Children under 5 Covid vaccination

[TinkLoverSam]

I’ve been reading some comments above, do kids need to wear masks in the kid clubs? Our cruise isn’t until May, but we’ll have a kid who is turning 4 on the cruise, and will not wear a mask and a 1 year old. Are they required to wear masks?

Our older son will not wear a mask, so this would be a reason to cancel the cruise for us.

Currently, unvaccinated children are supposed to be masked in the kids clubs (Club and Lab) and they recommend them in the nursery but my unvaccinated 2yo was not asked to mask.

 

[nancipants]

I just called Safe Passage to confirm/clarify. According to the person I spoke with, the testing requirement changes don't go into effect until September 2, despite there being no start date on the email or the "Know Before You Sail" page. So as far as this person is concerned, fully-vaccinated under-5s must still test at port on embarkation day. Frustrating answer, given that I had previously heard from Disney shoreside concierge that any policy changes would go into effect immediately. In what is likely to be a big waste of time, I'm going to check back in with shoreside concierge to see whether there's anything they can do now that their own policy has been updated.

And just to be clear - we're still planning to do a remote-proctored test for our 4-year-old and bring the results with us to port. Given the disconnects between what we've heard from Safe Passage and Disney so far, I'm not giving up hope that port-side Safe Passage will let us use results from a previous test rather than hold us up at port.

Good lord, this is all so tedious. Thank you.

 

[209Disney]

Anyone with prior experience, will they consider a guest "fully vaccinated" if the second is more than a month (about 50 days) after the first? I wanted to skip port testing for our youngest, but am now wondering if the timeline will be a problem!

 

[lorilclevelandrn]

Email today from Disney, systems officially updated to acknowledge vaccination availability for under 5s. No vaccine requirement for 11 and under as of 9/2.

08/15/2022

Reservation #:

Dear Christine,

All of us at Disney Cruise Line look forward to welcoming you aboard soon. We are reaching out with important updates to the COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for your sailing.

Beginning September 2, 2022, for sailings departing U.S. and Canadian ports, Disney Cruise Line will only require Guests ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In consideration of CDC guidance, Disney Cruise Line highly recommends that Guests ages 11 and younger be fully vaccinated before sailing.

As a reminder, for sailings departing U.S. and Canadian ports before September 2, 2022, Disney Cruise Line will still require Guests ages 5 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the CDC.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements

In consideration of guidance from the CDC and the World Health Organization, Disney Cruise Line accepts the following vaccine types for Guests ages 5 and older: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (VeroCell), Sinovac-CoronaVac and Covavaxin (Bharat Biotech).

For Guests ages 5 and older, the CDC defines fully vaccinated as 14 days after receiving one of the following:

· A single dose of an accepted 1-dose vaccine

· The second dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccine

· The full series of an active (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S.-based AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials

· The second dose of any “mix and match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines (administered at least 17 days apart)

In consideration of guidance from the CDC and the World Health Organization, Disney Cruise Line accepts only the following vaccines for Guests ages 4 and younger: Pfizer, Moderna, Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (VeroCell), and Sinovac-CoronaVac.

For Guests ages 4 and younger, the CDC defines fully vaccinated as 14 days after receiving one of the following:

· Three doses of Pfizer: the second dose administered 21 days after the first; and the third dose administered 56 days after the second

· Two doses of Moderna: the second dose administered one month after the first

· Two doses of Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (VeroCell): the second dose administered 21-28 days after the first

· Two doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac: the second dose administered 14-28 days after the first

COVID-19 Testing for Guests who are Fully Vaccinated

Pre-Trip Testing: Fully vaccinated Guests on sailings departing U.S. and Canadian ports must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by the Guest) taken 1-2 days before setting sail. Completing pre-trip testing prior to embarkation day enhances the efficiency of boarding and confirms that you are negative for COVID-19 prior to traveling to the terminal. Pre-trip test results must be uploaded into the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. Inspire Diagnostics is Disney Cruise Line’s third-party partner for vaccination verification and COVID-19 testing.

Antigen tests must be completed using a proctored telehealth service and come with digital results that can be uploaded to the Safe Passage website. A nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) or PCR test also is acceptable. Guests can purchase COVID-19 tests through the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage website, or obtain a test from any independent testing supplier.

Embarkation Day Testing: Fully vaccinated Guests who upload their pre-trip test results to the Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day will be exempt from embarkation testing. Fully vaccinated Guests who do not upload test results by midnight prior to embarkation day must be tested at the terminal on embarkation day before boarding the ship and will be charged for the cost of the test. Guests with positive COVID-19 test results are required to complete a second confirmatory test. Guests with confirmed positive test results—as well as those sharing the same stateroom and other close contacts—will be denied boarding.

Where in the name of Science does it state you start “magically” spreading the virus on your 13th Birthday?

 

[Disneychick13]

Where in the name of Science does it state you start “magically” spreading the virus on your 13th Birthday?

Yes, thank you, I would love the answer to that as well. Well actually it’s 12; so at 12 you can magically spread it. But 11 you are good. Got it. Check. But really 10/11/12/13……who can keep track?

 

[brent02139]

Safe Passage hasn't been updated yet. Below is for my sailing end of August. Son is 2 and vaxxed with Moderna.

View attachment 694034

It lags, I assume they have someone taking a closer look than other applications. It was almost 5 days after we were approved when our DS4 was approved.

 

[Chica1581]

So we received an email saying the vaccinated 4 and unders will not have to test at port and will only require the antigen two days prior. This relieves a lot of the stress.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Sailing Away today! Had a 4yo who was vaccinated and all I did was an antigen test for him on Saturday and they accepted it when I got to the testing tent. I was in there maybe a few minutes and to the check in area to get on board the Wish.

