Stevio

22 hours ago, BigAl94 said:

 

Beware that above "global" information although linked to the UK site is aimed at US cruisers where there is no universal vaccine certification, as in the following FAQ shown above that refers to the CDC.

On our last Silhouette Sept/Oct cruise if you did not have NHS certification at Southampton in the form of App or printed, you were refused boarding.

All country / port cruise specific instructions are sent out before boarding.

9 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

The big question is whether we will be allowed to enter the UK without a 10 day quarantine for our October cruises. 

Very good question... Currently the UK Gov'  advises against international sea-going cruises and even if they were to relent on that rule, if the cruise was call at France under current ever changing regulations a UK citizen would have to quarantine on return.

1 hour ago, kw1816 said:

I think the July 19th update allows domestic cruises to sail at 50% capacity, previously it was limited to 1000 pax.

 

A quick search doesn’t reveal anything official, but I did find this:

 

https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/cruise-news/cruise-ship-passenger-capacity-limit-department-for-transport-cruises-covid-vaccine-news

 

 

Up to July 19 the department of transport website gave limits on domestic cruises of 50% or 1000 whichever the lower... Under step 4 after 19th it was stated that all social distancing rules and capacity limits aboard ship were to be removed.

The Gov' site now no longer references these numbers but also does not give any limits either.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-cruise-ship-travel

However I think Royals protocols will remain as they are for the time being as they are currently working without problems.

On 7/18/2021 at 12:11 AM, HicksRA said:

I later went in to my account online to check/edit the check-in for the reservation and my phone number was listed as my son’s emergency contact number. I had to change it back to my number. 

Thanks for the heads which led me to find a very similar problem in UK.

We booked and put all of our information, phone numbers, etc exclusively online.

We later downloaded the app and simply used it to get phone copies of SetSail pass and check reservations.

Just checked account online and all our phone numbers have changed to emergency contact’s phone number. Which was easy to correct but would not have been noticed without your warning.

So in my case it seems just logging into and out of the app may have changed phone details.

15 minutes ago, Trixie21 said:

The app for our mid August cruise shows the windjammer as open for dinner , but I know that on the current cruises it is not.

I think I remember them saying that the ship needed to have at least 50% of its normal passenger capacity for it to be worth opening the windjammer for dinner.

Thanks for the info. It does look by the available rooms that there will not be 50% on the 25 July cruise, so will assume it to be closed and plan our meals accordingly...

P.S. You were correct about the tours email, we have just received ours.

Wondering if the Anthem Windjammer buffet is open in the evenings for dinner?

Read that on the first cruises on Adventure it was closed.

15 hours ago, miaandmum said:

Just checked our set sail passes again and luggage tags are still pending.  Im driving to Southampton Thursday morning so have just over a day to hopefully get them before I set off.

Received email to say our e-docs and luggage tags were ready this morning for our July 25th cruise... So for us just the Eurofins hurdle to overcome next Thursday.

Wonder if you have a guarantee cabin allocation problem (Maybe a big upgrade)?

Otherwise nothing to worry about. The 15 page E-doc contained mostly generic info other than the cruise terminal being 101 and they will have plenty of blank luggage tags at the pier.

Have a good time.

22 minutes ago, Roybthered said:

I had the same problem and was worried but about 3 days before they appeared and was able to print them. 

Thank you for your prompt answer.

With all the upcoming worries of Eurofins, cancellations, etc for some reason this bothered me the most. (Yes I know I can do it at the pier, but that's not the point)

Now feeling much happier

Thanks again.

Good old fashioned cruise question..

Were any of the recent Anthem cruisers able to print out their luggage tags, and if so how far in advance?

Our tags remain annoyingly greyed out "pending" with less than two weeks to go.

2 minutes ago, Roybthered said:

Yes, they only take US dollars. We also had some left over and used them. Funny thing is as it was only Brits on the cruise the casino was empty with only a few people in there. 

Thanks for the, what for us is important information.

Hopefully casino will be quiet enough on our 25 July cruise for us to not notice half the machines out. 😊

32 minutes ago, Roybthered said:

In the Casino every other machine out of use for space

Glad to hear it all went so well...

May I ask if the slots in the casino will take US dollar currency? (Have a good few left over since last cruise.)

Thanks.

I have hopes for the 27th Sep' to sail.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem is currently having its itinerary changed from the Fjords to Spain and Portugal on the 5th Sep' with their following 12th Sep' itinerary altered to the Canaries.

