Disney Cruise Line says passengers aged 5 and above must be vaccinated.

The vaccine mandate will come into effect from January 13th, 2022. Until then, unvaccinated passengers will need proof of a negative PCR test. Disney Cruise Line is the first cruise line to require vaccines for passengers aged 5 and up. "This will be a requirement for all Guests (U.S. and international) ages 5 and up for sailings beginning on or after January 13, 2022," Disney Cruise Line stated. "Guests who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by the Guest) taken between 3 days and 24 hours before their sail date." "Guests ages 5 through 11 may complete this testing requirement in lieu of being fully vaccinated for sailings that depart before January 13, 2022. Children aged 4 and under must complete the testing requirements. The test should be a NAAT test, rapid PCR test or lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted. Disney will accept all vaccines approved by WHO and the CDC including Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Covishield, and Johnson & Johnson. Disney has been praised for introducing a vaccine mandate. One person said it was a responsible move, "Excellent. Kudos for Disney." Another said, "That makes me want to go on a cruise even more with Disney." However, parents from countries where children are not eligible for vaccines are understandably upset. A mum in the UK stated, "This is so bad for us. We are from the UK and booked for May after having to cancel for 2 years. The children in the UK are not eligible for vaccines so it means we are not able to go at all, it's devastating news for us as a family." The aim of the mandate is to protect the health of their guests, cast members, and crew.