Carnival Cruise Line has released more details on the 23-day Seattle to Sydney cruise onboard Carnival Splendor next month. Besides the mandatory vaccinations and testing requirements, there are also guidelines for the use of masks onboard, travel insurance, and visa requirements for Australia.
Carnival also detailed daily activities and happenings around the vessels during the many sea days onboard.
Health and Safety Priority During 23-Day Voyage
Carnival Cruise Line is not taking any chances on the health and safety side during the upcoming 23-day repositioning from Seattle to Sydney with the Carnival Splendor.
Sailing on September 6, Carnival Cruise Line will only allow fully vaccinated guests onboard, which means that all guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated, and those older than 18 years old will need to have received their booster shot if eligible.
Guests that are not vaccinated or who are not planning to get their booster shot despite being eligible will be denied boarding. All guests must also provide proof of a medically observed negative COVID-19 test, PCR or Antigen, taken within three days before embarking on Carnival Splendor.
Carnival Cruise Line will also make it mandatory for all guests to wear a mask for the first days of the voyage, at a minimum until arrival in Honolulu.
The only time guests will be allowed to remove their masks is when they are eating, drinking, or in their cabins. Masks will also be required during the embarkation and debarkation process.
The cruise line said the following on bringing masks back: “While the vast majority of the guests on board will be vaccinated or boosted, and everyone will be tested before leaving Seattle, this extra layer of precaution will allow us to minimize the chance of a breakthrough case impacting more guests and crew. Given the length of your cruise, our health experts think this is the best way to proceed for everyone’s health and safety.”
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Carnival Cruise Line will conduct mandatory COVID-19 self-testing at various intervals during the voyage and provide guests with free self-tests during the cruise. Only if Carnival determines that there are no dormant cases amongst the guests and crew will it decide to relax the mandatory use of masks onboard.
Other Protocols
Cruise Lines have had it relatively easy with cruising from the United States to, for example, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. The arrival to Australia will be much stricter than what has been common practice onboard cruise ships of late.
All guests must have proof of medical travel insurance coverage for the duration of the voyage at the time of check-in. The plan must include coverage for medical emergencies and carry no COVID-19 exclusions.
All guests, except Australians, must have a valid Australian tourist visa before embarking on the ship. This electronic visa can be applied for through the Australian government’s website. Guests can also contact the Australian Embassy or consulate for more information. New Zealand citizens can apply for a visa upon arrival.
Guests who fail to comply with any of the health and safety, insurance, and visa protocols will be denied boarding.
Long Cruise, More Than Enough Activities
Some people cannot stand sea days, and others relish the idea of those warm, lazy days at sea. Getting up late for breakfast, lounging by the pool, playing team trivia, and strolling up to lunch, is a paradise for some.
Carnival has ensured there is more than enough to do during one of the 17 days at sea. There will be a caricaturist, naturalist, lecturers, knitting, comedy workshop, cooking demos, and ukulele classes. There will be three Elegant Nights during the cruise on Sea Day 2, Sea Day 8, and Sea Day 15.
The vessel will make several stops along the way; these include Honolulu, Kailua Kona, Hilo, and Kahului (Maui), Hawaii; and Suva and Port Denarau, Fiji. Carnival Splendor will arrive in Sydney, Australia, on September 30 Sep.
There will be no September 22 for guests onboard. The vessel will be crossing the international date line on September 21. This means that what would be 00:00 AM on September 22 is, in fact, 00:00 AM on September 23.
The sailing marks the return of Carnival Splendor to her typical sailing area. Last February, Carnival decided to bring Carnival Splendor back to the United States due to a ban on cruising down under. Now cruising has returned to Australia; the time is right for Splendor to return.