Took about a week from submission to get his vaccine card approved by safe passage

 

[nancipants]

Sailing Away today! Had a 4yo who was vaccinated and all I did was an antigen test for him on Saturday and they accepted it when I got to the testing tent. I was in there maybe a few minutes and to the check in area to get on board the Wish.

Took about a week from submission to get his vaccine card approved by safe passage

Thank you for the update, @HokieRaven5! That's great to hear. Have a great cruise!

 

[Kwami]

Where in the name of Science does it state you start “magically” spreading the virus on your 13th Birthday?

Agreed. Everyone should have vaccines. Then, there's no confusion and no magic.

 

[four42two]

I just called Safe Passage to confirm/clarify. According to the person I spoke with, the testing requirement changes don't go into effect until September 2, despite there being no start date on the email or the "Know Before You Sail" page. So as far as this person is concerned, fully-vaccinated under-5s must still test at port on embarkation day. Frustrating answer, given that I had previously heard from Disney shoreside concierge that any policy changes would go into effect immediately. In what is likely to be a big waste of time, I'm going to check back in with shoreside concierge to see whether there's anything they can do now that their own policy has been updated.

And just to be clear - we're still planning to do a remote-proctored test for our 4-year-old and bring the results with us to port. Given the disconnects between what we've heard from Safe Passage and Disney so far, I'm not giving up hope that port-side Safe Passage will let us use results from a previous test rather than hold us up at port.

Just spoke with Disney shoreside concierge. Their guidance says that the new policy is only effective for cruises departing Sept. 2 and later. I pointed out that the website has already been updated; the concierge confirmed that but could only tell me what their guidance says. We talked about how the inconsistent messaging is confusing, and they were sympathetic, but at the end of the day there wasn't anything to be done.

I'm very encouraged by the previous poster who was able to bring along their kiddo's antigen test to get waived through port-side testing. It sounds like that is not an "official" policy, but something that the Safe Passage folks at the port are doing as a common sense measure. We'll certainly try it for our cruise this week, and at least the testing requirements will be simplified for folks sailing in September.

Good luck to all!

 

[nancipants]

Just spoke with Disney shoreside concierge. Their guidance says that the new policy is only effective for cruises departing Sept. 2 and later. I pointed out that the website has already been updated; the concierge confirmed that but could only tell me what their guidance says. We talked about how the inconsistent messaging is confusing, and they were sympathetic, but at the end of the day there wasn't anything to be done.

I'm very encouraged by the previous poster who was able to bring along their kiddo's antigen test to get waived through port-side testing. It sounds like that is not an "official" policy, but something that the Safe Passage folks at the port are doing as a common sense measure. We'll certainly try it for our cruise this week, and at least the testing requirements will be simplified for folks sailing in September.

Good luck to all!

They really are making it extra confusing for themselves and everyone else. The only "policy" that should have to go into effect is in regards to vaccines not being required for kids under 12. The testing should have always been the same for every vaccinated guest! It's not hard!

 

[nancipants]

Agreed. Everyone should have vaccines.

Ahhh, if only. Perhaps then we would not be on Omicron variant 93029187.9889A.

 

[Disneychick13]

Ahhh, if only. Perhaps then we would not be on Omicron variant 93029187.9889A.

Wow guys. That’s just not how this virus works. I don’t know if you follow scientific publications or not but you probably should before y’all make blanket statements like that.

 

[Kwami]

Wow guys. That’s just not how this virus works. I don’t know if you follow scientific publications or not but you probably should before y’all make blanket statements like that.

I do, in fact. Quite regularly. But we aren't supposed to argue about vaccines and stuff, so let's drop it.

Anyway, Disney's changes very clearly say in multiple places that they don't take effect until September 2. I don't see where there's any inconsistency...

 

[CVTmarie23]

We are sailing next Monday with our vaccinated 2 year old and I am unsure on what to do for testing. His vaccine card was approved in safe passage but it says testing at port required and I cannot order inspire tests like I can for everyone else 5+.

Should I just do the on point tests like the rest of the family and bring them to port?

Or should I do a PCR just in case? I'm so worried about being turned away over unclear rules, but I also don't want to pay $199 for a PCR test if its not needed.

 

[Kwami]

We are sailing next Monday with our vaccinated 2 year old and I am unsure on what to do for testing. His vaccine card was approved in safe passage but it says testing at port required and I cannot order inspire tests like I can for everyone else 5+.

Should I just do the on point tests like the rest of the family and bring them to port?

Or should I do a PCR just in case? I'm so worried about being turned away over unclear rules, but I also don't want to pay $199 for a PCR test if its not needed.

Best to all Safe Passage and ask them. They're usually very helpful.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I’m like what the vast majority of people think I’m not getting my child at 2 years old this vaccine but if you want to more power to you. We’ll be testing before our trip even though we’re vaccinated too.

 

[nancipants]

We are sailing next Monday with our vaccinated 2 year old and I am unsure on what to do for testing. His vaccine card was approved in safe passage but it says testing at port required and I cannot order inspire tests like I can for everyone else 5+.

Should I just do the on point tests like the rest of the family and bring them to port?

Or should I do a PCR just in case? I'm so worried about being turned away over unclear rules, but I also don't want to pay $199 for a PCR test if its not needed.

Someone on this thread just reported that they brought their test results to the port today and were approved without any additional testing. They did not do a PCR test. I plan on following the email guidance from safe passage, and bringing that plus test results to the port.

 

[nancipants]

Best to all Safe Passage and ask them. They're usually very helpful.

Safe Passage, unfortunately, has been giving contradictory information regarding this age range.