Vaccine for Barbados?

[Detroit Donna]

My TA received the following letter from Carnival in concern with my recent booking on the Carnival Victory:

 

Greetings Travel Partner,

We’re sure your clients must be super excited about their upcoming cruise vacation! So, we’d like to provide you with some important information they will need for their cruise.

 

Certain countries require a yellow fever certificate of vaccination. Yellow fever is a serious disease caused by the yellow fever virus. It is found in certain parts of Africa and South America and is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Guests can minimize their risk by taking steps to avoid mosquito bites when outdoors. It cannot be spread person to person by direct contact.

 

While some countries require all travelers get a yellow fever vaccination, South America and Barbados onlyrequire a vaccination if the traveler is from areas infected with yellow fever, areas where yellow fever transmission has occurred (endemic areas), and for travelers having transited more than 12 hours through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. If this does not apply to your clients, a yellow fever vaccine is not necessary.

 

Therefore, we strongly suggest all guests, traveling to or from Barbados, South America, or an African country visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at <http://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/ > for yellow fever certificate information, instructions, and country-by-country requirements.

 

Please remind your clients that proper travel documentation is required at embarkation and throughout the cruise. As much as we'd like to help your clients, it’s their sole responsibility to have the required documents available at all times. We are sorry to say, if they do not have the proper travel documents, he/she will not be allowed on board. This also means we won't be providing a refund of their cruise fare.

 

We appreciate your assistance in passing this information along and can’t wait to welcome your clients aboard for a Fun and memorable cruise vacation! Most importantly, we thank you for your continued support.

 

I've been on several cruises but all in the Caribbean so I'm not sure why they are targeting me. From what I can find on the CDC site, I'm not required to get the vaccine but would hate to be told otherwise when I try to board the ship! :eek: Has anyone else received something like this before?

[Not_Done_Living]

It says right in your post " if your client does not meet the criteria then no vaccine is required.

 

It is clearly just a general FYI

[Stede Bonnet]

Why do you think you, personally, have been targetted. It looks like those sailing on the Victory, hence visiting Barbados, will get this info in case they need it.

[Detroit Donna]

It says right in your post " if your client does not meet the criteria then no vaccine is required.

 

It is clearly just a general FYI

 

Yup, but when I mentioned this to my TA, she said two of her clients just went and got the vaccine anyway.

[Detroit Donna]

Why do you think you, personally, have been targetted. It looks like those sailing on the Victory, hence visiting Barbados, will get this info in case they need it.

 

Because I've been on this cruise before and never received anything like this. They also had my name at the top of the letter and not my husband's.

[Momis2]

I got the same letter awhile ago. I will be on the Splendor from L.A. to NYC around the horn of South America and Barbados will be one of our last ports. We got the shots just in case. Expensive but covered by insurance. We would rather be safe than sorry.

[ibcnusoon]

I'm traveling to Barbados, booked Carnival Victory directly WITH Carnival (hence, they are my TA) and they didn't send me anything to alert us to get this vaccine!!

[cocontom]

Our TA got the letter a few months ago, we're booked for January on the Victory.

 

Our TA basically said Barbados is working really hard to make sure to keep Yellow Fever out of their country- they don't have it there and want to make sure it stays that way. If you haven't been to an infected area recently, don't worry about the vaccine, they don't require it for US citizens.

[Detroit Donna]

Our TA got the letter a few months ago, we're booked for January on the Victory.

 

Our TA basically said Barbados is working really hard to make sure to keep Yellow Fever out of their country- they don't have it there and want to make sure it stays that way. If you haven't been to an infected area recently, don't worry about the vaccine, they don't require it for US citizens.

 

Thanks!

[floss]

We have no outbreak of yellow fever here. So proceed as normal.

[cruisingbajan]

If you haven't been to an infected area recently, don't worry about the vaccine, they don't require it for US citizens.

 

This statement is not altogether true, regardless to if you are a US CITIZEN or not as long as you have visited the specified areas you will be required to get the vaccine.

 

Having said the above, like another poster said...this is just an FYI and nothing you should be unduly worried about. I hope you enjoy your visit to my beautiful island.:D

[Bakmmo]

We booked Victory last we and our travel agent forwarded us the same letter. I also read that it sounds like I did not need it but my agent called and you do need it if you want to go off in Barbados. I is very costly, I was told $182 and there are 4 of us...I hope the previous poster is correct that it is covered under insurance, as my doctor told me it was not. I will call my insurance company tomorrow.Either way I will get it.

