Disney Cruise Line updated their Know Before You Go pages on August 29th with a change in the pre-cruise requirements. Disney Cruise Line will be dropping the pre-cruise COVID-19 testing requirement for fully vaccinated guests beginning September 23, 2022, for sailings aboard the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish and Disney Wonder and beginning November 7, 2022, for sailings aboard the Disney Magic. The effective sailings based on those dates are as follows:
- Disney Dream – Friday September 23, 2022 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami
- Disney Wish – Friday September 23, 2022 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- Disney Wonder – Friday September 23, 2022 5-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- Disney Fantasy – Saturday September 24, 2022 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
- Disney Magic – Monday November 7, 2022 7-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise from San Juan
As of the respective dates, fully vaccinated Guests are no longer required to participate in COVID-19 testing in order to sail. Guests who are NOT fully vaccinated (Ages 11 and younger) must continue providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken one to 3 days before the sail date. However, Guests who are not fully vaccinated will no longer be required to complete a second test at the terminal on embarkation day.
The following Know Before You Go pages were updated on August 29, 2022:
- Know Before You Go Cruise Checklist (archived)
- Before You Leave (archived)
- Embarkation Day (archived)
- On the Ship (archived)
- Ports of Call (archived)
- Debarkation Day (archived)
Emails are going out to guests on upcoming cruises. Please note, there WAS an incorrect email sent originally with a reference to an incorrect email in the 10 o’clock hour.
Approximately, an hour later, the following corrected email was sent with a note:
This morning you received an email in error from Disney Cruise Line regarding vaccine and testing requirements. In this email, we are reaching out with the correct updates to the COVID-19 testing requirements for your sailing.
08/29/2022
Reservation#:
Dear Emily,
This morning you received an email in error from Disney Cruise Line regarding vaccine and testing requirements. In this email, we are reaching out with the correct updates to the COVID-19 testing requirements for your sailing.
Earlier this month, we communicated that beginning on September 2, 2022, for sailings departing U.S. and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line will only require Guests ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additionally, beginning September 23, 2022, for Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish sailings departing the U.S., fully vaccinated Guests are no longer required to participate in COVID-19 testing. Unvaccinated Guests (ages 11 and younger) will need to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken 1-3 days before the sail date. Unvaccinated Guests will no longer be required to complete a second COVID-19 test at the terminal on embarkation day. Acceptable vaccines and testing information for Guests ages 11 and younger can be found in the Know Before You Go section of DisneyCruise.com.
| COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish sailings from the U.S. beginning September 23, 2022 | Face Coverings | |
| Fully Vaccinated Guests | No testing required. | Optional |
| Not Fully Vaccinated Guests (Ages 11 and younger) | Pre-Embarkation Testing: COVID-19 test 1-3 days before the sail date. The test must be a rapid or lab-based PCR test, or Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT). Rapid antigen tests are not accepted. | Optional, Highly Recommended |
Upload Proof of Vaccination and/or COVID-19 Test Results
In order to sail, all guests 12 and older (who are required to be vaccinated), plus those under 12 that are vaccinated, must upload their proof of vaccination to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Unvaccinated Guests must upload a negative COVID-19 test result to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Uploading these documents is a requirement for adults and children, regardless of age. A parent or legal guardian will need to use their own account to provide this information on behalf of minors. To learn more about how to provide proof of your negative COVID-19 test result, please visit Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.
After appropriate documents have been uploaded and reviewed by Inspire, Guests should see the words “Clear to Arrive” or “Clear to Sail” in the Pre-Sail Screening section when they log into their Safe Passage account before arriving at the port.
It is also recommended that Guests bring a copy of their proof of vaccination or negative COVID- test result with them to the port. Guests who fail to upload proof of vaccination and/or COVID-19 test results may be delayed or denied boarding. If you have any questions about your Safe Passage registration or status, please contact Inspire Diagnostics at 877-250-5132.
Back-to-Back Sailings
Guests who are not fully vaccinated and traveling on back-to-back sailings will be required to complete a COVID-19 test between sailings, paid for by Disney Cruise Line.
Guests Recently Recovered from COVID-19
In some cases, people who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may still test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If Guests have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within 11 to 90 days of their sail date, they may qualify to be considered as “90-Day-Recovered,” with the appropriate documentation and subsequent approval. Not-fully vaccinated Guests who are considered “90-Day-Recovered” are not required to participate in COVID-19 testing during the pre-embarkation phase of their voyage. For details on what documentation is required, please visit Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.
