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Unvaccinated cruisers looking to sail out of Florida with Carnival Cruise Line will soon be required to pay for travel insurance, making the cruising experience that much more expensive for those who don't want the COVID-19 vaccine.
Carnival will begin asking unvaccinated passengers for proof of travel insurance starting July 31, the cruise line said on its website. The insurance is required to cover a minimum of $10,000 in medical expenses and $30,000 in "emergency medical evacuation and without COVID-19 exclusions" per passenger.
Guests who are unvaccinated and don't show proof of the insurance will not be allowed to cruise and will not receive a refund. For now, children 12-years-old or younger are exempt from this policy.
"Consistent with the practices of other lines who are also restarting their operations, and in the best interests of our guests who are unvaccinated, this is important coverage to have should they encounter a medical situation during their cruise," Carnival spokesperson Vance Gulliksen told USA Today's Morgan Hines.
Unlike their vaccinated counterparts, unvaccinated Carnival guests must also undergo additional COVID-19 tests. This, plus other health protocols, will amount to an extra $150 out-of-pocket charge per unvaccinated passenger.
Late last month, Royal Caribbean also announced it would make travel insurance mandatory for unvaccinated passengers 12-years-old or older beginning August 1, a decision that came a week after two unvaccinated teenagers tested positive for COVID-19 aboard one of the cruise line's "fully vaccinated" ships.
