Saint Martin EHAS form (Electronic Health Authorization System) - Help??

[Arizona Wildcat]

20 minutes ago, HS2BS said:

That’s the reason we purchased(June 5) our tickets thru Celebrity air. Leaving EWR at about 8:20 - arriving 12:25pm on United. Then right to the ship for check in.

 

Hal

Good luck.  If your flight is late what happens then?  

[lhsail]

Didn’t get a chance to call X yet. We have been visiting with family we haven’t seen on over a year.  Still want clarification on the 120 hours requirement. We’d love to fly in on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Another day to enjoy St. Maarten and we could save over $100pp on the flights. Will pay for the transfers back to the airport. 

[Fouremco]

11 minutes ago, HS2BS said:

That’s the reason we purchased(June 5) our tickets thru Celebrity air. Leaving EWR at about 8:20 - arriving 12:25pm on United. Then right to the ship for check in.

 

Hal

As @Arizona Wildcat noted in post #40, taking an international flight arriving the day of embarkation is never a good idea. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you risk missing your cruise. Does booking through Celebrity Air provide a full refund (air and cruise) should that happen? For the price of one night in a hotel, we would never take a chance.

 

7 minutes ago, larry_s_taco said:

Celebrity has transfers to & from the port for $60 pp. They were not originally available, but we got ours booked last Monday.

$120 for a couple seems pretty steep to me for the relatively short ride. I'd look at booking a taxi.

[Arizona Wildcat]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

As @Arizona Wildcat noted in post #40, taking an international flight arriving the day of embarkation is never a good idea. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you risk missing your cruise. Does booking through Celebrity Air provide a full refund (air and cruise) should that happen? For the price of one night in a hotel, we would never take a chance.

 

$120 for a couple seems pretty steep to me for the relatively short ride. I'd look at booking a taxi.

You can hire a taxi for about $50 or less to almost anywhere on the Island unless you have a dozen suitcases

[abbydancer2003]

6 hours ago, BoundForSea said:

I’ll be one of them for sure Haha! Its been a very very long 16months since last boarding!   If you guys are interested in a cocktail Thursday night in NY my wife and I would be happy to join you. We always go down the night before out of JFK and have a few drinks and relax, its a pre cruise little ritual of ours. 

 

As of right now Friday 8AM (ish) JBLU. 

I'm not sure we're on the same cruise, but if we are - definitely.  We're on 7/31.  

[abbydancer2003]

This is interesting.  The New York Times is reporting that the EU will change it's policy so that vaccinated Americans can visit with proof of vaccine.  Sint Maartin is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so maybe that will trickle down.

 

[larry_s_taco]

17 minutes ago, abbydancer said:

This is interesting.  The New York Times is reporting that the EU will change it's policy so that vaccinated Americans can visit with proof of vaccine.  Sint Maartin is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so maybe that will trickle down.

 

That would be great.

[Seany527]

21 minutes ago, abbydancer said:

This is interesting.  The New York Times is reporting that the EU will change it's policy so that vaccinated Americans can visit with proof of vaccine.  Sint Maartin is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so maybe that will trickle down.

 

I finally got all my ducks in a row involving the testing process, location, number of hours before I depart etc. 😂

 

Just vaccine proof would be amazing though. 

[Fouremco]

30 minutes ago, abbydancer said:

This is interesting.  The New York Times is reporting that the EU will change it's policy so that vaccinated Americans can visit with proof of vaccine.  Sint Maartin is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so maybe that will trickle down.

 

In 2010, Sint Maarten became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, making it a constitutional equal partner with Aruba, Curaçao, and the Netherlands proper. I suspect that Sint Maarten will continue to make its COVID-related decisions based on local conditions, not what is happening in Europe.                                      

[Seany527]

6 hours ago, lhsail said:

Didn’t get a chance to call X yet. We have been visiting with family we haven’t seen on over a year.  Still want clarification on the 120 hours requirement. We’d love to fly in on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Another day to enjoy St. Maarten and we could save over $100pp on the flights. Will pay for the transfers back to the airport. 

I don’t recall this 120 hour rule ever being on their website. 

But if at one point it was posted, why would it matter if we are going to be taking a test at the pier beforehand anyway?
 

Let us know what they say when you call though. 

[Covepointcruiser]

Suggest you check with your airline.  We are flying to a cruise on United, and they are asking for uploaded test results based on the end and transiting country’s requirement.    We are traveling to Greece via Germany so we must meet the German and Greek requirements before we even get to the ship.   Germany wants a test no more than 48 hrs. before travel, Greece requires proof of vaccination, and the cruise line (Seabourn) is requiring a test 72 hour before the ships departure.   Fortunately there is a testing site at the airport with results in 20 minutes.   We don’t leave until July somI expect we will see changes in requirements.    It’s interesting that St. Martin is putting the U.S. in the high risk area!

