Help-COVID requirements for US citizen-transatlantic Silhouette

[mdv31616]

I am considering the transatlantic on the Silhouette from Southampton on Nov 1 this year and am a solo cruiser. I will be flying in from the US and know that I am required to have a PCR test 3 days prior to flying and also boarding the Silhouette.

 

Two questions.

 

1. I have read on the UK gov't site, I am required to book and pay for another test within 2 days of entering. By then I will be on the ship. Is this a requirement? Do I have to do this before I can even enter the country?

 

2. I will book the flight and the transfer to Southampton through Celebrity. I am thinking of flying and going directly to Southampton and not staying over night. Celebrity can book me into a hotel near the airport as well. Thoughts as to the timing? Have you ever flown in and not stayed over? Is this a possibility?

 

Thanks.

[zitsky]

Question number 2 is frequently discussed.  Suggestion is to fly in one day ahead.  It all depends on your schedule.  Does flight arrive at 10am and cruise leave at 4pm?  Or does flight arrive at 1pm and cruise leave at 3pm?  See what I mean?

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, mdv31616 said:

I am considering the transatlantic on the Silhouette from Southampton on Nov 1 this year and am a solo cruiser. I will be flying in from the US and know that I am required to have a PCR test 3 days prior to flying and also boarding the Silhouette.

 

Two questions.

 

1. I have read on the UK gov't site, I am required to book and pay for another test within 2 days of entering. By then I will be on the ship. Is this a requirement? Do I have to do this before I can even enter the country?

 

2. I will book the flight and the transfer to Southampton through Celebrity. I am thinking of flying and going directly to Southampton and not staying over night. Celebrity can book me into a hotel near the airport as well. Thoughts as to the timing? Have you ever flown in and not stayed over? Is this a possibility?

 

Thanks.

Risky strategy 

[Ipeeinthepools]

16 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Risky strategy 

 

That's an understatement

[middlehaitch]

1 hour ago, mdv31616 said:

I am considering the transatlantic on the Silhouette from Southampton on Nov 1 this year and am a solo cruiser. I will be flying in from the US and know that I am required to have a PCR test 3 days prior to flying and also boarding the Silhouette.

 

Two questions.

 

1. I have read on the UK gov't site, I am required to book and pay for another test within 2 days of entering. By then I will be on the ship. Is this a requirement? Do I have to do this before I can even enter the country?

 

2. I will book the flight and the transfer to Southampton through Celebrity. I am thinking of flying and going directly to Southampton and not staying over night. Celebrity can book me into a hotel near the airport as well. Thoughts as to the timing? Have you ever flown in and not stayed over? Is this a possibility?

 

Thanks.

 

 

For question 1, Yes you have to book your test(s) and pay for them before your arrival in England, even if you will not be in the country long enough to use them. This page will advise you:

https://www.gov.uk/find-travel-test-provider

 

For question 2,  As you have to book and pay for the tests anyway, I would err on the side of caution and book a flight at least a day earlier than embarkation day. Things can go awry even with a non-stop flight, not to mention road traffic delays. 

You can, and I would, still go straight to Southampton to do an overnight or 2 avoiding London altogether.

 

Cheers, h.

[Bigannie]

If your were flying into Heathrow today you would have been faced with up to a five hour delay to get through border control. A another reason never to never  risk a long haul flight to arrive the day you sail.

[zitsky]

21 minutes ago, Bigannie said:

If your were flying into Heathrow today you would have been faced with up to a five hour delay to get through border control. A another reason never to never  risk a long haul flight to arrive the day you sail.

 

Are there websites that let you track Heathrow (or other airport) border control delays?  I've always thought CDG was terrible, in general.  I've not been through LHR for a while.

[emmas gran]

It is the last weekend of school holidays so everyone is flying back to get children in school on Monday. Border staff control shortages due to COVID .The E gates cannot be used by under 12 years old so it is all adding to delays especially inTerminal 5.

 

Everybody blaming everyone else 

[Mark_T]

It is variable though… My son came back from Greece yesterday and it took about an hour, but that was late afternoon.

 

I certainly would fly in same day, need to have room for delays. 

 

 

[middlehaitch]

7 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

It is variable though… My son came back from Greece yesterday and it took about an hour, but that was late afternoon.

 

I certainly would fly in same day, need to have room for delays. 

 

 

You do mean 'I certainly wouldn't fly in same day, need to have room for delays.'

I hope ☺️

 

Cheers, h. 

[zitsky]

10 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

It is variable though… My son came back from Greece yesterday and it took about an hour, but that was late afternoon.

 

I certainly would fly in same day, need to have room for delays. 

 

 

 

Would or would not?

[Mark_T]

Got to hate the 'autocorrect' sometimes...  ... and the 'no editing'' as well...

 

Wouldn't

 

With things as they are the risks in a same day arrival are way too high.

 

 

 

[Turtles06]

5 hours ago, mdv31616 said:

I am considering the transatlantic on the Silhouette from Southampton on Nov 1 this year and am a solo cruiser.

 

If you decide to go ahead with this cruise, I wanted to flag something for you that's been discussed in other threads and that you might not be aware of. 

 

Right now, the CDC's CSO requires ships that are returning to the U.S. after being home-ported abroad to have 14 days without passengers before sailing from the U.S.   Unless extended, the CSO will not be in effect on Nov. 1, but the following bears watching, in case it is.   If it is, the concern folks have had is what 14 days will the Silhouette be passenger-free before she starts the Caribbean cruises out of Florida that are on her schedule right after the TA.  One possibility is that the TA is canceled, another is that one or more of her initial sailings out of Florida are cancelled.  I'm not in any way saying any of this will happen, just flagging this issue for you so that you can keep an eye out for it.  

 

PS: I totally agree with the advice given in comments above not to fly-in same day.  Too risky even in a non-pandemic situation.

 

Good luck!