Bahamas Updates Vaccine Requirements

[Beamafar]

Just now, JAGR said:

Not to mention the adults clubs!  Hope they have plenty of Hendrick's in those clubs!😄

Unfortunately Hendricks won’t be covered in any of the new packages, J, I don’t think. I’ll be having a few in October on our very last PremPlus package; that’s if MSC let’s us onboard 😁😁

[JAGR]

2 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Unfortunately Hendricks won’t be covered in any of the new packages, J, I don’t think.

Hope all goes well for you in October.  In my view, March is decades away in MSC time system.  I suspect (okay, merely hoping!) that someone in the front office realizes it is a poor decision to disenfranchise it's YC customers!  To paraphrase our mutual friend Dave, let's hope positive steps are taken by the right hand, and the left hand stays out of it!

 

[Native Floridian 26]

40 minutes ago, Lisichka said:

Except your kids cannot get off the ship….

Why not?  The Bahamas is only requiring 12 and over to be vaxed which is the same as MSC.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Native Floridian 26

[Lisichka]

7 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Why not?  The Bahamas is only requiring 12 and over to be vaxed which is the same as MSC.

Maybe I am wrong then? On another board I was reading kids are not allowed off the ship in the Bahamas. 🤷‍♀️

Edited August 20, 2021 by Lisichka

[no1talks]

49 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Unfortunately Hendricks won’t be covered in any of the new packages, J, I don’t think. I’ll be having a few in October on our very last PremPlus package; that’s if MSC let’s us onboard 😁😁

I recall seeing Hendricks Gin priced at 14 bucks, on a recently posted menu photo.

 

If the price is not raised too much, it will be covered on the future package with the $15.00 price cap.

[Beamafar]

4 minutes ago, no1talks said:

I recall seeing Hendricks Gin priced at 14 bucks, on a recently posted menu photo.

 

If the price is not raised too much, it will be covered on the future package with the $15.00 price cap.

Here’s hoping!  Thanks, No1. 

[kilkoyne]

15 hours ago, navychop said:

MSC requires a negative result covid test to be provided by the guests beginning Aug 20th. This announced on August 19th. Same with the 23 Aug sailing, which I am on. No email sent to the guests.....yet. Funny, I scheduled a test at Walgreens on the 21st, just to get the routine down for Nov and December cruises that inform guests ahead of time to bring test results of negative.

 

Can you let us know how the covid test goes? What questions asked and if insurance covers it? Supposedly insurance covers it, just wondered if that's how it worked for you. Thanks

[sojodave]

I wonder how many will cancel because of this policy?  I know there are people who can't get vaccinated because of medical issues.  

[navychop]

1 minute ago, kilkoyne said:

 

Can you let us know how the covid test goes? What questions asked and if insurance covers it? Supposedly insurance covers it, just wondered if that's how it worked for you. Thanks

The 23rd cruise will still test Fully vaccinated folks at the pier. I'm getting one at Walgreens Saturday anyway. Covered by insurance, a trial run because Princess and Celebrity require it in November and December.

[navychop]

1 minute ago, sojodave said:

I wonder how many will cancel because of this policy?  I know there are people who can't get vaccinated because of medical issues.  

I wonder how many people will book because any cruise to the Bahamas or private island will require all 12 and over will be Vaccinated. Don't think sailing under full capacity will hurt either. IMHO

[styles27]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

The kids clubs are gonna be in great demand. 🤣

I wonder if the Kid’s club is operational at this point. 

[kilkoyne]

7 minutes ago, navychop said:

The 23rd cruise will still test Fully vaccinated folks at the pier. I'm getting one at Walgreens Saturday anyway. Covered by insurance, a trial run because Princess and Celebrity require it in November and December.

 

I understand and was thinking about doing the same thing. I started making an online appt the other day and noticed I would have to drive out of state to get a test that's not PCR. Maybe I'll call my insurance company to make sure I'm covered just in case.

[styles27]

1 hour ago, Lisichka said:

Maybe I am wrong then? On another board I was reading kids are not allowed off the ship in the Bahamas. 🤷‍♀️

I was under that impression too.
 

I believe the policy in other ports for US sailings is that anyone who is not vaccinated  has to book a tour through MSC to leave the ship.

Even if you’re vaccinated, if you have unvaccinated people in your party you’re considered unvaccinated for the purpose of leaving the ship. 
Now does that include children under 12?  Seems it would but with everything changing pretty much daily around here I’m sure it’ll change another dozen times. 

[navychop]

3 minutes ago, styles27 said:

I was under that impression too.
 

I believe the policy in other ports for US sailings is that anyone who is not vaccinated  has to book a tour through MSC to leave the ship.

Even if you’re vaccinated, if you have unvaccinated people in your party you’re considered unvaccinated for the purpose of leaving the ship. 
Now does that include children under 12?  Seems it would but with everything changing pretty much daily around here I’m sure it’ll change another dozen times. 

Hats off if you can figure it out:  Emergency Powers (Covid-19 Pandemic)(Management and Recovery)(No.2)(Amendment)(No.8)Order, 2021 - Office of the Prime Minister (opm.gov.bs)

[phissy]

5 hours ago, KennyFla said:

Carnival tried the no mask with 95% vax, and it did not go well.  12 and under will still not be vaxed.