[HS2BS]

This is directly from Flights by Celebrity
 

“What happens when my flight is delayed?
Our Protection benefit provides Assured Arrival as our guarantee to assist our Flights by CelebritySM guests when they encounter any flight disruptions that occur through no fault of their own. We have a team of Emergency Travel Specialists standing by that proactively monitor flights and act as a liaison between our ships and our guests. The team is available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or by phone 800-533-7803 (Option 3).”

 

Hal

[Seany527]

18 minutes ago, HS2BS said:

This is directly from Flights by Celebrity
 

“What happens when my flight is delayed?
Our Protection benefit provides Assured Arrival as our guarantee to assist our Flights by CelebritySM guests when they encounter any flight disruptions that occur through no fault of their own. We have a team of Emergency Travel Specialists standing by that proactively monitor flights and act as a liaison between our ships and our guests. The team is available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or by phone 800-533-7803 (Option 3).”

 

Hal

I suspect Celebrity took this into consideration. First, they are allowing same day travel to Sint Maarten. 2nd they chose a departure time of I think 10pm. If there is any sort of delay by the airlines, you are in good hands booking with Flights By Celebrity. 
 

I wouldn’t recommend booking your own flights and arriving same day, but in this case I think you have nothing to worry about. 

Edited April 25, 2021 by Seany527

[silkismom]

My paperwork from Celebrity says--departure at 10PM

[HS2BS]

There are 10 different flights from the three metropolitan airports that arrive prior to 3pm - lots of choices “in case”.

 

Hal

[DallasGuy75219]

12 minutes ago, Seany527 said:

I suspect Celebrity took this into consideration. First, they are allowing same day travel to Sint Maarten. 2nd they chose a departure time of I think 10pm. If there is any sort of delay by the airlines, you are in good hands booking with Flights By Celebrity. 
 

I wouldn’t recommend booking your own flights and arriving same day, but in this case I think you have nothing to worry about. 

Their "guarantee" is to assist you. They don't guarantee to rebook you on another airline at no cost to you, and unless you're flying from/through NYC, MIA, or FLL there is just one flight a day to SXM from most other hubs, so there may not even be another flight to book you on to get you to St. Maarten on embarkation day.

 

I suspect people who are used to flying into MIA or FLL, with multiple backup options, the day the cruise leaves are going to be unpleasantly surprised when they missconnect and find they can't get to SXM until the next day and aren't allowed to board at a downline port.

[AstoriaPreppy]

21 hours ago, Seany527 said:

I don’t recall this 120 hour rule ever being on their website. 

But if at one point it was posted, why would it matter if we are going to be taking a test at the pier beforehand anyway?
 

Let us know what they say when you call though. 

Fives days (120 hours) has been outlined on the Celebrity site since 25 March: "A negative rt-PCR test is required within 5 days prior to boarding in St. Maarten for guests of all ages." https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/st-maarten-travel-requirements

Regarding testing at the pier: this is actually a smart move by Celebrity. You need a negative rt-PCR test and pre-clearance from the government to even get on a plane to St. Maarten, so it's little extra work for the passengers.  It's also an additional check on Celebrity's part... which helps to cover them from bearing all responsibility from the results of what will likely be an antigen test at the pier.

[lhsail]

Just got off the phone with X. The young man I talked to put me on hold to verify the requirements. He confirmed the Celebrity requirements for adults are fully vaccinated at least two weeks before sailing and the antigen test at the terminal. The 5-day minimum for the negative PCR test applies to the St. Maarten requirements. Based on that information I plan to change our flights to get in on Wednesday, not Thursday, with the understanding that we will not need another PCR test while in St. Maarten. I’ll triple check that information when I call to change the flights. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 4/25/2021 at 4:25 PM, Seany527 said:

I suspect Celebrity took this into consideration. First, they are allowing same day travel to Sint Maarten. 2nd they chose a departure time of I think 10pm. If there is any sort of delay by the airlines, you are in good hands booking with Flights By Celebrity. 
 

I wouldn’t recommend booking your own flights and arriving same day, but in this case I think you have nothing to worry about. 

Really?  If it wasn't so sad it would be funny.  The cruises out of Sint Maartin cannot be boarded except at Sint Maartin.  Thus you would likely be provided either a flight home or a week on the island because you won't be able to join your cruise according to the rules in place.  Sort of like a TA with several days a sea.

The 10pm departure time is to allow time for more through cleaning between the passenger changes.   It should help with getting to the ship on time too.

