New CDC Travel Advisory May Impact Cruising in the Bahamas

The current global pandemic has greatly affected travel around the world.

Orlando International Airport

Cruises were halted for over a year, air travel significantly slowed down, and currently, the U.S. is not lifting travel restrictions due to the Delta variant. And, we now have an update on the travel advisories from the U.S. government.

The U.S. State Department and the CDC are advising that people DO NOT travel to the Bahamas due to COVID-19.

©Travel.State.Gov

The CDC has issued a Level 4 Health Notice for the Bahamas due to COVID-19, meaning there is a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. The CDC says if you have to travel to the Bahamas, make sure you are fully vaccinated beforehand.

©CDC

However, because of the current situation in the Bahamas, the CDC says even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.

Castaway Cay

The CDC says travelers should follow recommendations or requirements in the Bahamas, including wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from others.

Castaway Cay

The U.S. State Department says if you do decide to travel to the Bahamas, make sure to look at the U.S. Embassy’s web page on COVID-19 and the CDC’s webpage on Travel and COVID-19.

The Disney Magic

Due to the fluidity of the pandemic, entry requirements for the Bahamas can change at any time. There is also currently a curfew in place around the country.

Castaway Cay

Recently, the Bahamas updated their vaccination requirements for cruises. Starting September 3rd, any cruise ship which is “on a passenger voyage” will NOT be allowed to enter a port in The Bahamas (including a private stop — which we understand would include private islands) unless certain requirements are met.

Disney Dream at Castaway Cay

The order specifies the following 3 requirements:

The Captain or Master of the cruise ship has to transmit a “crew and passenger manifest” to the Port Medical Officer in the Bahamas that shows the vaccination status of each person on board prior to arriving at the port;
All passengers on the cruise ship who are 12 years old or older must be fully vaccinated before they embarked on the ship at the start of the trip; and
The health protocols that had previously been submitted by the cruise line to the Competent Authority and approved by the Competent Authority, must be complied with.

Castaway Cay

All of these rules in the emergency order regarding COVID-19 vaccination are set to become effective on September 3rd and last through November 1st, 2021. We’ll keep you updated on how COVID-19 is affecting travel, so stay tuned to DFB for more.