So if they are altering Anthems post UK cruises to Canaries, I believe they are confident that the Southern Europe cruises are a go.

I believe Celebrity has made staycations of the first two northern Europe cruises but like Royal left the Canary ones (or in Royal's case actually added to them).

As to UK being open to US cruisers, looking at our numbers your problem may be getting back home again. 😮...

You will be able to see if there are any Southampton Anthem US pioneers on the sailings before your Celebrity one as a guide.

15 hours ago, Tatra603 said:

Looking into booking our PCR tests with a local clinic as I'm pretty sure there won't be a Eurofins over here on the Isle of Wight.

Is it 72 hours before check in or 72 hours before departure? I ask because the only clinic here has limited opening times.

To complicate matters I think the answer is neither...

They seem to be operating on the test being over the previous three days.

Eurofins offered us the tests for our 25th July cruise over the two days of 22nd and 23rd July from 8:30 AM.

So theoretically I could have followed their instructions and booked outside of 72 hrs of my 12:00 check in..... As it happens we decided to book after mid day on the 22nd just in case.

Otherwise so far so good... Contacted yesterday 18 days before sailing, Eurofin registration from PC went smoothly, android TrustOne app on phone & tablet showing test bookings for the correct Royal Caribbean cruise. Took 5 hrs to send test centre appointment confirmation E Mails, but all working as advertised so far.

4 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Now maybe i read it wrong, its been a long day....but does it state that vaccinated guests have to take a PRC test and thats it. Unvaccinated guests including over 2s have to take a rapid test. ( Lat flow test) at the terminal and no PCR test.....

 

Why do vaccinated guests have to take a more accurate test? 

 

Did i read this wrong as it dosnt make any sense at all. And i have had a lots of both tests.

You read correctly...

"Vaccinated Guests must bring the negative result of an rt-PCR test taken within 72 hours of sailing." And unvaccinated children up to 18 take the lateral flow test when boarding.

And no it doesn't seem to make much sense other than to create the uncertainty and angst seen in many of the other posts.

Really hoping they drop the PCR test requirement (and the masks) after the Gov' 19th July freedom day before our cruise in on the 25th...

However until then, we are literally holding our breath to in an attempt to avoid catching anything pre test.

2 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

It really is, although MSC are not stating a policy I expect if the government go ahead with freedom day they will sail with 80% mixed and if the government postpone again they will go with 50% vax only.

 

Until then they stick with 1000 mixed (almost certainly overbooked) which is really unfair on passengers just like we had for 3/7

 

 

 

Although still sort of unofficial, I believe there will definitely be a ramp up to the vaccinated 50% for all cruises next month, (perhaps for the next few weeks only until freedom day) as Celebrity have now found spaces to advertise the 3rd & 9th July UK only sailings which have re appeared on their UK site.

Either way I don't think any cruise will be returning to the 1000.

39 minutes ago, 8420PR said:

My hypothesis:

I don't believe that up until yesterday there were different rules between vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests on cruise-ships - the published UK Government rules were 100% clear that until 19th July (postponed from June) it is either 1000 people or 50% of capacity (whichever is lower).   The vaccination requirements from other cruise lines were just internal policy.

 

What changed is yesterday the Government decided the 1,000 passenger capacity limitations could be exceeded if guests were fully vaccinated.  

I would deem that to be the perfect hypothesis.

The only problem I have is it is all based on an MSC assertion to a small number of imminent cruisers that... "We hereby inform you that the UK Government has today, 28th June 2021, advised an important change to the cruise operators who can now sail at an increased capacity of 50% under the condition that operators ensure that adult guests onboard are fully vaccinated".

On the Gov' site... Nothing

On the MSC site... Still welcoming the unvaccinated.

Perhaps MSC has slipped someone down the crown copyright office a few quid to produce a personalised UK sail advice omitting the words "whichever is lower" from their copy? 😉

My point is why is this huge change to Government sailing advice not widely available, and so secretive?

10 minutes ago, strickers said:

Justifiably angry I would say, at least RCI went with the fully vaccinated policy from the beginning. 

Very true... Annoyingly I went for the extra cost of a UK RCI cruise just because MSC were going the unvaccinated route and I could foresee chaos... Now, possibly temporarily, they will be all adult vaccinated.

