Do I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise?

Vaccination requirements vary by port of departure and by age group. Below are the current published requirements for select ports. We are continually adding, monitoring and adjusting information on vaccination requirements as public health conditions evolve. Booked guests will be advised of the latest requirements for their port of departure before sailing.

Read more about what vaccines are accepted and what documents are accepted as proof of vaccination.

All Royal Caribbean guests age 12 and older must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests.

Each guest’s regimen must include at least two doses of vaccine unless the guest received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This guidance is per the U.S. CDC, and no exceptions will be made, even if the guest's resident country has authorized a single-shot regimen for a two dose vaccine. 

We strongly recommend that fully vaccinated guests receive a booster dose when they become eligible to do so, though it is currently not required. 

Royal Caribbean will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in lieu of a vaccination record card for guests of vaccine eligible age. 

For guests departing from Florida homeports, this vaccine requirement is the policy of several international governments for a cruise ship to enter their waters. We remain in contact with local governments in the ports we visit and will update the policy if advised.

Guests under age 12 who are not vaccinated will complete additional COVID-19 testing requirements depending on the length and departure port of their sailing.

Kids Who Are Turning 12

What if my child is turning 12 years old right before our cruise, or during our cruise, and cannot get vaccinated in time?

Any guest that is age 12 or older on boarding day must be fully vaccinated to sail. If your child’s 12^th birthday is too close to boarding day to get fully vaccinated, we can move your cruise date to give you more time, or we can cancel your reservation for a full refund. Unfortunately, we cannot make any exceptions, as our port agreements expect that every vaccine-eligible guest onboard is fully vaccinated. If your child is 11 and turns 12 on Day 2 of the cruise or later, you’re in luck. Your 11 year old will be allowed to board the ship on embarkation day as long as they complete all COVID-19 testing requirements for unvaccinated children.

All guests age 12 and older must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing. This is a requirement of Royal Caribbean to sail — guests who are unable to show proof of full vaccination will not be permitted to board. Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow Royal Caribbean’s protocols for vaccinated guests.

Due to the requirements of destinations on your Barbados itinerary, we can only accept vaccines that are authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Barbados entry requirements may permit other vaccines not on the WHO list, but you will need a WHO vaccine to board the ship.

Each guest’s regimen must include at least two doses of vaccine unless the guest received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. No exceptions will be made, even if the guest's resident country has authorized a single-shot regimen for a two dose vaccine. 

We strongly recommend that fully vaccinated guests receive a booster dose when they become eligible to do so, though it is currently not required. 

Royal Caribbean will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in lieu of a vaccination record card for guests of vaccine eligible age. 

Mixed Vaccines

For Barbados itineraries, we will accept a mixed mRNA vaccination series consisting of one dose of Pfizer and one dose of Moderna, as long as the doses were administered at least 28 days apart. Mixed vaccine regimens of brands other than Pfizer and Moderna are not permitted for this itinerary.

Vaccination and travel documentation requirements vary by homeport and country of departure. Customers should consult the Royal Caribbean site for the country the ship departs from, or talk to their travel advisor. Booked guests will be advised of specific requirements via email before setting sail.

At this time, we have not yet determined our health and safety protocols for 2022 sailings departing from Europe. Guests will be advised of specific requirements via email before setting sail.

We require all Royal Caribbean crew members on all ships and at our private destinations to be fully vaccinated. Crew members receive a booster dose as they become eligible (6 months after their last vaccination dose).  They also complete a COVID-19 test at least once a week.