Do you have to be vaccinated to go on a cruise? The short answer is no.

The long answer is that vaccine requirements vary by cruise line, cruise ship, and departure port/destination. Currently, due to the rise of the Delta variant and new restrictions by ports of call, the majority of U.S.-based cruise ships are allowing unvaccinated travelers onboard only if they are too young to be vaccinated or have medical or religious exemptions.

Most cruise lines departing from the United States require guests to be vaccinated, however, some are allowing unvaccinated guests, mostly children, to travel at this time. In addition to cruise line policies, excursion protocols are also governed by local requirements that can create additional demands for travelers.

There are lots of things you can pack for a cruise, but what should you bring? Simply put, pack those items that are necessary for your comfort and to allow you to do everything you want to do.

Planning ahead can be a great time saver, as no one wants to use valuable vacation time doing detours while in port in a search for a forgotten item.  Or missing out on a great activity, such as a galley tour, because you don’t have closed toe shoes.  

An Alaska cruise can cost as little as $350 per person for a seven-night cruise in an inside cabin on a mainstream line. Or, it can cost upwards of $10,000 per person for a week in a suite on a luxury cruise ship. The price varies greatly depending on the cruise line and ship, departure date, and itinerary.

Perhaps no other industry has been singled out for being of concern because of the Covid-19 pandemic as cruise ships.

Cruise ships were front page news in early 2020 when the virus was completely unknown and a few ships in Asia quickly found themselves with cases onboard and no protocols to handle it.

Since then, the cruise industry has learned a lot from what health professionals around the world have advised, and cruise lines are armed with more stringent Covid-19 protocols than any school, workplace, or theme park in the world.

Most people equate cruising with tropical destinations. Why would anyone cruise to chilly, rainy Alaska, where you might be wearing fleece jackets and knit hats and gloves in July?

The rules keep changing when it comes to cruising during Covid. The number of unvaccinated cruisers allowed onboard, mask mandates, and testing requirements are constantly in flux. Plus, different cruise lines and destinations have differing health policies and protocols.

Below we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about cruising during a pandemic. We will update this story as cruise lines revisit their sailing requirements. The guidance is based on U.S. travelers departing from U.S. homeports, except where noted.

Modern cruise ships are amazing pieces of engineering, technology, and pizzazz, but they are anything but inexpensive.

Cruise ships come in many sizes, but they all cost many millions of dollars to build, and that is because of how much goes into every single ship.

Cruise ships combine hotel, restaurants, theaters, bars and thrill attractions into one giant floating vessel. To build a ship that can compete in the cruise ship market today, you need the latest and greatest onboard.

The rules around Covid precautions for cruises change faster than you can say “nose swab.” Travelers find themselves wading through pages of safety protocols, trying to figure out if vaccinated passengers need to get Covid tested before their cruise, who needs a PCR vs. a rapid antigen test, and how long before their sailing they need to get that test.

Vacation prep shouldn’t be this headache-inducing! In this guide, we lay out everything you need to know about getting Covid tested before your cruise.