In addition to allowing unvaccinated cruisers back onboard cruise ships, Royal Caribbean will also begin accepting self-administered Covid tests that don't have to be proctored.
Royal Caribbean was one of the first cruise lines to allow at-home Covid tests to be used, but up until now they had to be supervised by a health professional.
Beginning September 5, Royal Caribbean will allow guests on U.S. cruises the choice of taking a home test or a test professionally administered by a health professional.
Before you grab the inexpensive home tests to use, there are some important considerations and exceptions you should be aware of.
Who needs to test?
Whether or not you'll need to take a covid test before your cruise depends on the port your ship sails from, vaccination status, and date you sail.
Royal Caribbean maintains a master list of requirements on their website, which you should refer to prior to your cruise.
Below you'll find a look at testing requirements for the major itineraries that Royal Caribbean sails.
If your cruise departs before September 4, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:
Guests 2 to 11 years of age who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise.
Fully vaccinated guests must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 6 nights or longer only.
Fully vaccinated guests do not need to test at all on cruises 5-nights or less.
If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:
Guests 5 years of age and older who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise.
Guests younger than 5 do not have any testing requirements.
Fully vaccinated guests 5 years of age and older must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 10 nights or longer only.
Fully vaccinated guests do not need to test at all on cruises 9-nights or less.
If your cruise has any stops in Bermuda or Canada:
Vaccinated guests must show a negative test result for a supervised PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding day.
Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a supervised PCR test (not antigen) taken no more than 3 days before boarding day.
Guests under 2 years of age do not need to complete a pre-cruise test.
If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 from England and the Netherlands:
Guests 12 years of age and older who are not vaccinated or not up to date with their vaccination, must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen test taken within 24 hours before boarding day, or PCR test taken within 72 hours before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise.
Guests who are up to date with their vaccination status must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen test taken within 24 hours before boarding day, or PCR test taken within 72 hours before boarding day, on sailings that are 10 nights or longer only. Testing is not required for up to date guests on shorter itineraries.
Guests younger than 12 do not have any testing requirements.
Which telehealth test at home can I use for my cruise?
Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, can be completed using any type of PCR or antigen test.
Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense.
If your cruise departs before September 4, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:
The At-home tests must happen under live supervision on a video call with a telehealth representative.
The telehealth provider must issue you a result document that includes all the necessary information.
If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:
The test you take can be professionally administered by a health professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, or you can use a home test kit.
Home test kits for these sailings are not required to be administered under live video supervision.
If your cruise visits Canada:
Unvaccinated guests cannot use a telehealth test if their cruise visits Canada.
If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 from Europe with no stops in Greece:
The test you take can be professionally administered by a health professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, or you can use a home test kit. Home test kits for these sailings are not required to be administered under live video supervision.
Telehealth tests and self test kits are not accepted if your cruise departs from Athens.
What you need to bring to the cruise terminal at check-in
Regardless of the type of test you take, you'll need to bring with you proof of a negative test result.
If your cruise departs before September 4, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:
You must receive a valid results document from your test provider that includes the name of the lab that processed the test, the lab’s CLIA Lab Number or Certification Number, the address of the lab, your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your negative result.
This can be a printed document, email, or telehealth app notification that you show on your phone.
Fully handwritten doctor’s notes (such as those written on a prescription pad) will not be accepted.
Minimal handwritten components (such as a check mark on a “negative” box) are acceptable as long as the other required information is printed on the document.
If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:
You can show it in the form of a printout, an email, or an app screen from the test provider. Or you can show a picture of your negative home test on your phone, or present the actual negative test itself.
If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 from Europe with no stops in Greece:
You can show it in the form of a printout, an email, or an app screen from the test provider. Or you can show a picture of your negative home test on your phone, or present the actual negative test itself.
