Unvaccinated passengers who wish to board a Carnival-owned cruise liner must first buy a travel insurance policy that is worth at least US$10,000, a recently announced company rule says.
The requirement takes effect July 31, 2021, and applies to trips leaving from Florida, CCL-Carnival Cruise Line said on its booking website. Carnival has 4 Florida ports: Miami, Orlando (Port Canaveral), Tampa, and Jacksonville (JAXPORT).
Proof of travel insurance is to be required at the time of check-in. The insurance policy has to be in the name of the traveling passenger and feature US$10,000 per person in medical expense coverage and US$30,000 coverage for emergency medical evacuation "without COVID-19 exclusions."
The policies are due to add ~$100 to $200 per person to the costs of a standard voyage, based on a 2020 analysis on the average travel insurance cost.
Unvaccinated passengers who do not have insurance will not be allowed to board and their ticket purchase will not be refunded, Carnival revealed.
Insurance proof will be waived for guests under age 12, the company said, as the FDA hasn't yet approved the use of COVID vaccines for kids in that age group.