Online Check-in
You must complete Online Check-in beginning 30 days prior to your sailing. You will need to submit the required documents as well as select a Port Arrival Time. All Guests, including our Platinum Castaway Club Guests, will need to select a Port Arrival Time. Please be aware that Guests will not be permitted at the terminal or in parking areas before their scheduled arrival time. Guests who arrive early will be asked to return at their scheduled arrival time, and Guests arriving after their scheduled time may be delayed and asked to wait behind those arriving at their scheduled time. Online Check-in can be completed or modified up to one day prior to sailing. After completing Online Check-in, you will receive a Port Arrival Form by email. Bring this with you to the port to expedite your arrival.
As our health and safety protocols and operational guidelines are subject to change, please visit the Know Before You Go section of our website for the latest information and answers to many frequently asked questions.
Guests booked on the Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy or Disney Wish September 23, 2022, through December 31, 2022 may modify or cancel their sailing by September 12, 2022 without any Disney-imposed cancellation fees. Please contact your travel agent for details on how to cancel or modify your booking. Please note that change fees and cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, such as airlines and hotels, as well as travel insurance, are not refundable. Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment. Standard cancellation policies and terms and conditions apply for any cancellation or modification requests received on or after September 13, 2022.
We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.
Sincerely,
The Cast and Crew
Disney Cruise Line
We will continue to monitor for additional changes, but please take the time to read and familiarize the information on Disney Cruise Line emails and Know Before You Go pages, specific to your upcoming sailing as this remains a dynamic situation.
I just received an email saying an earlier email on this was incorrect and there is still pre testing requirement on our Disney Wonder cruise in November.
Seems like every time Disney sends out an email to cruisers they have to correct it quickly thereafter
I’m sailing on the Dream on 9/26 and just received a corrected email that testing will still be required for vaccinated guests. The email stated at the top “Earlier today, an email containing incorrect information was sent to your attention. Please disregard that email. Below is the correct information for your sailing. We appreciate you sailing with us aboard the Disney Dream and want to share some important tips and reminders for your sailing.”
I never received the earlier email today, so now it’s a little confusing.
I didn’t either!! But it is on their website that testing is no longer required for vaccinated guests.
Scott, unfortunately, DCL has come back and corrected this.. looks like it’s back to the same as the August 15th update, I received an email stating such.. hopefully it changes soon.
What am I missing? If Disney is not requiring vax for 12 and younger (which is great), why require it at all.
Sorry, 11 and younger…
But it still states the same as the above on the disney cruiseline web page, so NOW I don’t know WHAT to believe… hopefully this updates soon and NO MORE TESTING… thanks for your updates and I really hope we don’t test for October sailing..
I am so confused. I got an email saying that the previous email I received was not correct and that we still need to test. Then I received an email to my travel agent email saying no testing starting Sept. 23 and it is also on their website.
The website says testing for fully vaccinated and non vaccinated have to trst st terminal
Disney changed it back after this release, it’s the same rules. Everyone needs a test
Son of a …
Sailing out of NYC means we still have to find testing. :-/
I hope this becomes a true change and they drop testing.
At 10:10am (ET), I rec’d the ‘correction’ email stating that a previous email was wrong and testing is still required. Then…at 11:04am (ET), I rec’d the email that no testing will be required as of Sept 23 (the same email that is posted in this blog). I then (at 11:10am ET) went to the website and see that the info was updated today and said that no more testing as of Sept 23 (as written in that second email that I got.) Note that I did not get any email before getting the ‘correction’ one. We are sailing on Nov 11, so will just continue to watch things to see what info is accurate.
They just emailed again with the below!!
This morning you received an email in error from Disney Cruise Line regarding vaccine and testing requirements. In this email, we are reaching out with the correct updates to the COVID-19 testing requirements for your sailing.
Earlier this month, we communicated that beginning on September 2, 2022, for sailings departing U.S. and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line will only require Guests ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additionally, beginning September 23, 2022, for Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish sailings departing the U.S., fully vaccinated Guests are no longer required to participate in COVID-19 testing. Unvaccinated Guests (ages 11 and younger) will need to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken 1-3 days before the sail date. Unvaccinated Guests will no longer be required to complete a second COVID-19 test at the terminal on embarkation day. Acceptable vaccines and testing information for Guests ages 11 and younger can be found in the Know Before You Go section of DisneyCruise.com.
COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish sailings from the U.S. beginning September 23, 2022 Face Coverings
Fully Vaccinated Guests No testing required. Optional
Not Fully Vaccinated Guests (Ages 11 and younger) Pre-Embarkation Testing: COVID-19 test 1-3 days before the sail date. The test must be a rapid or lab-based PCR test, or Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT). Rapid antigen tests are not accepted. Optional, Highly Recommended
Upload Proof of Vaccination and/or COVID-19 Test Results
In order to sail, all guests 12 and older (who are required to be vaccinated), plus those under 12 that are vaccinated, must upload their proof of vaccination to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Unvaccinated Guests must upload a negative COVID-19 test result to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Uploading these documents is a requirement for adults and children, regardless of age. A parent or legal guardian will need to use their own account to provide this information on behalf of minors. To learn more about how to provide proof of your negative COVID-19 test result, please visit Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.
After appropriate documents have been uploaded and reviewed by Inspire, Guests should see the words “Clear to Arrive” or “Clear to Sail” in the Pre-Sail Screening section when they log into their Safe Passage account before arriving at the port.
It is also recommended that Guests bring a copy of their proof of vaccination or negative COVID- test result with them to the port. Guests who fail to upload proof of vaccination and/or COVID-19 test results may be delayed or denied boarding. If you have any questions about your Safe Passage registration or status, please contact Inspire Diagnostics at 877-250-5132.
UPDATE to the UPDATE to the UPDATE- received yet another email that agrees with this post… wooooo-hoooo beginning Sept 23 no more testing for fully vaccinated, the only exception to that date is the Disney Magic, which starts the above policy on Nov 7th
Still waiting for them to drop the vaccination requirement. Absurd. Other cruise lines have done so, effective 9/2/22.
I’m going off of the website which says this:
For sailings aboard the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish and Disney Wonder through September 22, 2022, fully vaccinated Guests must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by the Guest) taken one to 2 days before setting sail to be exempt from embarkation testing at the terminal on embarkation day. For sailings aboard the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish and Disney Wonder beginning September 23, 2022 (and Disney Magic beginning November 7, 2022), fully vaccinated Guests will no longer be required to submit COVID-19 test results in order to sail.
Just got off Royal Caribbean as an ‘unvaxxed’. Cost was half of Disney. After 3 1/2 years, it was nice be back on open seas.
I really hope DCL is paying attention to their customers — or soon-to-be-ex-customers, if they don’t pivot to the marketplace.
The Disney sailings remain close to full and until they start being less than that, they will remain cautious.
That is simply not true. A quick search and you will find comments like this as of July 2022: “Disney Cruise Line ships continue to operate at partial capacity”.
Disney parks on the other hand are doing quite well since the plandemic restrictions were dropped. As soon as DCL drops ALL covi restrictions, their ships will be at capacity just like the parks.
It is nothing more than vile that you would use the absolutely ridiculous “plandemic”. 1M+ dead in America alone. Try having some empathy and humanity.
The ships aren’t full, and travel agents are reporting many cancellations and re-bookings with all the other cruise lines that are operating without baseless mandates. DCL either needs to stop and go back to normal operations or face the real prospect of becoming a marginalized line exclusively catering to a clientele with a particular belief system. Not great business.
I can verify this as I have a family member that is a travel agent. But some people just don’t want to hear it.
Isn’t it funny how most people think honesty is a virtue yet know one wants to hear the truth?
I got email #1 saying an earlier email was sent in error (never received) and that testing was required.
Then I got email #2 an hour later saying an earlier email was sent in error and testing is not required as pointed out by Scott.
Then I got a third email (30 minutes later) saying an earlier email sent in error but still saying testing is not required.
At this point I have no idea what is right side up vs backwards! Probably DCL needs a day or so to figure out their mess and clean it up properly.
CDC officially announced you have the exact same chances of getting the Coof/having the Coof, etc, whether you’re vaxxed or not, but Disney Cruise Lines is now officially straight up discriminating against the non-vaxxed. Wow.
