Aruba and Curacao change in COVID policy

[Russ Lomas]

7 hours ago, PashaPoo said:

Not sure how the Curacao and Aruba policy would work for our cruise booked for Oct 2022 to both places.  We leave from Miami and arrive in Curacao 5 days later and Aruba 6 days later.  Making 72 hour testing impossible.  If this does apply to cruises and does not change before our final payment on July 1, 2022, we will have to cancel our cruise.

I have been talking the past couple of days to a vendor who lives in Curacao and she has been keenly keeping up with this new policy.  She keeps updating us if there are any changes that will affect our visit to Curacao in August on our cruise.  She keeps telling us that it does not apply to cruise ships, but only to those flying to the island.  At this point, she appears to be correct because the Celebrity Summit and the Odyssey visited there days after this policy went into affect and passengers did not need a negative PCR test to disembark.

 

We will be there in 12 days on our cruise, so I guess we will learn first hand if this is still the case.  A lot can change in a few days the way things are going.  I think you will be absolutely fine by October 2022 (we better be).

 

[MaritimeR&R]

This ruling (if it stands for this coming winter)will really be problematic for my  Odyssey 8 night sailings (given they are not until Feb.)  unless RCG plans to test on board.

 

[Mikew0805]

Well.. it is August, and although I am vaccinated and will test at anyone request, I do not plan on getting off the Odyssey next week in either Curacao or Aruba... because it is too hot! I'll wait for my December cruise for that. Also, I cannot be bothered by something so trivial as wearing a face mask. I have been doing it for 17 months, and it has no actual affect on my enjoyment of anything. 

[Dat Cruisin Couple]

6 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

Well.. it is August, and although I am vaccinated and will test at anyone request, I do not plan on getting off the Odyssey next week in either Curacao or Aruba... because it is too hot! I'll wait for my December cruise for that. Also, I cannot be bothered by something so trivial as wearing a face mask. I have been doing it for 17 months, and it has no actual affect on my enjoyment of anything. 

 

Good attitude!

[Russ Lomas]

5 hours ago, MaritimeR&R said:

This ruling (if it stands for this coming winter)will really be problematic for my  Odyssey 8 night sailings (given they are not until Feb.)  unless RCG plans to test on board.

 

I have been talking to someone who lives in Curacao the past few days and they rely on tourism for their business.  Both the Odyssey and a Celebrity ship (Summit I think) were there this past Wednesday after the policy was in affect.  According to this person, the rule is for those flying into those countries.  We are scheduled to be in Aruba on the 18th and Curacao on the 19th, if we get to board our cruise on the Odyssey on Saturday the 14th, so I guess I may have firsthand information for you after our trip.

[coldflame]

33 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

I have been talking to someone who lives in Curacao the past few days and they rely on tourism for their business.  Both the Odyssey and a Celebrity ship (Summit I think) were there this past Wednesday after the policy was in affect.  According to this person, the rule is for those flying into those countries.  We are scheduled to be in Aruba on the 18th and Curacao on the 19th, if we get to board our cruise on the Odyssey on Saturday the 14th, so I guess I may have firsthand information for you after our trip.

Please report back. We're planning being on the Odyssey sometime in September or Early October in the Southern Caribbean itinerary. Would be a bit of a deal breaker for us if there are strict restrictions on land in those two islands.

[Russ Lomas]

6 hours ago, coldflame said:

Please report back. We're planning being on the Odyssey sometime in September or Early October in the Southern Caribbean itinerary. Would be a bit of a deal breaker for us if there are strict restrictions on land in those two islands.

I will be sure to do so when we return.  Right now we praying our Covid tests all come back negative and we have clearance to fly.  So many hoops to jump through.  I will be sure to report back with all the good, bad, and the ugly (hopefully very little of those last two) if we actually get on the ship.