[cruzeluver]

Strange. We had Barbados as a port of call last year and were never sent any type if advisement.

[Baystate]

Just as an aside, if you check the cdc website or with your doctor, you'll be surprised how many vaccinations are suggested while traveling to Mexico, the carribean, and South America.

[DaDivaMom]

It is NOT required of US citizens unless you have traveled to an affected area in the last 12 months is the actual ruling of Barbados. The letter is advising you of such.

 

We actually were required to have it because we had been to China within that time frame on our Victory sailing, however we had the vaccine before going to China as it is also required and recommend there.

[Bakmmo]

I called Carnival and they said you will not be allowed off in Barbados without the shot. They said it is their prerogative to require this even if the CDC only recommends. I have been in Barbados previously and it was never required.

[DaDivaMom]

While I don't doubt you got that response from your phone call the above stated letter and the required entry to Barbados Do NOT require the vaccination. Therefor there is no need to scare people into getting an expensive vaccination that is not required. Carnival is a corporation and can not legally require additional vaccinations or deny you leaving the ship for not having them. Only the entry country can do that.

 

If you have traveled through an infected or impacted area it is advisable to carry proof of your inocculations with you.

[Mikel1733]

Detroit Donna, thanks for posting this. Seems like there is some conflicting advice on this. Can you tell us what your cruise date is in relation to when you received the letter? We are booked on this itinerary 3/3/12. I wish our PVP would have brought this up before we booked.

 

I don't understand the letter where Carnival says they won't let you board without proper paperwork. If you need it and don't have it wouldn't they just not let you debark in Barbados? I'm not understanding this I guess.

[Halftocruz]

I hope this gets answered soon. I cruise on the Victory in January and I didn't hear from Carnival yet. I was also on this exact cruise in February 2011 and didn't need anything for Barbados. I guess I'll call Carnival :confused:

 

Kellie

[DaDivaMom]

All the REQUIRED information is contained in the letter she posted. You only need the vaccination if you have traveled in or through a country that has yellow fever or were at an airport in an impacted area for more than 12 hours. EVERYONE does NOT have to have it. Certain citizens of certain countries do have to have it. USA citizens are not currently among those.

 

If you have traveled through an area and your passport indicates so then you need to have your records with you showing your are immunized. We were required to produce those as we had Chinese visas on our passports and that list was provided to authorities in Barbados. It was a simple procedure.

 

You can feel free to get the immunization anyway. Prices vary and most health departments carry it.

[My4Grandsons]

I was in Barbados during the Victory August 26 cruise. I did not get any vaccine.

[snownyet]

I wonder if certain travellers get flagged when they enter their passport info on the funpass documents online? Ive been to Barbados 7 or 8 times and this October will be my second trip on the victory over the past 3 years. This is the first Ive heard of this.

[Detroit Donna]

Detroit Donna, thanks for posting this. Seems like there is some conflicting advice on this. Can you tell us what your cruise date is in relation to when you received the letter? We are booked on this itinerary 3/3/12. I wish our PVP would have brought this up before we booked.

 

I don't understand the letter where Carnival says they won't let you board without proper paperwork. If you need it and don't have it wouldn't they just not let you debark in Barbados? I'm not understanding this I guess.

 

I booked this cruise on 17 September (Monday) and received the letter on 18 September (Tuesday). Our cruise leaves 30 December 2012.

 

DaDivaMom has put me at ease as far as who needs it and who does not. Because I have taken 4 other cruises this year and visited Curacao, DR, Aruba, Belize, etc., I checked the CDC website to see if any of the places I've been were high risk countries and they were not. So unless you've been in Africa or South America, you are safe.

 

We have taken this cruise before (2/11) but I see that many of the islands have changed their requirements effective 29 May 2012 so this may be the reason why Carnival sent this now and not before.

 

After visiting the CDC website, I am more afraid of getting Dengue than yellow fever and there is no vaccination for that!

[Mar56]

I booked this cruise on 17 September (Monday) and received the letter on 18 September (Tuesday).

 

After visiting the CDC website, I am more afraid of getting Dengue than yellow fever and there is no vaccination for that!

 

re Dengue fever - take bug spray with DEET and use it! I think if you google Dengue fever you'll see the percentage of DEET recomended.

[Scrappinbec]

We are crusing on the Valor 6/9/2013 and received this same letter from our TA about a week ago. But like others said here, we won't need the vaccine since we are US citizens.