Disney Cruise Line Health and Safety Update

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Following recently updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have updated our face covering requirements for sailings originating from a U.S. port of departure. Beginning March 11, face coverings on Disney Cruise Line will become optional in most indoor locations throughout our ships.

Guests ages 2 and up, including those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, will still be required to wear face coverings in the Walt Disney Theatre. Guests under 5 years of age who are currently ineligible to be vaccinated will be required to wear face coverings in Youth Activities spaces and in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique; and, while not required, we continue to strongly recommend these Guests wear a face covering in all other indoor locations.

Face coverings may be required in ports of call based on local government requirements, including in some areas at Disney Castaway Cay. Masks should also be worn in the cruise terminal during the boarding and screening process, as well as during disembarkation.

The below SeaMail will be sent to Guests on the following sailings beginning at 1 p.m. today:

  • Disney Wonder – March 11 to April 17, 2022
  • Disney Magic – March 11 to May 8, 2022
  • Disney Fantasy – March 11 to May 28, 2022
  • Disney Dream – March 11 to May 30, 2022

For more information, please visit the Disney Cruise Line Know Before You Go page.

 
Dear [Guests on Travel Agent Bookings],

All of us at Disney Cruise Line hope you and your family are staying well. Considering recently updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have updated our face covering requirements for sailings originating from a U.S. port of departure, including your upcoming sailing:

  • For sailings beginning March 11, 2022, face coverings on Disney Cruise Line will become optional in most indoor locations throughout our ships. Guests ages 2 and up, including those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, will still be required to wear face coverings in the Walt Disney Theatre.
  • Guests under 5 years of age who are currently ineligible to be vaccinated will be required to wear face coverings in Youth Activities spaces and in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique; and, while not required, we continue to strongly recommend these Guests wear a face covering in all other indoor locations.
  • As previously shared, face coverings are not required in outdoor locations while onboard our ships.

Face coverings may be required in ports of call based on local government requirements, including in some areas at Disney Castaway Cay. Masks should also be worn in the cruise terminal during the boarding and screening process, as well as during disembarkation. Please be sure to review the information available on the Know Before You Go section of our website for answers to many frequently asked questions.

We appreciate you sailing with us and look forward to welcoming you aboard.

Sincerely,

The Cast and Crew
Disney Cruise Line 

CDC Officially Recommends The Fully Vaccinated Resume Wearing Masks Indoors

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially updated their guidelines to recommend that some people who are fully vaccinated return to wearing masks indoors.

Specifically, those living in areas with “high” or “substantial” levels of COVID-19 transmission should resume wearing masks. All of Florida, as well as both Orange County and LA County, California, are high transmission areas, according to the CDC’s tracker. 46% of counties in the U.S.A. as a whole have high transmission and 17% have substantial transmission.

Vaccinated people who live or frequently interact with at-risk individuals (such as children under 12 and/or the immunocompromised) should also wear masks indoors.

CNN reports that CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walnsky told reporters, “In recent days I have seen new scientific data from recent outbreak investigations showing that that Delta variant behaves uniquely differently from past strains of the virus that cause COVID-19. This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations.”

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in the past few weeks and months, especially with the Delta variant spreading. In the past month, the Delta variant has gone from comprising 26% of U.S. COVID-19 cases to 83% of cases.

Neither Disney nor Universal have made announcements regarding updated mask guidelines at their Florida and California parks. Orange County, Florida Mayor Jerry Demings has been urging individuals to mask up and businesses to require masks again as the county reached 1,000 new cases in a day.

Disney Cruise Line Cleared By CDC for Test Sailing

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

It has been well over a year now since Disney Cruise Line has been able to set sail on the big blue! While we’ve missed the paramount Disney cruise experience, we’ve enjoyed sharing Disney Wish details as the newest ship prepares for a June 2022 maiden voyage. Great news however is being shared today, as Disney Cruise Line has received the OK from the CDC to launch a test sailing from Port Canaveral!

As reported by OrlandoSentinel: “Disney Cruise Line will be sailing once again after announcing it had received the OK from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to embark on a test sailing from Port Canaveral. Port Canaveral officials welcomed the news of Disney’s return. “Our continuous efforts in close consultation with our cruise partners at Disney has led to this important milestone,” stated Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray. “We’re very excited and ready to welcome back the iconic Disney ships to their home at Port Canaveral.” Media sites on Tuesday posted a letter from Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Signature Experiences, which oversees Disney Cruise Line, revealing that the CDC had approved its application for a simulated cruise with volunteer passengers on the Disney Dream from July 29-July 1.”

CDC Says Masks or Physically Distancing No Longer Necessary for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

As the numbers of individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19 continue to rise in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (better known as the CDC) has issued new guidance that radically changes the policies we’ve seen in the last year.

In a briefing Thursday afternoon, the CDC confirmed that face masks and physical distancing are largely no longer necessary for those who are fully vaccinated, perhaps the largest step towards normalcy since the pandemic began. There are exceptions to this new guidance: masks are still required for those using public transit, like buses, trains and airplanes. And, of course, local and state governments as well as private businesses are allowed to set their own requirements.

From the CDC website:

If you’ve been fully vaccinated:

  • You can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
  • You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
  • If you travel in the United States, you do not need to get tested before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.
  • You need to pay close attention to the situation at your international destination before traveling outside the United States.
    • You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it.
    • You still need to show a negative test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding an international flight to the United States.
    • You should still get tested 3-5 days after international travel.
    • You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
  • If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.
    • However, if you live or work in a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.

For now, if you’ve been fully vaccinated:

  • You will still need to follow guidance at your workplace and local businesses.
  • If you travel, you should still take steps to protect yourself and others. You will still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Fully vaccinated international travelers arriving in the United States are still required to get tested within 3 days of their flight (or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months) and should still get tested 3-5 days after their trip.
  • You should still watch out for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested and stay home and away from others.
  • People who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken the immune system, should talk to their healthcare provider to discuss their activities. They may need to keep taking all precautions to prevent COVID-19.

CDC Says Vaccinated Americans Can Travel Without a COVID-19 Tests or Quarantine

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

According to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fully vaccinated Americans can travel both domestically and internationally “at low risk to themselves” provided they are taking precautions including wearing a mask, physical distancing, and washing hands often.

Specifically, vaccinated Americans don’t need to get a COVID-19 test before traveling unless it is required by the destination country. They do not need to quarantine after returning to the United States unless required to do so by local ordinances. However, they should have a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to the United States from another country and they should get tested again three to five days after arrival.

Travel guidelines have not change for unvaccinated people. The CDC discourages non-essential domestic travel by those who are unvaccinated. Those who must travel should be tested one to three days before their flight and again three to five days after. They should self-quarantine for seven to ten days if they don’t get tested.

Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or after the single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

No airlines currently require travelers to be fully vaccinated, although some countries, including Iceland, do. Cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, are also beginning to implement vaccine requirements. Disney Cruise Line has not yet made any announcement regarding a vaccine requirement but expects sailings to resume this fall.

Increased travel could see increased crowds at theme parks. Presently, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort both restrict their maximum capacity. California theme parks will be able to operate at a maximum of 25% capacity when they reopen this month, although neither Disneyland Resort nor Universal Studios Hollywood have announced their restricted capacities. With more people becoming vaccinated, and case numbers dropping in California, it’s possible theme park capacities will be raised in time for the busy summer months.