Starting in January, all passengers ages 5 and up on Disney Cruises will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, an expansion of the cruise line's mandate that will now cover children who are eligible for the vaccine in the U.S.
Starting on January 13, 2022, the updated mandate will go into effect for all passengers. The mandate also requires children under the age of 5 to show a negative test between 3 days and 24 hours before departure.
Disney Cruise Line released a statement expressing its thoughts and reasoning for expanding the mandate.
"As we set sail again, the health and safety of our Guests, Cast Members, and Crew Members is a top priority. Our focus remains on operating our ships in a responsible way that continues to create magic for all on board," the cruise line said in its statement.
Disney Cruise Line's policy states that all vaccine-eligible guests, as the U.S. CDC defines them, must be vaccinated against COVID-19 before boarding one of its ships.
Now following the FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11, the company will follow suit with their policy.
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The cruise line currently accepts vaccine passports for passengers from Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm, and Sinovac, the statement said.
Since the cruise line industry shut down from the pandemic, Disney has been working to bounce back and offer its services safely for passengers. They, along with other cruise liners, have done so with vaccine mandates and other safety protocols.
"We are resuming sailing in a gradual, phased approach that emphasizes multiple layers of health and safety measures," Disney Cruise Line said in its statement.
Health experts have shared that getting children vaccinated is the next step in downgrading the pandemic to an endemic. The CDC has reported that about 1.9 million children under the age of 12 have received their first shot.
