Disney Cruise Line delays test cruise over Covid-19 test results

In:
28 Jun 2021
By: 
Matt Hochberg

It looks like Disney Cruise Line's return to service will take a little while longer.

Disney announced on Monday its first scheduled test cruise has been postponed due to concerns surrounding test results.

DCL will not start a test cruise it had scheduled on the Disney Dream due to Covid-19 test results “considered positive by the CDC”.

Disney Dream was scheduled to sail from Port Canaveral on June 29 on a 2-night cruise with about 300 volunteer employees onboard. Instead, the simulated voyage will be rescheduled for next month.

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had given the Disney Dream permission to conduct a test cruise between June 29 and July 1.

Disney Dream is the second cruise ship to cancel its scheduled test cruise due to Covid-19 onboard, following Odyssey of the Seas test cruises being pushed back a few weeks.

Thus far, only Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas has successfully completed a test cruise.

Test cruises are required by the CDC if a cruise ship will not reach 95% of its cruise passengers being fully vaccinated (along with 98% of its crew members).

Disney and Royal Caribbean rely on many families to sail, and since children cannot be vaccinated, the test cruises are necessary since less than 95% of the passengers will be vaccinated.

Each cruise ship needs to conduct test cruises in order to receive approval by the CDC.


Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis.  He has become one of the foremost experts on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Over the years, he has reached Pinnacle Club status with Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.

Get our newsletter

Stay up-to-date with cruise news & advice

    We never share your information with third parties and will protect it in accordance with our Privacy Policy