancel your booking because you are prohibited from traveling to the vessel due to a governmental travel restriction, but the cruise is not cancelled, you are entitled to a FCC for the amount paid to Carnival. In all other cases our standard cancellation policy will apply, as set forth in the Ticket Contract for your cruise.

If you, your family members living with you in the same household or travelling companions assigned to the same stateroom cancel a cruise booking due to testing positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of embarkation, you and they are entitled to a FCC for the amount paid to Carnival. If guest has close contact with a positive or suspected COVID-19 case within 14 days of embarkation, and Carnival deems you are unfit to travel, you are eligible for a FCC.

To qualify for the FCC, if your COVID-19 test was administered by a provider other than one retained by Carnival, you must present your verified positive test result in a form acceptable to Carnival.

Denial of Embarkation or Reboarding; Quarantine and/or Disembarkation

If you, your family members, travelling companions or other close contacts are denied embarkation or reboarding, or quarantined or disembarked during the voyage, due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19, you and they are entitled to a FCC for the amount paid to Carnival in the event of denial at embarkation, or a pro-rated refund of the unused portion of your Cruise Fare in all other cases.

Guests denied embarkation or reboarding, or who are disembarked or quarantined during the voyage, for failure to comply with the Carnival COVID-19 Guest Protocols in effect at the time of the cruise, shall not be entitled to a refund or compensation of any kind. Please refer to the Ticket Contract issued for your cruise for complete details.

*All refund requests must be made within six months of the scheduled embarkation date or you will only be entitled to a Future Cruise Credit for the amount specified.

Enhanced Health Screenings

All guests will be asked to complete an online health questionnaire 72 hours prior to sailing and undergo enhanced pre-embarkation health screenings, which will include confirmation of their health screening responses, validation of their vaccination documents and any required COVID-19 testing.

Carnival will refer anyone with signs and symptoms of COVID-19, or who are identified at-risk, for additional medical screening before allowing them to board. Secondary screenings (and health checks throughout the cruise) will be performed when necessary. Contact tracing is planned for every cruise.

Any guest who tests positive at embarkation, and their traveling companions in the same stateroom, along with other close contacts, will not be able to cruise and will be provided a future cruise credit. (A close contact is any individual who has been within 6 feet of an infected/symptomatic person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period within 14 days prior to sailing.)

In the event guests are in close contact with or exposed to any guest or crew members that test positive for COVID-19, or, display any symptoms for a COVID-like illness, during the cruise, they will be required to undergo additional testing and may be required to quarantine in their stateroom until our medical team determines it is safe for them to resume their cruise activities.

If you traveled by air to join your cruise and test positive at embarkation and are not able to cruise — or test positive during the cruise — you, and your close contacts, may be required to quarantine before traveling home. While Carnival will help make quarantine arrangements, all guests are responsible for expenses associated with quarantine.

Responsible Physical Distancing

Vaccinated guests are not required to maintain physical distance on the ship.

It is recommended that all unvaccinated guests maintain physical distancing as follows:

• Indoors – Remain at least 5 feet from others not in your cruise companion group. As such, we encourage you to take the stairs whenever possible, if you are able to do so.
• Outdoors – Remain at least 3 feet from others when not wearing a mask and not in your cruise companion group.

Masks

All guests must wear masks during the entire embarkation and debarkation process (at the home port and ports of call, including the onboard pre-debarkation process), during any Carnival-approved shore excursions and while on any transportation vehicles, including water shuttles. Additionally, when going ashore, guests must be prepared to follow all local guidance regarding masks and physical distancing. The status of local guidelines will be shared with guests prior to debarkation at the destination.

See above for more details.

Personal Hygiene

Guests will be encouraged to use the hand-washing sinks and hand sanitizer dispensers at venue entrances and in high-traffic areas throughout the ship. Guests will be asked to follow health information about the ways to stay healthy on board and when ashore through daily programming, entertainment systems, announcements, in-stateroom literature, and our app. There will be no self-service for meals. We'll do the serving for you.

Safe Shoreside Experiences

Vaccinated guests may participate in Carnival operated tours and independent sightseeing. It will be necessary to follow the health protocols for every port they visit, which are under the control of local authorities and subject to change without prior notice. Guests must come prepared to follow local guidance pertaining to mask wearing, physical distancing, testing/health screenings, etc. See above for details on shore excursions if you are unvaccinated.

NOTE: Our destination requirements continue to evolve and based on our port agreement with San Juan, unvaccinated guests will have to remain on board during that call.