Do you have a URL to verify this?
Disney site currently says this:
“For sailings aboard the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish and Disney Wonder beginning September 23, 2022 (and Disney Magic beginning November 7, 2022), fully vaccinated Guests will no longer be required to complete a second COVID-19 test at the terminal on embarkation day.”
It would appear fully vaxxed still need to take test, unless this is wrong.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/why-cruise-disney/experience-updates/us/
Sooo, yeah. Just received the DCL email that said testing is not required. But now trying to figure out if that’s the first email I never received or a third email.
Apparently, Back to Back passengers who are fully vaccinated no longer have to test between cruises. This is apparently effective immediately, as the Know Before You Go page has the following, with no date distinctions:
“Back-to-Back Sailings: Guests who are not fully vaccinated on consecutive, back-to-back sailings, will be required to complete a COVID-19 test between sailings, paid for by Disney Cruise Line.”
I guess that also means no need to pack on turnaround day either.
That’s exactly what I’m hoping!
Has the testing requirement been completely dropped? If I sail in October, I do not need to submit any Covid 19 test prior to arriving at the port or testing at the port? Has anyone called DCL to confirm what exactly if any test is required after 9-23-22 for all DCL ships except the Magic?
I wonder if this means that Cast Members will no longer need to be masked?
The Disney cruise site has now been updated to say this:
“For sailings aboard the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish and Disney Wonder, beginning September 23, 2022 (and aboard the Disney Magic beginning November 7, 2022), fully vaccinated Guests will no longer be required to submit COVID-19 test results in order to sail.”
It changed from “…no longer be required to complete a second COVID-19 test…” to “…no longer be required to submit COVID-19 test results…”
…which makes zero sense, since everyone knows anyone can still catch/have the virus, vaxxed or not. The funny thing is that I can tell that DCL is trying to get themselves to the same “no-vax required” status as every other cruise line already has, but they’re doing it so slowly, clumsily and illogically that by the time they get there even multi-Platinum cruisers like me will have already booked on other ships. Shame, really.
I feel your pain Andrew. Platinum here as well and I too have started to look at different cruise lines. I would love to remain faithful to Disney but they are making it extremely difficult to do so with their policies. Interestedly enough, dropping the vax requirement for under 11 year olds is a step in the right direction. Maybe Disney is just sitting on the fence trying to make both sides happy.
Maybe, but they must know that sooner or later they have to choose a policy. It’s either open the ship up to everyone, or cater to a select clientele with select beliefs.
Agreed, although I can’t imagine them holding out too much longer. It makes absolutely no sense with what we know about the spread and infection regardless of vaccination status.
Bingo!!
Why is the Magic not changing until November?? We cruise on Magic in October and it’s making me crazy that they changed it for all BUT Magic…
Due to the destinations the Magic will visit upon her return to New York. She will be sailing to Canada and Bermuda. The change happens once she arrives in San Juan ahead of her eventual reposition to Galveston.
Bermuda and Canada require Pre Cruise Covid Testing to enter the country. This applies to other cruises complany’s like Carnival and RCL
The new B2B part is confusing. Is the no testing between B2B effective immediately or does it start on 09/23/22? The way the web page on DCL is laid out, it’s hard to tell. I am not sure if the B2B part is it’s own section since it’s bolded thus no testing between B2B as of now or if it falls under the after 09/23 bolded section? I start my first leg of B2B on Friday, so hopeful that the no testing between cruises is effective now.
We are platinum and I’ve cancelled 2 DCL cruises due to DCLs vax policy. Second cancellation I received a request for information as to why we cancelled. I told them straight out we are unvaxxed, covid survivors with antibodies. We are as I said platinum, got married at WDW and are DVC members. Vaxxed are getting covid. Vax doesn’t work as it was sold to the public.DCL needs to stop treating unvaxxed like second class lepers. I also pointed out the fully vaxxed ships with covid outbreaks. It’s time for DCL and everyone else to wake up before they lose a large part of their guests to other lines.
@Heidi, 100% agree
Hello,
We’re leaving on a Disney cruise tomorrow (10/27) on the Wish. Our 5 year old is starting to cut molars and has random spikes in her temperature. Does anyone know if they’re currently checking temperatures before entering the ship at Port Canaveral? Any info is helpful.
There were no temperature checks over the summer.