Vaccinated Cruise Information | Working For a Safe Travel Future
Please check this page regularly. Our protective actions may change from time to time. Currently we are not requiring pre-arrival COVID-19 testing to board our ships. However, this may change based on impact of yet unknown variants and CDC recommendations. Note that to sail, masks onboard are required along with a single booster.
Letter From the CEO
*Updated July 15, 2022
Dear Guests of UnCruise Adventures,
Like the population at large, we are learning how to operate safely in an ever-changing COVID-19 environment. Recently we have experienced a surge of the BA.5 COVID-19 variant. This variant is more transmissible than any previous form of the virus. Although most cases of infection from BA.5 remain mild, more severe infections do occur. However, I do not want to see you, or my crew, put into isolation for 5-10 days due to a positive COVID-19 test result.
Politics, personal beliefs, and science will continue to clash over what is right and what is wrong in a world that is now forced to live with COVID-19. Our approach is to continue to monitor the Center for Disease Control & Local Public Health Departments for recommendations and variant status, while adjusting our policy accordingly.
Guests of UnCruise Adventures are asked to be good citizens and adhere to the following.
Required Vaccination & Booster Shots:
- Full vaccination for all guests and crew is required.
- First booster shot for all guests and crew is required.
- We strongly recommend additional booster shots (beyond the first) as recommended by the Center for Disease Control.
Pre-Cruise Precautions:
- For two weeks prior to boarding our vessel, please limit activities to those that are physically distanced, unless masks are used.
- COVID-19 testing prior to departure from home is requested. This is a smart thing to do and will help ensure you are not traveling with the COVID-19 virus.
- Transiting to the destination via aircraft or other public transportation, please employ masks to help prevent spread.
- In our departure towns, or on pre-cruise tours, be careful when in bars, restaurants, and other high-risk places. Pre-cruise tours and travel have been the source of 90% of our positive cases. Mask use is requested.
- At check in, you will be asked sign a document that states you have no COVID-19 symptoms and that you agree to wearing a mask in public areas inside the vessel or when physical distancing is not possible. If guests or crew have symptoms of COVID-19, boarding will be denied unless a negative PCR test result is achieved.
- Currently, we do not require pre-cruise testing. However, COVID-19 testing prior to departure from home is requested.
Requirements Onboard Our Vessels:
- Masks are required in public areas in the interior of the vessel. Bandanas and buffs are not acceptable.
- Masks are required on the exterior of the vessel when physical distancing cannot be achieved. Physical distancing is defined as being more than 6 feet from a non-cabin mate for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period.
- Mask use while actively eating or drinking, is not required.
- Mask use in cabins is not required unless a crew member is present.
- Mask use on deck and ashore is not required unless physical distancing cannot be achieved, or local public health requires it.
- View Captain Dan’s video on mask use at by clicking here.
Positive Test & Isolation Aboard Our Vessels:
- Antigen testing is available on board and will be available should symptoms arise.
- Should any guest or crew member test positive while aboard, Public Health guidance is for a 5 to10-day isolation period, depending on the severity of symptoms. Please keep your vacation intact by religiously using masks prior to arrival and in public areas of the vessel's interior!
- Positive test results could mean isolation in your cabin or removal from the vessel to a hotel.
- Please check with your Travel Insurance Company for full coverage details.
Taking the above precautions to heart will go a long way towards keeping guests on their vacation, and my crew fully employed. Our vessels create a unique situation with COVID-19 since guests and crew are together in close quarters for days, albeit often in the safety of the outdoors. We will continue to monitor multiple health sources to provide the most accurate and practical mitigation techniques to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Please check this page often for updates to our COVID-19 policies.
Onward,
Captain Dan Blanchard
Owner/CEO
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Vaccinated Cruises
Testing and Vaccines for COVID-19
1. Do I need to have a COVID-19 vaccination prior to cruising? What documents will you accept as proof of vaccination? Yes, all guests regardless of age are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted prior to boarding our vessels. Guests will be required to submit proof of vaccination in the form of an original vaccination record issued by the country's health authority administering the vaccination or by your medical provider who administered the vaccination. This information must be uploaded via the Guest Portal no more than 30 days prior to departure.
2. What vaccines are accepted by UnCruise Adventures? We will accept any of the nine vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and that will be accepted for entry into the US. See accepted vaccines here.
3. Do I need a COVID-19 Booster prior to cruising? Yes, a first booster shot for all guests and crew is required. We strongly recommend additional booster shots (beyond the first) as recommended by the Center for Disease Control.
4. Do I need a COVID-19 test prior to boarding? No, you are no longer required to provide a PCR or Antigen test to board. However, we strongly request that guests test prior to departing from their home to assure they are not spreading the virus.
5. I have had and recovered from COVID-19, and as a result I will test positive, but I am not contagious. Is there a way for me to travel with you? Testing is not currently required. All guests, including guests who have recovered from COVID, must be fully vaccinated, including the first booster shot.
Life on Our Adventure Vessels
1. Does UnCruise require masks onboard? Masks are required in the public areas of the interior or exterior of the vessel when physical distancing cannot be achieved. Physical distancing is defined as being more than six feet from a non-cabin mate for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period. Mask use while actively eating or drinking, is not required. Mask use on deck and ashore is not required unless physical distancing cannot be achieved
2. Am I at risk for COVID-19 while onboard? Yes, it is possible for fully vaccinated and boosted people to contract COVID-19, which is why everyone aboard is encouraged to wear a mask. You should also wear a mask when on public transportation, on pre-cruise tours and when visiting departure towns. For COVID-19 and many other forms of illness, the health and safety of everyone onboard is intricately linked together. This is a communal effort.
3. What will happen if a vaccinated person tests positive for COVID-19 onboard the boat? The individual will be isolated in their cabin along with any others that test positive. If needed, medical authorities will be contacted and advised on the condition of the guest (s). Due to vaccination, the person may be allowed to stay aboard in isolation based on a professional’s direction. However, the company may require guests to depart the vessel and isolate in a shoreside hotel.
4. Is UnCruise operating at reduced capacity? Depending on the vessel, we may hold cabins to provide for isolation as needed.
Alaska
Juneau Airport: Capstone Clinic
Ketchikan Testing: Creekside Health
Sitka Testing: See UnCruise representative for locating of local self-test purchase
Washington State
Oregon
Portland: Carbon Health COVID-19 Testing Center
Hawaii
Kona: Basic Diagnostics hawaiilab@basisdx.org
Molokai: Molokai Community Health Center
Oahu: Honolulu Airport
Latin America
Effective Sunday, June 12, those traveling to the U.S. will no longer need a
negative COVID-19 test one day before their flight to the country.
Costa Rica – As of April 1st, no testing is required to enter if vaccinated (proof required).
No restrictions for children traveling to Costa Rica.
Panama – As of May 13th, no testing is required to enter if vaccinated (proof required).
Anyone under 17 is not required to show a negative test or vaccination status if traveling with an adult to Panama.
Belize – As of March 1st, no testing is required to enter if vaccinated (proof required).
Children under 5 are required to show a negative test upon entering Belize.
Home Testing
Vault Home Testing: COVID-19 At-Home Testing
United States
COVID-19 Testing Locator Tool: National Testing Sites
* We do not endorse any specific testing site or option. This is for informational purposes.
Destination Specific Information
Safety Is Our Priority
“This was perfect for us! Like everyone we met on board, we would not consider a cruise with thousands to be a vacation. We made friends each night in the lounge and it felt like a dinner party. The flexibility of the captain and our guides was a fantastic touch. Being able to go into places where it was just our boat was very special.” — Richard L., Kamas, UT (2019)