[larry_s_taco]

1 hour ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Really?  If it wasn't so sad it would be funny.  The cruises out of Sint Maartin cannot be boarded except at Sint Maartin.  Thus you would likely be provided either a flight home or a week on the island because you won't be able to join your cruise according to the rules in place.  Sort of like a TA with several days a sea.

The 10pm departure time is to allow time for more through cleaning between the passenger changes.   It should help with getting to the ship on time too.

I'm flying in on Saturday. I'd be fine with an FCC plus a week on St Maarten. That is my back up plan. I'm checking on resorts now. I have, however been on several cruises that were held up waiting on delayed flights to arrive, so I doubt I will actually need the back up plan. Never hurts to be prepared though. 

[Seany527]

1 hour ago, larry_s_taco said:

I'm flying in on Saturday. I'd be fine with an FCC plus a week on St Maarten. That is my back up plan. I'm checking on resorts now. I have, however been on several cruises that were held up waiting on delayed flights to arrive, so I doubt I will actually need the back up plan. Never hurts to be prepared though. 

Absolutely. Arizona Wildcat is just a negative person. Look at their other posts. 
 

I’m flying in on Friday because I can’t handle the stress, but there’s no reason a person can’t fly in on Saturday especially if they live in the southeast or have nerves or steel. 😅

[tallyho8]

2 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

The 10pm departure time is to allow time for more through cleaning between the passenger changes.   It should help with getting to the ship on time too.

If they are departing late in order to clean the ship better, this would mean our boarding time will be delayed. When do we board? 6PM?

[Fouremco]

48 minutes ago, Seany527 said:

Absolutely. Arizona Wildcat is just a negative person. Look at their other posts. 
 

I’m flying in on Friday because I can’t handle the stress, but there’s no reason a person can’t fly in on Saturday especially if they live in the southeast or have nerves or steel. 😅

A couple of years ago, we spent a few days in Florida following a cruise. When we were checking into our hotel late in the afternoon on disembarkation day, there was a young couple in the lobby, the wife in tears. It turned out that the plane for their flight into FLL had electrical problems, and by time that a replacement plane was brought in and they flew into FLL, they were too late to embark on their cruise.

 

A year later, on a HAL b2b when they still allowed smoking on their balcony, we requested a change of cabins to get away from heavy smokers on both sides of us. Guest Services was unable to accommodate us, but said they would see about a change for the second leg. After sail away, we received a call asking if we were still interested, as a cabin of the same category had become available. Apparently the guests' plane was delayed and they had phoned to say that they would not be boarding.

 

Those are just two personal examples, and these boards are filled with similar stories. No, they don't happen every cruise and there are some people who fly in on the same day and never run into a problem. All @Arizona Wildcat and others are trying to do is bring a bit of realism to the discussion. People should make their decision in keeping with their personal tolerance for risk, but the decision should be based on a full understanding of the possible issues.  

[Seany527]

15 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

A couple of years ago, we spent a few days in Florida following a cruise. When we were checking into our hotel late in the afternoon on disembarkation day, there was a young couple in the lobby, the wife in tears. It turned out that the plane for their flight into FLL had electrical problems, and by time that a replacement plane was brought in and they flew into FLL, they were too late to embark on their cruise.

 

A year later, on a HAL b2b when they still allowed smoking on their balcony, we requested a change of cabins to get away from heavy smokers on both sides of us. Guest Services was unable to accommodate us, but said they would see about a change for the second leg. After sail away, we received a call asking if we were still interested, as a cabin of the same category had become available. Apparently the guests' plane was delayed and they had phoned to say that they would not be boarding.

 

Those are just two personal examples, and these boards are filled with similar stories. No, they don't happen every cruise and there are some people who fly in on the same day and never run into a problem. All @Arizona Wildcat and others are trying to do is bring a bit of realism to the discussion. People should make their decision in keeping with their personal tolerance for risk, but the decision should be based on a full understanding of the possible issues.  

But if someone is saving money with airline tickets and the cost of a pre cruise hotel, why make them feel bad about flying in the same day? Who wouldn’t want to start their vacation early? There is a chance they are doing it for financial reasons. 

 

Let me share my story about the family who flew to Miami the same day as their cruise and were thrilled to have saved thousands of dollars. They boarded before me who flew into Miami 2 days prior. 

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, Seany527 said:

But if someone is saving money with airline tickets and the cost of a pre cruise hotel, why make them feel bad about flying in the same day? Who wouldn’t want to start their vacation early? There is a chance they are doing it for financial reasons. 

 

Let me share my story about the family who flew to Miami the same day as their cruise and were thrilled to have saved thousands of dollars. They boarded before me who flew into Miami 2 days prior. 

I live on the east coast, and when I cruise from Florida, I always fly out in the morning on the day of my cruise, never a problem.  If my cruise starts in Europe, I fly in the day prior, never an issue.