Staying healthy on board

We recommend you take the following precautionary measures: Keep a physical distance of at least 1 metre from other guests. Remain vigilant and report any Covid-19 symptoms to the Medical team straight away. All our ships have 24/7 medical centres staffed by experienced doctors and nurses to help support your health needs. For more information on our protocols in the event of a positive test on board, please visit our vaccine and testing policy .

Preparing to sail - your on board experience

Correct as of 8 February 2023

You’ll find a few reassuring changes on board to protect everyone’s health and well-being as well as the usual flourishes and experiences you can expect from your Cunard holiday.

Our protocols can evolve as we work with experts and government bodies to respond to the latest advice, and regularly update our website if and when changes do occur. We recommend revisiting this page before you sail to ensure you’re up to date with the very latest information.

Scroll down to discover more about the wide variety of experiences that await you on board, or use the shortcuts to find the information you're looking for.

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Health and safety on board

All guests and crew will be required to follow enhanced health and well-being measures to protect everyone on board. Read the sections below to find out what we have put in place to keep both guests and crew safe and well.

For more information about our current sailing requirements, visit our Sailing with confidence page.

We’re committed to looking after your well-being and of all those on board and at the places we visit. We ask all guests and crew to follow enhanced health and well-being measures, including:

Mask-wearing - We recommend that guests wear masks on board. However, on most voyages they are only required in the medical centre. Certain voyages may require guests to wear a face mask and have additional testing once on board.

Some destinations may also require you to wear masks when ashore and we recommend taking some with you whenever you disembark the ship.

Hand-washing - Thorough hand washing and regular sanitising is encouraged throughout your voyage.

Reporting Covid-19 symptoms – All our ships have 24/7 medical centres staffed by experienced doctors and nurses to help support your health needs. Please report any Covid-19 symptoms to the medical team straight away.

The steps we take and recommendations we make will evolve in-line with the latest guidelines. This means that our protocols can change, and may do so on your cruise, as we continue to work with our experts and with government bodies across all the destinations we visit.

If you or a member of your travelling party tests positive for Covid-19 during your voyage, we’ll take care of you.

If you test positive for Covid-19 whilst on board, you will need to isolate for your well-being and the well-being of other guests.

We’ll make sure you’re well looked after with full room service, a choice of three meals a day, and a complimentary laundry service.

Close contacts of guests who test positive while on board are not required to go into isolation, but additional testing and other protocols, such as in stateroom dining, and mask wearing outside your stateroom, may apply.

As you’ve unfortunately tested positive for Covid-19, our duty of care means you will be unable to take your Cunard booked flight (if applicable). You will have the choice to either disembark the ship at your scheduled port of disembarkation (we do recommend you continue your isolation ashore) or stay on board to complete your period of isolation. Once you have tested negative you can disembark at the next port of call. You will need to liaise with your insurers to book and pay for any alternative accommodations, flights and transfers.

Our dedicated medical teams will also be on hand to take care of you, either for the duration of your required isolation period, or until your scheduled port of disembarkation.

Any instances of positive cases on board will be managed by our on board medical teams in conjunction with the local port authority to determine the best course of action.

If you’re required to disembark the ship for this reason, our dedicated support team will help you to contact your travel insurance provider.

All UK resident guests who test positive for Covid-19, and are in isolation on their return to Southampton, will be able to travel home to isolate after disembarkation.

If you're required to isolate/quarantine, or in some cases disembark the ship, due to testing positive for COVID-19 during your holiday, you'll need to contact your travel insurance provider to claim for any associated loss.

Don’t forget, appropriate travel insurance remains a requirement to travel. Please visit our insurance page to find out more.

*Per our booking conditions it is mandatory to have travel insurance with Covid-19 cover. If you, unfortunately, test positive during your holiday, you should let your insurance company know immediately and keep them updated throughout your period of isolation.

Upon embarkation, one of our friendly crew will be able to help direct you to your assembly station. You’ll have your boarding pass or Voyage card scanned and can familiarise yourself with your assembly station, ensuring you know where you need to go in the event of an emergency.

When you arrive at your suite or stateroom, we ask that you watch our safety video that will be showing on your in-cabin TV. This includes important health, well-being and safety information as well as the actions you would need to take in the unlikely event of an emergency, including a life jacket demonstration.

Once this is done, you can relax, explore and enjoy everything your ship has to offer.

We recommend you take the following precautionary measures:

Keep a physical distance of at least 1 metre from other guests.
Remain vigilant and report any Covid-19 symptoms to the Medical team straight away.

All our ships have 24/7 medical centres staffed by experienced doctors and nurses to help support your health needs.

For more information on our protocols in the event of a positive test on board, please visit our vaccine and testing policy.

Holiday your way with My Voyage

Once on board, you’ll be able to access My Voyage, our complimentary digital planner, from any smart device by joining the ship’s Wi-Fi. My Voyage allows you to browse and book your ship’s restaurants, select entertainment on board, and join a virtual queue (giving you more time to relax while we prepare your table).

If you don’t have a smart device with you on board, you can also make bookings for the spa, dining and shore experiences by calling our dedicated reservations line on 38000 or by visiting the Purser’s Desk in the Grand Lobby.

Facilities and venues

Most of our on board restaurants, venues and activities will be open and running as usual, so that you can enjoy the Cunard experience you've been waiting for. As staff levels fluctuate however, some venues may have to close unexpectedly. Rest assured, there are many other choices for you on board which we hope you will enjoy.

The spa will be open as usual, for you to relax and soothe your stresses away with an ocean-inspired massage or cleansing facial. Please visit the spa reception once on board for the latest updates.

Going ashore

We know how much our guests enjoy the opportunity to get under the skin of a destination, so for holidays with ports of call we’ve introduced a wealth of new shore experiences to ensure you experience the best of each exciting stop.

You can book from a wide range of shore experiences up to a year before you set sail via My Cunard.

Guests going ashore must adhere to Covid-19 protocols in each destination.

During your holiday, destinations and venues ashore on your itinerary may have various documentation requirements. You’re responsible for meeting the entry requirements of each destination and any venues you may visit ashore, regardless of whether you’ve booked a Cunard shore experience or are exploring independently. Please retain your proof of vaccination status throughout your holiday and keep this to hand when going ashore in case it is required.

Testing may also be required to go ashore in various destinations on your itinerary. These tests will be available to purchase on board (at a cost of $25 per antigen test per person and $35 per PCR test per person). Currently, the majority of ports we will be visiting this year do not require entry testing.

We’ve put together an A-Z guide detailing the current requirements of each of the destinations we visit, which we will update regularly.

Returning home

We’d like to remind you that it's important to stay up to date with the latest travel requirements relating to all aspects of your holiday. It is your responsibility to organise and complete all documentation and testing requirements, therefore please ensure you are aware of, and compliant with, the latest Government guidance for travelling. This includes travel to your port of embarkation and your return home. The guidance may change with little warning. For the latest government guidance please visit the UK Government website.