In a letter to guests booked on a cruise, the cruise line announced that the most recent port to welcome guests, the Cayman Islands, which only started receiving ships this week, and Bermuda, have that unvaccinated guests will not be allowed ashore
Advisory on Two Ports for Unvaccinated Guests
Carnival Cruise Line sent out an advisory on March 23 regarding ship visits to Grand Cayman and Bermuda on sailings through December 31, 2022. Unvaccinated guests 12 years and older won’t be allowed ashore and have to remain onboard.
Carnival Cruise Line told guests booked on these voyages: “As destinations continue to evolve. officials in Bermuda and The Cayman Islands have informed us that unvaccinated guests 12 years and older will not be able to go ashore when we visit the islands. Our records show that you, or someone in your party. Is impacted by this new requirement and will have to remain onboard.”
The advisory was also sent on the same day, Carnival added the two ports to its protocols page. There is now a list of eight Caribbean destinations that have restrictions in place for unvaccinated cruise ship visitors on the Have Fun, Be Safe protocols page. It’s also important to know that any protocols may be different for other forms of travel.
- Limon, Costa Rica – Unvaccinated guests will have to remain on board
- Grand Turk – Guests ages 16 and older will have to remain on board
- Bermuda – Guests ages 12 and older will have to remain on board
- Grand Cayman – Guests ages 12 and older will have to remain on board
- St. Kitts – Guests ages 12 and older will have to remain on board
- Bonaire – Guests ages 12 and older will have to stay on board
- Tortola – Guests ages 12 and older will have to stay on board
Carnival Cruise Line has said that it has agreements in place with San Juan, Puerto Rico, saying unvaccinated guests must remain onboard.
Cayman Islands Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said on a local radio show: “The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association may have medical exemptions for persons to get off in other jurisdictions, for persons who can’t be vaccinated, that is not something we are going to accept. Anybody who comes off, they are going to have to be vaccinated, unless they are below 12.”
Guests that had purchased shore excursions for these cruises will be refunded. It remains to be seen when, and even if, these restrictions be lifted. It seems more likely that more and more destinations will be making similar decisions as vaccinations become more commonplace.
Read Also: Things to Do in Grand Cayman During a Cruise
George Town, Grand Cayman has always been a popular destination for Carnival Cruise Ships, as was evident this week. The first two Carnival cruise ships returned to the island for the first time in two years on March 23.
More vessels continue to visit Grand Cayman through the coming weeks. The western Caribbean nation reopened to cruise ships on March 21 as part of its first phase to welcome back cruise visitors.
