Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
COVID-19 Homepage
Cruise Ship Travel During COVID-19
What You Need to Know
- Protect yourself and others from COVID-19
- Get up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before cruise ship travel.
- Check directly with your cruise line about their COVID-19 testing or vaccination protocols before travel.
- If your cruise line does not have a specific testing requirement, get tested as close to time of cruise departure as possible (no more than 3 days before you travel).
- Get tested again after cruise travel.
- The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships. If the virus is spreading on board a cruise ship, passengers and crew are at risk for infection.
Plan ahead
- Get up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel.
- Find out when you can get your booster and where to get a vaccine or booster.
- COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting people—especially those who are up to date—from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying.
- If you have a weakened immune system, or are at increased risk for severe disease, or are traveling with someone who has these risk factors, take multiple prevention steps to provide additional layers of protection from COVID-19 even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk before travel and consider delaying travel if advised. Even if you are up to date, you should know what precautions to take.
- Check if your cruise line requires proof of vaccination or pre-embarkation testing, or has any other requirements to board.
- If traveling by air before or after cruise travel, check if your airline or destination (see here for U.S. requirement) has testing, mask wearing, proof of vaccination, or quarantine requirements.
- Consider getting travel insurance. Consider buying additional insurance that covers health care and emergency evacuation, especially if you will be traveling to remote areas. Make sure you have a plan to get care overseas, in case you need it.
Pre-embarkation Testing
- If your cruise line does not have a specific testing requirement, get tested for current infection with a viral test (no more than 3 days) before boarding a cruise ship.
- Make sure you get your test results before you board your cruise.
- Don’t travel if your test result is positive.
- If you already had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, see specific testing recommendations.
- Make sure you get your test results before you board your cruise.
- If you or your travel companions have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive at embarkation, the cruise ship may deny you from boarding. If you are allowed to board, you may be required to isolate or take other precautions, depending on your symptoms and test results.
I am sick with COVID-19 or tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
I am sick with COVID-19 or tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
- Do NOT travel or board a cruise ship if you tested positive for COVID-19 less than 10 days ago (day 0 is the day your symptoms started or the day your positive test sample was taken if you had no symptoms).
- Follow recommendations for isolation.
- Check with your cruise line regarding their policies.
- Do NOT travel or board a cruise ship if you tested positive for COVID-19 less than 10 days ago (day 0 is the day your symptoms started or the day your positive test sample was taken if you had no symptoms).
- Follow recommendations for isolation.
- Check with your cruise line regarding their policies.
I was exposed to a person with COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
I was exposed to a person with COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
- Follow CDC guidance, including getting tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure.
- Do not travel on public transportation such as airplanes, buses, and trains if you will not be able to wear a high-quality mask or respirator when around others indoors for the full duration of your trip.
- If you travel, wear a high-quality mask or respirator the entire time you are around others indoors.
- Check with your cruise line regarding their policies.
- Follow CDC guidance, including getting tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure.
- Do not travel on public transportation such as airplanes, buses, and trains if you will not be able to wear a high-quality mask or respirator when around others indoors for the full duration of your trip.
- If you travel, wear a high-quality mask or respirator the entire time you are around others indoors.
- Check with your cruise line regarding their policies.
Protect Yourself and Others
- Follow CDC’s recommendations for wearing masks in travel and public transportation settings.
- Follow any ship-specific mask protocols.
- Follow recommendations for protecting yourself and others.
If You Develop Symptoms or Use a Self-Test on Board with a Positive Result
- Isolate yourself in your cabin immediately.
- Call your ship’s medical center.
Cruise ships may have their own requirements for testing, isolation, mask wearing, and dining for people with COVID-19 or their close contacts. If you have questions about a cruise ship’s specific policies, please contact them directly.
- When you disembark, follow CDC’s guidance, or local guidance if you disembark in another country.
After Cruise Travel
- Get tested with a viral test 3–5 days after your trip or if you develop symptoms.
- If you already had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, see specific testing recommendations.
- Monitor yourself for COVID-19 symptoms.
- Follow additional guidance if you know you were exposed to a person with COVID-19.
- Isolate if you develop symptoms or your test result is positive.
- If your test result is positive, contact your state, territorial, local or tribal health department to tell them you have COVID-19 and recently traveled on a cruise ship.
- Follow all state, tribal, local and territorial recommendations or requirements after travel.
- If you are going to be around someone who is at higher risk of getting very sick with COVID-19, consider additional precautions.
- If you need to contact your health department: State & Territorial Health Department Websites
- Guidance for Maritime Vessels on the Mitigation and Management of COVID-19
- Travel Recommendations by Destination
- Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- International Travel
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Travelers