BeignetBoy

Yep... Good news.  I noticed this yesterday as I was trying to locate a PCR testing site in San Juan.  Now, not required.  

Yes, winters in New Orleans are much less harsh than Chicago.  I have lived in both cities, and the winders here are much more tolerable.

Unfortunately, we decided to cancel our cruise from WPB to San Juan that was to leave on January 30.  It was a hard decision, but we were able to do so and receive a future cruise credit if we made a decision prior to 1/14 because we booked this under SeaDream's "Cruise with Confidence" program.

Although we were looking forward to this cruise, our comfort level in proceeding with it wasn't high, so we took what was the best option for us.

We are in a similar quandary.  We are booked on a Jan 30 out of Palm Springs to San Juan and have until Jab 18 to cancel and receive a credit for a future cruise (we booked it while they had the credit program in place).  We have also each recovered from Covid, and neither one of us had serious or long lasting effects -- thanks to two vaccines and boosters.  

I wasn't aware of the positive cases on SD1, but I am not surprised.  It would probably be easy to pick up the virus on any of the stops that the ship makes.  The Omicron variant seems much more contagious and doesn't seem to care if you are vaccinated or not, before infecting  you -- although being vaccinated improves the outcome significantly.   

The testing concerns that you have are real, and we share them.  I am reading that you can show positive on a test for months after an infection.  We might be able to get a doctor's note, but neither one of us saw a doctor, so I presume that he would need a negative test to write such a note. 

And when I checked a few weeks ago, the Bahamas also had a testing requirement, that we can probably accomplish prior to leaving the US.  But I am concerned about us showing a positive test just before leaving for the trip, or at dockside before boarding, forcing us to cancel the trip at the last minute, after we have passed the credit date.  And with beach stops daily, potentially more guests are exposed at every stop.  Another, perhaps worse, concern is being quarantined on the ship because of an outbreak.  It is not the SD experience that we are paying many thousands of dollars for. 

We have a hard decision to make within the next week or so.

Good Questions... I am also wondering if the test that SD will conduct prior to boarding in Palm Beach will suffice for the Bahamas, or do we need to do something before we leave.  It will be interesting.  And we booked this under the "Dream with Confidence Plan" which I think gives us until January 16 to make a go/no go decision.  We would get a credit for a future cruise, but not a refund. 

Who would have thought that we'd still be dealing with Covid at this time?  And to this extent.

Also, I forgot to mention that I also wrote the the authorities in Turks and Caicos, and explained that I would be on a ship and would have a hard time with the 3 day issue, and the response was that we must get it done.

Please post how this is handled during or after your cruise so that we can make a good decision here.

Thanks

We are currently booked on the Jan 30 SD2 departure from Palm Beach to San Juan with stops in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic.  I did some preliminary research on requirements of all three a few weeks ago.  Things might have changed now with the Omicron Variant being so prevalent, but when I checked here is what I found:

Bahamas -- A form was needed, Vaccines were required, and a negative test 5 days prior to the visit.

Turks and Caicos -- A negative test was required 3 days before arrival.  I don't remember vaccine requirements, but I since SD is requiring them, that shouldn't be an issue. (Note: I wrote to SD on this as we would be on the ship for the three days prior to arrival and was told that they would supply the needed tests onboard for a cost of $100.)

Dominican Republic -- I found no specific requirement.  

San Juan -- We arrived in San Juan after the westbound TA and there was no issue.  Possibly because we are US Citizens.  

I advise everyone to check the needed requirements when it gets a bit closer to departure, as things are changing in many location.

On 5/8/2021 at 4:30 PM, JES4845 said:

FYI - we were advised by SD in writing this past week that all crew and passengers will be required to be vaccinated

Jes4845... Just wondering, did SD say anything about requiring a negative PCR test 72 hours in advance of boarding?  It seems that it wouldn't be necessary if they are requiring vaccines for everyone?  

Thanks again for the posting.

13 hours ago, sunswimsail said:

We had to cancel.  Travel agent tried to reach upper management to give us more time to decide, but no reply and deadline was looming.  Very disappointed. 

It is sad that you cancelled, but equally as sad that SD couldn't (or didn't) respond to your request for more time to decide. It would be one thing if they said "no", no extension on time, but I have a hard time understanding and accepting a lack of a reply from them.   

I presume that this was for the Italy trip that you mentioned earlier, and your concern that Italy wouldn't be open then.  If Italy weren't open then, I guess that SeaDream would change the voyage, but that could significantly impact your air and other issues involved.  Hopefully someone from SeaDream will read your comments, reach out to you and offer you an extension.  

Please keep  us posted.

15 hours ago, JES4845 said:

FYI - we were advised by SD in writing this past week that all crew and passengers will be required to be vaccinated (we have bookings in October and December).

 

While we booked these voyages after Dec. 2020, so the “book with confidence” applies, I agree with those of you above who said it is unfair to treat those who booked prior to December 2020 less favorably.  If there is a logical and persuasive reason for this differential in treatment I haven’t heard it.  Clearly it isn’t fair and it also doesn’t make long term business sense for SD.  If there is a rationale someone can provide please do!

