CDC Issues New Travel Advisory for the Bahamas

Today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an updated travel advisory for the Bahamas. See how this may affect Disney Cruise Line.

Bahamas Issues Emergency Order

Planning to set sail on a Disney Cruise any time soon? You may want to take a look at what’s happening with the Bahamas.

Last week, we learned that the Bahamas issued an emergency power order pertaining to cruise ships looking to dock at a Bahamian port.

They announced that starting on September 3 and extending until November 1, ship captains must provide a passenger manifest. The Bahamian order stated that the manifest should list all people on board the ship by name and include their vaccination status.

If the ship is carrying any unvaccinated passengers, they will be denied the opportunity to port in the Bahamas. This includes private islands, such as Disney’s Castaway Cay. The order applies to anyone of age to be vaccinated. As of this writing, that would mean anyone age 12 and older (in the USA).

Part of the reason the Bahamas seeks to limit visitors during the pandemic may be a reluctance to overwhelm their medical infrastructure. Getting supplies to islands can be challenging.

At the time of this writing, Disney has not released a statement about whether they will make changes to their vaccine requirements and other Covid-19 precautions.

However, if Disney were to require vaccinations as ordered by the Bahamas, they would be in defiance of a Florida Law banning requiring proof of vaccinations.

However, a recent ruling for Norwegian means that Disney Cruise Line could could require vaccine passports in the future. See more details about that ruling HERE.

Travel Advisory

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously issued a travel warning for cruising pertaining to Covid-19 on June 26, 2021. This order states that unvaccinated guests should avoid travel on cruise ships.

Today’s warning applies specifically to travel to the Bahamas. The broad warning states all travel to the Bahamas should be avoided. The Bahamas is considered a “level 4” on the CDC’s scale of 1-4.

Will this change your plans to visit the Bahamas? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.