ORLANDO, Fla. – A new COVID-19 vaccine requirement that requires all guests 5 years and older to be vaccinated is now in effect on Disney cruises.
The requirement was announced by Disney Cruise Line in mid-November for all vaccine-eligible guests to be inoculated against COVID-19 for all cruises on Thursday, Jan. 13, or after.
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“As we set sail again, the health and safety of our Guests, Cast Members and Crew Members is a top priority,” a Disney news release said. “Our focus remains on operating our ships in a responsible way that continues to create magic or all on board.”
The cruise line said it applies to all sailings in the U.S. and abroad. The requirements previously only required guests 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID.
The new rules come as other cruise lines have been forced to cancel sailings due to a recent spike in cases and port restrictions. Norwegian Cruise Line issued a new advisory Tuesday, canceling numerous cruises, including one based at Port Canaveral.
The move comes a couple of weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its travel health notice regarding COVID-19 and cruise ships, warning against cruise travel regardless of vaccination status due to the omicron variant of COVID-19.