Are vaccinations necessary for children to cruise? Most major cruise lines say no.

If you're organizing a family cruise, you might skip that vaccine clinic visit on your pre-cruise checklist. This is because seven out of the eight leading cruise lines have lifted their vaccine mandates for most sailings.

When major cruise lines resumed operations in spring 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had already given emergency authorization for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for adults and kids aged 12 and older. Most cruise lines established rules mandating vaccinations for eligible travelers, allowing some exemptions for younger children.

In late October 2021, the FDA expanded emergency authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to include children as young as 5 years. Following this, several popular cruise lines adjusted their policies to require that even young children present proof of vaccination before boarding.

With the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifting its opt-in COVID-19 guidelines for cruise ships, most major cruise lines have adapted by removing vaccine requirements in certain situations. For specific sailings still demanding vaccination to board, many lines offer limited exemptions for children under 5 and occasionally for those up to 11, despite vaccines now being available for kids as young as 6 months.

Here’s a summary of the vaccination policies for children and teens from the eight largest cruise lines.

In all instances below, "fully vaccinated" refers to passengers who have completed their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization or FDA (excluding boosters, which indicate you're "up to date" rather than "fully vaccinated") at least 15 days before sailing. As the U.S. does not currently provide official recovery certificates, a past COVID-19 infection cannot substitute for vaccination unless specified. Whenever feasible, U.S. passengers should present their original, physical vaccination cards. At this time, none of the major cruise lines mandate boosters for eligible children.

It's important to note that unvaccinated travelers must provide negative test results before boarding on most lines that allow them to cruise without exemptions.

Carnival Cruise Line

As of September 6, 2022, children will not need to be vaccinated on cruises lasting 15 nights or fewer (except for departures from Australia). For cruises of 16 nights or longer, or those leaving from Australia, unvaccinated children can request exemptions. Vaccination may still be necessary in certain destinations due to local regulations.

Refer to Carnival's Have Fun. Be Safe. policies for more information.

Celebrity Cruises

Beginning September 5, 2022, Celebrity will permit all guests, including children, to embark from most ports without regard to vaccination status, provided they comply with local testing requirements. For sailings from the U.S., children aged 5 and under do not need to test, regardless of vaccination. In European departures, passengers 12 and under are exempt from testing. Children aged 6 and older departing from the U.S. must test only if they are not fully vaccinated, and unproctored negative test results are now accepted.

Visit Celebrity's Healthy at Sea page for further details.

Disney Cruise Line

Starting September 2, 2022, Disney Cruise Line mandates that all children aged 12 and older provide proof of full vaccination to sail. Until September 22, 2022, vaccinated children must present negative results from a PCR or proctored antigen test taken within 48 hours before departure; unvaccinated guests need to show negative PCR test results taken within 72 hours prior to boarding and undergo a second test at the pier. From September 23, 2022 (November 7, 2022, for Disney Magic) onward, fully vaccinated children will no longer be required to show negative test results, and unvaccinated children will not need to take a second test at the pier.

Visit Disney Cruise Line's Know Before You Go section for additional information.

Holland America Line

Effective September 6, 2022, Holland America will permit unvaccinated travelers to join cruises lasting 15 nights or fewer without needing to file for exemptions. This does not apply to longer cruises or those that visit or depart from Australia, Bermuda, Canada, and Greece, where vaccination is still required.

Check out Holland America's Travel Well FAQ for more information.

MSC Cruises

As of September 1, 2022, U.S. passengers (including children) sailing with MSC Cruises are no longer required to be vaccinated for voyages to the Caribbean or Bahamas. Fully vaccinated children must still provide proof of vaccination at embarkation, while unvaccinated kids need to present a negative PCR test result taken within three days. Fully vaccinated passengers will not need to test before sailing. Additionally, children aged 12 and older from countries outside the U.S. must be fully vaccinated, and all travelers aged 2 and older, regardless of vaccination status, must present negative test results before boarding.

Refer to MSC's What to Know Before You Go literature for better trip planning.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Starting September 3, 2022, passengers on Norwegian Cruise Line will no longer need to present proof of vaccination. Those aged 12 and older who do provide it will be exempt from pre-cruise testing. Children aged 11 and younger are exempt from both vaccination proof and testing requirements.

For more information, check out Norwegian's Sail Safe page.

Princess Cruises

As of September 6, 2022, passengers on Princess cruises lasting 15 nights or fewer, including children, will not need to be vaccinated to board. Travelers who present their vaccination cards will be exempt from testing. Exceptions apply to Panama Canal crossings, ocean voyages, and other specialty itineraries. For sailings of 16 nights or more, all passengers, including children, must provide proof of vaccination.

For more details, explore Princess' Cruise Health requirements.

Royal Caribbean

As of September 5, 2022, all guests can cruise with Royal Caribbean, irrespective of their vaccination status. Unvaccinated travelers may sail by providing negative results from any commercially available test, including self-tests. Vaccinated passengers do not need to test on voyages of nine nights or fewer. For sailings lasting 10 nights or more, all travelers must show negative results from a test taken within three days of boarding. Additionally, passengers aged 5 and younger have no vaccination or testing requirements. However, due to local regulations, cruises to Australia, Bermuda, Canada, and Singapore still mandate vaccination for passengers.

Additional information is available on Royal Caribbean's FAQ page.

For a detailed overview of vaccination policies across cruise lines for all age groups, check out our comprehensive guide to cruise vaccination requirements. For insights on cruise testing, refer to our article on pre- and post-cruise testing.

Planning a family cruise? Begin with these articles:

• The 8 best cruise ships for children
• The 5 top cruise lines for families
• The 5 most sought-after cabin locations on any cruise ship
• 21 tips and tricks to ensure a smooth cruise experience
• 15 common ways cruisers overspend
• 12 fantastic cruises for those who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise adventure
• 16 common mistakes cruisers make on sea days