Many of the world's largest cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean, will require passengers to show proof of vaccination in order to get on a ship in response to COVID-19 policies in the Bahamas, Florida Politics reports.
Although many of these cruise lines are based in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a ban on ''vaccine passports,'' several of the largest cruise lines have announced that they will require that any passenger over age 12 be fully vaccinated unless they have a medical condition that prevents it after the Bahamas, a popular destination for cruise ships, issued an emergency order that would essentially prevent cruise ships from entering their ports unless they can prove that everyone aboard who can be vaccinated has been.
''MSC Cruises will now be requiring all guests 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated on all sailings beginning September 3, 2021, through and including sailings of October 31, 2021, departing from Port Miami and Port Canaveral,'' the cruise line said.
''Beginning September 3 until November 1, 2021, The Bahamas will require that all cruise ship passengers ages 12 and older be fully vaccinated in order for a ship to be allowed entry into any of its cruise ports, including private islands like Disney Castaway Cay,'' Disney Cruise Lines' website reads. ''To comply with this new requirement, all Guests ages 12 and older on upcoming sailings must be fully vaccinated to board the ship.''
The company adds, ''Guests who choose not to provide proof of vaccination to meet the requirements of The Bahamas will not be permitted to board the ship.''
Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement: ''Effective Aug. 28 through October, for departures from all Atlantic and Gulf homeports, only children under 12 and adults with a medical condition that prohibits their vaccination are exempt from vaccination requirements to sail. Carnival is advising guests of this update, and any guests that have received an exemption applicable through October have been informed of this change and that exemptions beyond these two categories are rescinded.''
Carnival brand ambassador John Heald told the Orlando Sentinel that ''this actually only affects about 1% or so of people who are booked. This means that guests who were previously accommodated will not be able to travel, and for that we say a sincere apology. It's a very small group of you but that should not diminish the disappointment that I know that those people are feeling.''
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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