Disney Cruise Line confirms sailings out of Port Canaveral to resume in early August

[Disney4me]

Disney Cruise Line will resume sailing from Port Canaveral on August 9, the company confirmed Friday.

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By TIFFINI THEISEN ORLANDO SENTINEL |

JUL 23, 2021 AT 11:24 AM

The Disney Dream departs Port Canaveral, Monday, March 9, 2020. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

 

Disney Cruise Line will resume sailing from Port Canaveral on August 9, the company confirmed Friday.

“The Disney Dream will kick off our long-awaited return to cruising with three- and four-night cruises” from the port, Disney Parks said in a blog post.

The Bahamas cruises had already been listed on the company’s website, but Friday’s announcement confirms they are a go from the Central Florida port.

The ship took Disney employees to the line’s private island Castaway Cay over the weekend.

The 300 or so volunteer workers and their guests sailed for free on the “test cruise” as part of requirements for a conditional sailing certificate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It was the first cruise activity out of Port Canaveral since March of 2020 when cruising was shut down due to COVID-19.

The cruise line encourages, but is not requiring, passengers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Unless guests show proof of vaccination, however, a negative COVID-19 test is required both before leaving home and at the port.

Details of the requirements are listed on DisneyCruise.com.

Masks are required for everyone age 2 and up in most indoor public areas.

The company has also reduced ship capacity to encourage social distancing and is touting other health measures, such as enhanced cleaning procedures.

Pandemic restrictions on Florida-based cruise ships will remain in place after a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a previous ruling that sided with a Florida lawsuit challenging the regulations.

The one-paragraph decision by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed at 11:50 p.m. Saturday, just minutes before a Tampa judge’s previous ruling on the CDC’s restrictions was set to take effect.

The judges’ issuance of a temporary stay keeps the CDC regulations regarding Florida-based cruise ships in place while the CDC appeals the June decision by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

 

Tiffini Theisen

Orlando Sentinel