Now if only RCI would follow MSC with their no advance PCR testing for vaccinated adults I would be happy again.

16 minutes ago, strickers said:

Just had a look at RCI and MSC, the cruises haven’t appeared on sale?

No that is the problem... But go take a look at the MSC "Big changes to UK Sailings" thread and see the anger from those officially told that if not fully vaccinated and over 18 they cannot now sail on 7th July.

MSC must have some kind of advance info of a law change but currently a secret to anyone other than to those sailing Monday.

1 hour ago, strickers said:

Official guidance hasn't been updated?

I too have been following their story…

All those who sail Virtuosa this Monday have received mail informing them of a change to fully vaccinated adults only, to allow for a new Government 50% capacity allowance. (Naturally families with a 19 year old on first shot only are fuming over the 6 day notice).

As yet no updates to existing UK Government website or even their own MSC site.

If the MSC mail is correct about UK law that would mean an instant doubling of Anthem UK sailing capacity from this weekend.

31 minutes ago, 6MonthsHere6MonthsThere said:

That’s strange as we are on the Anthem 11th July and 15th July Cruises and we haven’t had any emails from Royal Caribbean about the testing, have been able to check in on their app, just says need to complete the checking health process day before sailing. Confused 🥴😧

Their website FAQs currently state... "We will contact you via email approximately 14-18 days prior to sailing with instructions on how to register and book your test"  So guess you should have that mail anytime now.

Having said that their protocol page that shows their current protocols per sailing port has today dropped their link to Southampton so perhaps they are in process of changing them?

40 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

What if a third variant booster dose is needed in the future? That could affect requirements moving forward?

It has been frequently reported in UK press that any future UK booster for this Autumn would be of a different vaccine to whatever is already given.

Results from “mix and match” trials appeared to show promise for an enhanced immune response. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/06/mix-and-match-covid-booster-jabs-may-be-offered-in-uk-vaccine-autumn

Plenty of room on the NHS app for more jabs, & probably get a sticker for the vaccination card.

& don't worry Canadians, we in the UK are heading to join you on the mixed doses list. 😊

Just found a perfect description in a previous post (61) by Treasure Hunter which describes the laptop process perfectly......

On 6/19/2021 at 10:34 PM, Treasure Hunter said:

Follow the steps. Sit in front of you computer and click on the little camera thingy, your face will come up in an oval , then hit the download icon. If I can do it, you can ( I'm 73 and far from computer savvy).

Thanks to Treasure Hunter.

1 hour ago, GeriatricNurse said:

What do you advise/suggest are my options since I do not possess a 'Smartphone' and Mobile 'Phone, in order to be successfully able to 'Check-In', online, under my NCL Account?

My directions were for a PC.

Just log in as normal and go to check in (on a laptop your inbuilt camera should suffice), on a desktop PC etc without camera just follow the on screen directions to upload your picture.

Have uploaded our photos for both Royal Caribbean & NCL from my desktop.

Do not worry, if NCL do not have a suitable picture, they will just take one at the pier at embarkation as normal, I think they just want to cut down the wait times.

4 hours ago, NW Pacific said:

Well I have looked over NCl website, checked my booking, etc. have found no mention of submitting photos, and they do mention bringing vaccination records to Pier, whew, think we can get through this, lol.  Cruise is not until October this year out of LA.. Our  desktop does not have a camera,  NCL obviously has our email in their system and I don't recall any problems before with entering cell phone numbers.  Just want to Cruise Again!!

Log in to your NCL account... Go to "holiday summary"...

Click on "start check in" (even if it shows 100% already)…

Under "Guests" hit the "check in button"...

Under section 7of 8 is now a Health & Safety heading which contains vaccination attestation, security photo upload, & spaces for phone number & Email address.

possible they will want all the new sections filled in on new future bookings before they will release  eDocs.

Good luck

8 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

UK announced yesterday they are scraping all plans for a covid passport.  Boris Johnson stated not only are their ethical concerns but after 5 months no one can come up with a workable plan.  Covid is about to burn itself out and be replaced by the flu..

They did not... The UK are not making it law that the UK Covid passport must be used to gain entry to a large venue. The official reason was that visitors to the UK would not have access to the NHS app.

The so called UK "Covid Passport" or Proof of Immunisation NHS app will be required for adult foreign travel.

As far as I can see there is nothing to prevent private venues from requiring the app as proof before allowing entry.