All Cruise Passengers Visiting the Bahamas Must Be Vaccinated

On Aug. 19, the Bahamas issued a new emergency order that states that cruise ships will be prohibited to enter Bahamian ports if there are passengers onboard who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The new order, signed by Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and posted to the Bahamas Customs & Excise Department website, will go into effect Sept. 3 and is valid through Nov. 1., 2021. Exemptions include children under the age of 12, since they’re ineligible to receive vaccines and potential passengers with valid medical excuses. The requirement can potentially be waived, however, if a cruise ship needs to dock in emergency circumstances.

Before entering any Bahamian ports, each captain on every cruise vessel will be required to transmit a “crew and passenger manifest” that includes the vaccination status of every passenger on board for review by the Port Medical Officer.

This order applies to private island like Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay, Disney’s Castaway Cay, Carnival’s Half Moon Cay, Princess’ Princess Cays, MSC’s Ocean Cay, and Norwegian’s Great Stirrup Cay. According to a USAToday article, cruise lines including Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line have plans to adjust their vaccination policies to comply with this new rule.