NCL is 100% vaccinated, including crew. No one under 12 allowed onboard. No mask onboard because ONLY fully vaxed , with neg test at pier.

3 cruises have now gone out of Seattle for Alaska. 

[Margaretealexander]

5 hours ago, alyssamma said:

Lol, did.you read my post? I clearly said 8/27. What exactly are you disagreeing with?

I was agreeing with you or confirming and clarifying that the other poster was incorrect, not you. 

[alyssamma]

11 minutes ago, Margaretealexander said:

I was agreeing with you or confirming and clarifying that the other poster was incorrect, not you. 

Gotcha..

Sorry 😀

[SteelCruisin]

As someone who can't get vaccinated due to medical issues, this is unfortunate but I will continue to take a wait and see approach, we sail in November and our final payment was due today, since the current Bahamian news is that this will only effect cruises from the beginning of Sept through the end of October, we will see if anything changes....on a side note , being that I am unvaccinated, I had to purchase MSC's insurance, wonder if I will be able to get a refund for it being I will never get to use it.

[cheramello]

I'm so bummed about all these changes. I hate that they're treating my kid like a leper. We switched our cruise to MSC because of their previous vaccination status match. 
Final payment is due on Monday for our Nov cruise. I was just about to call and see if I could upgrade to a balcony (prices went down so I got excited). But now I see why prices went down.
We have friends that live in Jamaica and now if MSC is going to force us to purchase excursions through them (which aren't even available online btw) we won't be able to visit. 😞

[styles27]

13 minutes ago, cheramello said:

I'm so bummed about all these changes. I hate that they're treating my kid like a leper. We switched our cruise to MSC because of their previous vaccination status match. 
Final payment is due on Monday for our Nov cruise. I was just about to call and see if I could upgrade to a balcony (prices went down so I got excited). But now I see why prices went down.
We have friends that live in Jamaica and now if MSC is going to force us to purchase excursions through them (which aren't even available online btw) we won't be able to visit. 😞

There are so many unknowns at this point.  We’re sailing out of Port Canaveral in November and our friends decided to not make their final payment last week because they’re almost 80 and frankly they’re afraid of becoming infected (even though we are all fully vaccinated.)
 

I honestly don’t see things improving by the end of the year to the point that MSC drops all of these requirements   
If you’re already disappointed and having second thoughts about all of the new polices and requirements don’t make that final payment. Just cancel and wait until things go back to pre pandemic normal (if that’s even possible)

 

I wouldn’t want MSC or any cruise company holding onto hundreds if not thousands of dollars of my money. 
 

They’re all just trying to stay afloat at this point. If they start having large outbreaks on board we all know what’ll happen. 
 

The entire thing sucks for them and for us as consumers. 
 

[cyndyga]

8 hours ago, dexddd said:

As of now, NCL is vaxxed only and no masks.  Will MSC do same now?

Not if they allow unvaccinated kids under 12...kids germs are very potent...

[cheramello]

2 hours ago, styles27 said:

There are so many unknowns at this point.  We’re sailing out of Port Canaveral in November and our friends decided to not make their final payment last week because they’re almost 80 and frankly they’re afraid of becoming infected (even though we are all fully vaccinated.)
 

I honestly don’t see things improving by the end of the year to the point that MSC drops all of these requirements   
If you’re already disappointed and having second thoughts about all of the new polices and requirements don’t make that final payment. Just cancel and wait until things go back to pre pandemic normal (if that’s even possible)

 

I wouldn’t want MSC or any cruise company holding onto hundreds if not thousands of dollars of my money. 
 

They’re all just trying to stay afloat at this point. If they start having large outbreaks on board we all know what’ll happen. 
 

The entire thing sucks for them and for us as consumers. 
 

I don't want to cancel, I want to go! 😢 I'm (and probably everyone) so tired of Covid and the division people are allowing over this vaccination thing. My friend works in the industry and she said they're just trying to get the dosing right for the younger kids and thinks they won't have it set until December which means probably well after the new year for younger kids to start getting it. I wish people would stop panicking and treat our kids like the humans they are and not as a vaccination statistic.

[Beamafar]

Unfortunately Covid’s with us for the foreseeable future, just like ‘flu and viral pneumonia.   We can only hope that another, worse strain than Delta doesn’t develop.  

[Lisichka]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

Unfortunately Covid’s with us for the foreseeable future, just like ‘flu and viral pneumonia.   We can only hope that another, worse strain than Delta doesn’t develop.  

That is my biggest fear.

 

Just got my third (booster) shot yesterday.  I still don’t know if I did the right thing by being vaccinated, but what else can we do?

[fdcruisers]

I saw this earlier. NEW: The Bahamas has just announced new protocols requiring any visitors (12 years and older) to be fully vaccinated. Due to this latest requirement, MSC Cruises will now be requiring all guests 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated on all sailings beginning September 3, 2021 through and including sailings of October 31, 2021 departing from PortMiami and Port Canaveral. Please read the requirements based on your departure date for exact information and to ensure you are not denied boarding.