Disney Cruise Line has made some major COVID policy changes for U.S.-originated sailings. Learn how these changes will impact your sailing.

Are you heading on a Disney Cruise soon? Given the global climate, Disney Cruise Line has taken steps over the past two years to ensure guests sailing with them are healthy and feel safe during their voyage. 

From being masked to taking COVID-19 tests, the list of policies and procedures that guests had to follow was numerous. Recently, Disney Cruise line has eased some of its policies to make embarkation a bit easier in the United States. 

What are these updates to the Health and Safety Policies on Disney Cruise Line? How will they impact your voyage? Learn more about the changes coming in November.

Update for U.S. Sailings

The main update just released for Disney Cruise Line is in regards to sailings departing from the United States. On these voyages, guests will no longer be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to sailing, regardless of their vaccination status. 

While you aren’t required to take tests or be vaccinated, Disney still does encourage their guests to be fully vaccinated before sailing and encourages unvaccinated guests to voluntarily take a COVID-19 test two days prior to their sailing. 

The end of testing requirements is effective on all sailings departing the United States beginning on November 14th. 

For Sailings Before November 14th

If you are planning to sail in the next 10 days (through November 13th) and are over the age of 5, before this policy goes into effect, there are some things you need to know. 

• You do not need to take a COVID-19 test if you are vaccinated and can upload proof of vaccination to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website before midnight the day before embarkation. 
• If you are unvaccinated, you will still need to provide a negative COVID-19 test 1 to 2 days before your sail date. It can be an observed antigen test, rapid or lab PCR, or NAAT. 

For guests ages 4 and younger, they are not required to test or be fully vaccinated. 

Changes and Cancellations 

In order to combat any issues that arise from these changes, guests booked on sailings departing the U.S. between November 14, 2022, and January 31, 2023, may modify or cancel their sailing by November 13, 2022, without any Disney-imposed cancellation fees. Of course, change or cancellation fees from third-party suppliers, like airlines and hotels, are not refundable. 

In addition, guests must also complete online check-in beginning 30 days prior to sailing and will need to submit any required documents as well as select a port arrival time. Port arrival times will be enforced and guests who arrive early will be asked to return at their scheduled time. 

This change in policy in addition to prior policy changes like face mask requirements and vaccine requirements are another way Disney Cruise Line is trying to get things back on track.

To stay up-to-date on any changes before your sailing, visit the Know Before You Go page on the Disney Cruise Line website.