By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE – Disney Cruise Line joined other lines docking in Florida Tuesday to require COVID-19 vaccinations for most passengers 12 and older traveling to the Bahamas.
The announcement came after the Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said last week that cruise ships are only allowed to enter ports, including those on private islands used by cruise lines, if all crew and passengers are eligible for vaccines , have been fully vaccinated.
Minnis’s order runs from September 3rd to November 1st.
Exceptions apply to adults with illnesses that prohibit vaccination.
The ships Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream sail from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas.
“Guests must provide proof of vaccination by uploading their vaccination card to the Safe Passage by Inspire website no later than 24 hours prior to departure,” Disney Cruise Line said on its website on Tuesday. “Guests who do not provide proof of vaccination to meet Bahamian requirements will not be allowed to board the ship.”
Disney requires passengers under the age of 12 who cannot be vaccinated to provide evidence of negative COVID-19 tests taken within a week of the sailing dates and second tests before boarding.
The company will enable passengers who have purchased tickets for cruises to the Bahamas during the period covered by Minnis’ mandate to change or cancel plans without “Disney-imposed cancellation fees”.
Carnival Cruise Line made a similar decision on Sunday. The cruise lines Celebrity and Royal Caribbean also announced such steps shortly after the order from the Bahamas.
“Valid from August 28 to October for departures from all home ports on the Atlantic and the Gulf, only children under the age of 12 and adults with a disease that prohibits their vaccination are exempt from the vaccination requirements for sailing,” Carnival said on Sunday. “Carnival is notifying guests of this update, and all guests who received an exemption by October have been notified of this change and that exemptions beyond these two categories will be lifted.”
Like other cruise lines, Carnival followed a guideline from the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to which 95 percent of passengers were vaccinated.
The announcements came as Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration continued to argue with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in court over whether the company should be able to require passengers to provide documents that they have been vaccinated – an issue considered to be “Vaccine passports” is known.
DeSantis signed law this spring to stop businesses, including cruise lines, from requesting vaccination records. But Norwegian filed a lawsuit against the ban as it wanted passengers to be vaccinated.
A federal district judge sided with Norwegian this month and issued an injunction against the ban. The state has appealed this ruling in the 11th US Court of Appeals.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President and CEO Frank Del Rio appeared on Yahoo Finance last week calling it “beyond bizarre” and “shameful” that his company had to fight DeSantis to keep people healthy.
“Here is a state that depends on tourism. It’s his number one industry. And the number one priority of any hospitality industry is the safety of their customers. I mean, that goes without saying, ”said Del Rio. “One would expect that this government would again do anything to support this. Instead we had to go to court. “
Minnis’s order requires the captain or captain of a cruise ship to provide “a crew and passenger list for the port doctor” in order to be permitted to enter a port in the Bahamas, including a private stopover.
The post Disney Requests Vaccinations for Bahamas Cruises - Tallahassee Reports first appeared on Daily Florida Press.
from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/disney-requests-vaccinations-for-bahamas-cruises-tallahassee-reports/
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