{CRUISING ON THE DISNEY WONDER SHIP DURING A PANDEMIC // 2021}

Sailing during a pandemic...

What was it truly like??

We have had so many people ask us what it was like to go on a cruise during a pandemic so I thought I would share some light...

But first, let me preface this by saying that this was our first cruise EVER so we don't really have anything to compare it to. This was just our experience.

We set sail in December of 2021. Many restrictions were being lifted around the US, but Disney still had some protocols. I'll list those below - 

• All guests 12 and up were required to be vaccinated (this changed in January 2022 and I believe that age is now 5 and up). Vaccine cards had to be uploaded to a portal prior to sailing. 
• Guests under 12 have to have a Covid test 3 days prior to sailing. It had to be a PCR test. This is at the guest's expense.
• All guests take a Covid test at the port, paid for by Disney. 
• Masks were required any time you were indoors. (Disney employees wore them everywhere - even on the pool deck)
• You had to sanitize/wash your hands before entering any place on the ship.
• Social distancing was enforced as good as it could have been.

What was different on the ship? Again, our first cruise but this is what we experienced and/or heard. 

• You had to stay 6 feet from characters at all times. This was strictly enforced. You could pull your mask down for a picture, but then it was to go right back on. No hugging characters.
• No popcorn, snacks, etc were served at the movie theatres.
• Only a certain number of people were allowed in the pool at one time and they went in 15-minute rotations. 
• Your family could sit together at shows, but you had to social distance from other groups.
• Masks were to be worn inside dining areas, except at your table. 
• Non-vaccinated guests could not get off at ports unless they had a Disney excursion booked. 
• We chose the Beach Break for our excursion. They kept us in our own roped-off area at the beach and we had our own area for the buffet/drinks. Masks had to be worn while in line at the buffet even though it was outdoors.
• Ship only booked half of their capacity to help with social distancing.
• You had to book a Disney excursion rather than a Cozumel excursion. Fewer were offered, but there was still a ton to choose from. 

And that is all I can really think of! It wasn't bad at all. We actually felt safer on this cruise than going into our local grocery store!