Carnival Cruise Line has followed Royal Caribbean Group in relaxing pre-cruise testing requirements.

From August 4, fully vaccinated guests will no longer need to provide a negative test for short cruises.

Guests who have had all recommended doses, including boosters, will be exempt from testing for cruises of five days or less.

However, guests who aren’t fully vaccinated will still need to take a negative test, along with all guests on cruises of six days or more.

Tests can be done up to three days before departure.

In a statement on its website, the company said: “Carnival Cruise Line is pleased to announce that we are adjusting certain protocols to reflect the lifting of CDC [Centre for Disease Control] requirements for the US cruise industry.

“We remain, as always, committed to the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve.

“These changes will be made in phases, with the first of these updates effective on Thursday, August 4, 2022, and focused on short cruise itineraries of 5 nights or less. More changes will be announced shortly, and all changes are subject to any requirements of destinations on the itinerary.”