Jes, thanks for posting this.  It is comforting that they are only allowing vaccinated passengers and crew on board. We have a booking upcoming in November, and the final payment date is rapidly approaching.  If this is the case, (and I presume that it is) they should proudly post it on their website and stop existing customers from worrying about it..  If it is now on their site, I am not seeing it.

And as for the "book with confidence" program, I am in 100% agreement that the program ignores the loyal customers who have let their deposits ride and not cancelled them.  At this time, we have three voyages scheduled, and am feeling unsure about taking them.  I understand that the program helps to get new bookings, but more is needed to gain the needed confidence with our existing bookings.  For example, we bought our air for our upcoming voyage a few months ago, but if SeaDream were to change the voyage due to a country being closed, and if the new air was difficult to purchase, we would like for the program to cover us.  Or if they somehow fall back to allowing only tested passengers to board, that would make us very uncomfortable and we would have to consider cancelling.  

19 hours ago, JES4845 said:

 

SeaDream is in a tough spot ---  Like the airlines, SeaDream is dependent on decisions by governments that haven’t been made yet.  One would hope and indeed expect flexibility by SeaDream for those of us with 2021 bookings, especially in the Med.  This would include how to handle cancellations after the 120 day and 90 day windows have started if ports are closed and rules remain unclear.  Absent that flexibility from SeaDream, no doubt we and others just won’t make the final payment and instead will seek an immediate refund rather than take the risk of heavy penalties within those windows close to departure.

 

Jes, I agree with  your above statements.  They are in a tough spot here.  But I don't see how final payments can be made without some consideration to their passengers.  We booked our November cruise several years ago, and don't want to cancel it, but the 120 date is approaching in a few months   At a minimum, they should not penalize loyal customers who make the final payment, but then are forced to cancel because of testing requirements not announced until shortly before the cruise.  As I said earlier, I don't see how they can expect someone to book a cruise with less that 60 days to go without stating what their testing requirements will be. 

They don't control the countries, but do control their own policies.  And several major cruise lines have already stated that they will require vaccines for all prior to boarding. 

And adding more the confusion, is what will SeaDream require for boarding passengers?  Will they accept a vaccine, or will they require some type of a test also?  I hope that a vaccine would be required and sufficient, as we can see what happened on their first attempt at a voyage in the Caribbean earlier where someone apparently got infected between the testing and embarkation -- causing a problem on the entire voyage.   Also, not to mention the logistic challenges of getting a test prior to leaving the US to satisfy the 72 hour limitation as was previously required.

It seems to me that they owe this information to potential and current customers given that their first scheduled voyage is less that 60 days out.  And their "Ultimate Booking Assurance" program offers nothing for those loyal customers who might have booked a cruise prior to July 22, 2020.  

We are booked on a cruise in November and have acquired our air, and may consider something sooner, but we need this information before we do.  

We are booked on the fall crossing in November and are hoping that things have settled down a bit by then.  Actually, we booked it on our last cruise before things began to shut down last year.  We just saw no reason to cancel it yet, hoping for the best.

Also, because we are "old" we have received the first vaccine and are scheduled for the second one in a few weeks.  It is quite a feeling of relief to get this done.

On 11/6/2020 at 1:21 PM, atabs12 said:

. We would have to arrive the day before the voyage. Is that still considered in transit? 

 

From what I understand, at this time you must arrive in Barbados on the day of the cruise and go directly to the ship in order to be considered "in transit."  If I am incorrect, I am sure that someone will correct me here.  You should probably check with SeaDream's customer service or your TA for specific directions.  That said, however, things could change in several directions between now and January.

I have been Facebook communicating with someone on SD2 who has been sent home and has not yet been recalled.  We exchanged messages yesterday, and that person had hopes that SD2 would be moved over, but had not yet been informed of any plans to do so.  I think that everything depends on the demand for the BGI cruises, and for other islands to open up.  However, as we know, virus counts are rising in many states with the US, and it seems that a number of hotspots are also increasing in Europe.  

And although SD is doing a lot of things to make things safer onboard, there are lots of risks to exposure for us and others in transit to the ship.  We don't feel comfortable going on any cruise until after a vaccine is available.

Also, thanks for conducting the seminar. 

I just don't see how we can take the risk of traveling to the destination and then boarding without a vaccine.  We love SeaDream and want to begin cruising tomorrow.  But the statement about not requiring masking on board is scary -- how to we know that the test is 100% accurate --  there may be a "false negative" result that gives an incorrect reading on the tests.  And if I recall, it was indicated that socially distancing will be encouraged.  But, I don't see how this will be possible on the TOY bar or in the lounge, and perhaps the restaurant on a full ship.  Perhaps things will be ok around the pool, but there are possible issues too.   Additionally, arriving on the day of departure is problematic for us.  

I understand that SD is trying to do what they can, given the situation.  But the no masking issue and the distancing increases my concerns about going without a vaccine.  

