UPDATE: Disney is now requiring all guests ages 5 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for all sailings starting January 13th, 2022. Click here for more information.

Disney Cruise Line began returning to business as usual with some staycation cruises in the UK and a test cruise sailing from Florida.

Disney Cruise Line then announced that they will be sailing once again from the US with paying passengers starting in early August 2021! With sailings resuming, things will be a little bit different and there will be additional requirements as part of Disney’s focus on health and safety. Some of those requirements relate to COVID-19 tests, and today we’re breaking down what you need to know.

If you’re planning to go on a Disney Cruise after sailings resume, there are some important rules you need to know. Some of these rules relate to COVID-19 testing. Specifically, all Disney Cruise Line passengers for upcoming ships will have to meet some COVID-19 testing requirements before leaving home and on embarkation day. Disney has also added some testing requirements on debarkation day for select cruises. Let’s break them down here.

Before Leaving Home

Before you even step into the cruise line terminal, you’ll need to meet some COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements in order to sail. First, all vaccine-eligible Guests are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (based on U.S. eligibility requirements, as defined by the CDC at the time of sailing). Guests who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide a proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken between 3 days and 24 hours before their sail date.

When it comes to testing, Disney notes that every guest in your travel party will have to create an account with Inspire Diagnostics. They recommend that you do so 15 days prior to departure.

This is a third-party partner Disney Cruise Line is using for its COVID-19 testing and vaccination verification. As early as 33 days before your cruise, every guest has to log into Inspire Diagnostics’ Safe Passage site and create an account linked to their reservation. Parents and guardians will have to make accounts on behalf of any minors in their travel party.

UPDATE: Disney has since updated its website to note that “parents and legal guardians may use their own accounts to submit test results on behalf of their children.”

Next, the requirements vary depending on whether a guest is fully vaccinated or not. Guests who are fully vaccinated must upload proof of vaccination to their Safe Passage account through Inspire Diagnostics. Guests who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test — this must be a NAAT test, rapid PCR test or lab-based PCR test. So, you’ll either upload your proof of vaccination or COVID-19 test results for guests who are not vaccine eligible because to age.

If a guest is not fully vaccinated because of age, then that guest will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test. That test must have been taken between 3 days and 24 hours before the sail date. The guest can get testing from any independent testing provider or even purchase a PCR testing kit from Inspire Diagnostics for $98.33 per test. The information from these tests must then be properly sent or uploaded to the Inspire Diagnostics system an appropriate time before the sail date.

Disney notes that guests with a positive COVID-19 test result, along with everyone in their travel party, will be denied boarding. Guests may also be denied boarding if Inspire Diagnostics doesn’t receive the required documentation or test results needed to sail.

Again, Disney notes that guests should bring proof of their COVID-19 test results as well as vaccination status, along with your Port Arrival form with QR codes on Embarkation Day.

Embarkation Day

Alright, so you’ve submitted your proof of vaccination, as well as proof of negative COVID-19 test for guests who are not vaccine eligible BEFORE you even leave your home. What’s next? Well, then there are specific COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements on embarkation day.

First, we do want to note something very important — the Disney Cruise Line website notes that requirements can change. So, guests are directed to check back 24 hours prior to their sail date for the latest information.

In terms of the embarkation day requirements, Disney notes that ALL guests, regardless of age or vaccination status, will be required to undergo a rapid PCR COVID-19 test administered by Inspire Diagnostics at the terminal before they can board. This test will be paid for by Disney Cruise Line and administered by Inspire Diagnostics. Guests who have a positive COVID-19 test at this point (as well as everyone in their travel party) will be denied boarding.

If your travel party is on consecutive, back-to-back sailings, every member of your party (regardless of age or vaccination status) will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test at the terminal after debarking the ship following your first cruise, and before re-boarding the ship for your second cruise.

Debarkation Day

Recently, Disney Cruise Line updated their website to add an additional COVID-19 testing requirement. According to the website, all unvaccinated guests sailing on 5-night and longer cruises will be required to undergo a COVID-19 antigen test on Debarkation Day, prior to debarking.

This test will be paid for by Disney Cruise Line.

Overall

To reiterate, there is a PCR COVID-19 testing requirement before you leave your home for guests who are not vaccine eligible because of age, another rapid test on embarkation day for all guests regardless of age and vaccination status, and a third on debarkation day for select cruises. And note again that at this time, Disney Cruise Line is requiring that all guests who are vaccine eligible because of age are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing.

Note that there are other health and safety requirements you’ll need to look at for the upcoming Disney Cruises including travel insurance requirements, mask rules, and more. We’ll continue to look for more updates regarding Disney Cruise Line and we’ll share those all with you.

Click here to see what’s going on with Disney Cruise Line and their plan to establish a new year-round port.

Will you be setting sail with Disney Cruise Line soon? Tell us in the comments!