Speirsdr

On 4/5/2022 at 7:30 PM, julig22 said:

So it was someone who worked for the port who said you couldn't board, not NCL?  Sounds like it's an issue for your insurance, not NCL.

An NCL person came and talked to the group. She didn't override the check in personnel. NCL was definitely implicit in the denial. In my case I had the booster. They both got it wrong. The inconvenience of being denied boarding due to both parties getting it wrong shouldn't be covered by my cost for travel insurance. That is only letting NCL off the hook for making a mistake. They need to be accountable for their mistake and not expect their mistake to be covered by my travel insurance. Sure I have car insurance but if someone makes a mistake and slams into me, it is their responsibility to make it right. Travel insurance should cover unseen obstacles.  Requiring patrons to use travel insurance to cover an obvious screw up by NCL (in my case) only allows them to be unaccountable leading to more inconvenient to their customers.

2 minutes ago, ReubenR said:

If you thought the person checking you in was wrong about the 12-day buffer for the booster, why didn't you insist on speaking with a more knowledgeable supervisor and demand the cruise line show you that 12-day requirement in writing?

 

You're not wrong that NCL's website makes no mention of a 12-day waiting period for a booster to be considered acceptable. The only reference I could find on any cruise line's website at all was Cunard stating it required 7 days after a booster shot. And there's no mention of a 12-day requirement on Spain's official entry website nor on Italy's.

 

As for the boarding official confusing that 12-day requirement, the 2nd dose of Moderna/Pfizer or first dose of J&J must be administered at least 14 days prior to the cruise, not 12.

 

Sorry that you were denied boarding. Seems like you should have been allowed on if you indeed had a booster shot on March 31st. It's such a shame when inflexible policies that don't make sense result in such hardships for people. I'm all for requiring people to be vaccinated and boosted to go anywhere (including on planes, which sadly never happened), but if a person was fully vaccinated w/out booster and also tested negative at the pier, I'd have no concerns about traveling with that passenger.

I've been typing in 12 days when I meant two weeks. As to your first question, we/I did ask for someone from NCL instead of trying to discuss it with the Port checkin supervisor. An individual representing NCL came and explored our situation. Some no booster and some like us and others with different problems. She disappeared for 4 hours, and when she returned she gave us a form letter saying we were not in compliance with their covid vaccination policy. I tried to talk to her to have a review of my individual case but with all 70 or so people trying the same, she just turned and left.

They took our cabin numbers and removed our bags from the ship, placed them on the pier.

22 minutes ago, Speirsdr said:

 

 

 

What I'm saying is there is no indication that the booster fits into the requirement of needing to be received two weeks in advance. It is my understanding that the 2 week rule only applies to the definition of "fully vaccinated " which is the full protocol for each vaccine. In my case, the Moderna protocol is two doses. That has to be received at least two weeks prior.. if you were "fully vaccinated" (two doses) more than a certain number of months (according to NCL) you must also have a booster. The person checking us in thought we had to have the booster 2 weeks prior to boarding, but that is not clearly stated anywhere. The mistake made by the person checking me in was that the 2 week (rule) did not apply to the booster and they  thought it did.

checking. To

1 hour ago, Speirsdr said:

 

15 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Im’m genuinely confused. If the booster didn’t meet a rule then what mistake did the person checking you in make?

On 4/3/2022 at 5:45 AM, ronheg said:

The requirement is to have a booster shot if it’s been at least 9 months since the original shot.  Requirement for a booster started on 2/1/22

I was with the denied group. I had the booster on 03/31/22.

Was told it should have been given in compliance to the 12 day rule. I think only the two doses (fully vaccinated) is controlled by that rule. There is no clear information on when the booster is expected as long as it is before checkin.

39 minutes ago, Speirsdr said:

 

I agree buying travel insurance is a good idea but, that's not the issue. Traveling 7000 miles to Barcelona only to be denied boarding because the dweeb got it wrong, and some throne sitting dweeb that doesn't have the leadership ability, common sense, lack of concern or compassion to make a hard decision for those people left standing on the pier with no hotel, flight home, and possibly no funds to pay for the addition expences. Show some concern and compassion for the honeymoon couple crying next to us.  All three of you dweebs got it wrong.

Just now, RichardRahl said:

 

The “dweeb” checking you in was following clear company policy; he didn’t get anything wrong. It was not his fault that you and andy1sfufan weren’t allowed to board the ship.

 

While an inflexible policy doesn’t make people happy who don’t follow the guidance, is does make people safe. (Maybe not safer, but safe.)

On 4/3/2022 at 5:13 AM, andy1fsufan said:

Just made it to check in on NCL Star leaving from Barcelona. We had this trip planned over a year out.  We sent NCL our vaccination cards and we thought we complied with all the requirements. Well, after check in at the port, we are in a large group of passengers who are waiting from a “higher” authority at NCL since we do not have the booster shots within the last 9 months! *****?  Told to wait patiently as they figure it out. No time frame, just wait! Some irate passengers have been waiting for hours.  This “process” is before we can even go upstairs to get their PCR test!  But, I did get 4 messages from NCL to watch the fire drill video on YouTube for a smooth check in process.  
 

So in short, we can fly to Spain with our vaccines, fly back to the U.S. with the same vaccine cards after testing negative, but to get on the NCL Star in Barcelona for a 10 crews, we’ll so far that’s beyond their control???? A lot more irate people are checking in as I type this.  

We were

12 minutes ago, RichardRahl said:

That’s the only reason why you couldn’t board. This has been in NCL’s documentation for some time. All the complaining about Spain or the EU changing its rules at the last minute has nothing to do with it, as evidenced by how the significant majority people were able to successfully board the ship with no problem.

 

That having been said, I agree that NCL overreacted, especially since you tested negative at the pier. But as I noted before, NCL is not nimble enough to make exceptions to their very clearly stated policy. Either you follow it and are safer, or you ignore it and you’re refused boarding. It’s not necessarily fair, but that’s why people buy travel insurance.

On 4/3/2022 at 6:06 AM, KeithJenner said:

But these people are already in Spain and now they are leaving there. Surely any Spanish booster requirement would have been an issue for them when they flew in, not when they leave?

Don't get caught about the booster. My wife and I were in the group. We had 2 doses of Moderna,  received in March of 2021, had a PCR test 3 days prior indicating NEGATIVE and had received the Booster on March 31st 2022. The reason we were rejected along with people who had no booster was because our booster was not received earlier than 12 days. I think the Booster didn't fall into the 12 day rule and the dweeb checking us in made a mistake.