Andreas... I agree with ctbjr1309 above.  The communication is outstanding and is a definite improvement.  Even if you don't have all of the answers and the decisions are still not firm, the communication is very much appreciated.  We all realize that some things are "up in the air, and are out of your control." And you need to make a good business decision for your company, and consider your guests as you do so.   Credit to you and to the company for keeping us informed.  And I hope that you read and review the question and suggestions that were made in the written comments that we sent in.  A personal response would be appreciated.    

We love SeaDream, and hope to be back onboard soon; although it may not be until a vaccine is approved and effective.   

I agree with Trapper.  We usually book on-board to get the discount and indicate our TA.  I also like the idea of someone on my side for negotiations with any issues.  We always book Air on our own and unless we are familiar with the hotel, we usually use a TA for hotels, etc.

5 minutes ago, JES4845 said:

Just read on a website called cruiselawnews.com or something like that ... that a guest on  SD1’s last voyage tested positive ... ugh.  If true, very sorry to hear this news as it certainly makes it less likely that the planned and popular Norwegian voyages will continue as planned.

 Here is the link... https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2020/08/articles/disease/positive-covid-19-cases-on-the-viking-star-and-seadream-1-208-crew-and-guests-quarantined/

As for Norway, it probably doesn't make financial sense to try to operate with only 100 people on board. 

I had heard from someone who should know that SDII was going to be headed to the Caribbean for winter cruises, and that the Eastbound crossing was still on.  But who knows, and I suspect that things are very fluid at this time.  

We just received information that both ship are anchored off Norway at a point not on the schedule.  Also, it seems that Norwegian voyages have been taken down from the website.   

The "why" is unknown at this time. Our TA forwarded the email and here is the quote from the relevant issues..

"We want to thank you for your patience and continued support as we navigate unprecedented circumstances.  The COVID-19 situation along with the travel restrictions being implemented by governments worldwide have presented many difficulties for travel.

Due to recent travel restrictions imposed in our industry, we are pausing operations for our upcoming Voyage 22041 October 24, 2020.  As a result of this, we are offering affected guests on this voyage a 120% future voyage certificate to be used on any published voyage prior to December 31, 2022.  The amount will be based on the total voyage fare paid."

As you can see, they are stating that it is because of travel restrictions imposed on the industry.  And as everyone can see, the website isn't current on their plans as it shows no crossing on SDI and still shows the crossing on SDII as currently planned, and a full slate of Caribbean voyages throughout the winter on both ships. 

I imagine that this will all shake out over the next few weeks for those who are wanting to make future plans.  We don't plan on booking anything new until things stabilize on the virus front, or until a vaccine is available.  As of now, we have three future crossings booked on SDII over the next two years.  And we have a Viking cruise credit to use in the next two years.  

We love the SeaDream experience, largely due to the staff.  Let's all hope that it somehow gets back to where we can look forward to regular fun voyages on our favorite ship.  If not, there are alternatives that we will have to explore..  

Our TA just sent us an email indicating that she was contacted by SeaDream and notified of a cancellation of the fall westbound from Malaga scheduled to depart on October 24.  They are offering a refund, or a 120% credit for trips made before the end of 2022.   Did anyone else receive such a call?

If I remember correctly, this crossing was almost completely booked and some guests were concerned about a full ship on a two week crossing.  So, I don't think that they would cancel it for a minor reason. The cancellation date to receive a refund less the $50 deduction was upcoming in a few weeks, and the final payments weren't due until late July.    I wonder if this indicates a major change in their future plans, or if this is a mere cancellation for a charter or dry dock plans.

The website still shows that the crossing is planned, but the website is often behind in terms of correct information.

Does anyone have any more information?

Thanks

Also, on the issue on dealing with the credit card company and their dispute intervals.  I think that most credit will honor a dispute for purchases made within the past 60 days, but in our case, the deposits were paid over a year ago for our next cruise departing in October.  I don't know if they will make an exception here. 

We haven't cancelled our next cruise yet, but will probably do so before the final payment date upcoming in about three weeks.  I guess then we will have to "wait out" the 90 days and then deal with either the credit card company or the Travel Insurance Company.  Either way we are anticipating a long wait for our deposit back. 

I have just printed the "Terms and Conditions" page from their website in the event that the site should shut down, and it clearly states their refund policy.  However, it doesn't say anything about the timeliness of the refund.  So if you have something from them indicating a short period of time, that would be very helpful.

More information on the missing $1700 from Windstar.  My TA contacted them and they agreed that I was correct and that they didn't refund the correct amount.  They blamed it on a computer glitch and said that I'd get the balance in 14 days.  I wonder if they would have caught it if I had not noticed their error.  I urge everyone to double check the amounts received vs what they paid.

Good Points JES4845 and ExoticDestinations...

I am losing confidence in SD on a regular basis.  And I do feel for their loyal crew.  If they are not planning to resume cruising out of Rome in 11 days (as their web site states that they are still doing), why not just update their site?  This is a pretty simple task. 

I wonder what would happen if someone would contact them today and try to book the trip; would they accept the booking? 

Our final payment is coming up in a little over a month for our next cruise, and I am over 90% sure that we will cancel, and then get into the 90 day refund period for our deposit.  At this point, I hope they they can do it in 90 days, although I am worried.