Caribbean winter cruises

[cruiseej]

Friends are considering an Odyssey Caribbean cruise in February, and we might join them. All the Odyssey cruises so far have been roundtrip Barbados, and thus subject to Barbados-imposed rules for only "bubble" excursions. This cruise is sailing from St. Maarten and ending in Barbados. Has anyone seen any information from Seabourn yet about what the travel protocols will be for entry into St. Maarten and whether independed shore travel will be allowed. (Of course, what we know today may change 10 times before February; I'm just looking to see if there's any information available.)

 

Also, Seabourn has only listed cruises on the website through early January as requiring passengers to be vaccinated; has anyone seen any statement from Seabourn about whether the vaccination requirement will be extended late into 2022? It's hard for us to decide to book if Seabourn isn't going to require passengers to be vaccinated. (And I'm not even venturing into if or when there might be a booster requirement.)

[sfvoyage]

1 hour ago, cruiseej said:

Also, Seabourn has only listed cruises on the website through early January as requiring passengers to be vaccinated; has anyone seen any statement from Seabourn about whether the vaccination requirement will be extended late into 2022? It's hard for us to decide to book if Seabourn isn't going to require passengers to be vaccinated...

 

We are booked next Spring on the Ovation (4 couples), and none of us will proceed if the cruise will not be vaccinated-only.  However, Seabourn is still dragging its feet and is not declaring whether the vaccination requirement will be extended past Jan 2022.  I asked my cruise agent to ask his SB contact, who claims that it is highly likely that vaccination requirement will be extended and further reassured us that they will waive our penalty if we decide to cancel within our penalty period in the unlikely event that Seabourn will not have extended the vaccination requirement.  At this point, this sounds like a case-by-case basis, and we have the assurance for us in writing.  Perhaps you can ask your cruise agent to get the same reassurance in writing on your behalf.

[don731]

We are on Ovation Feb.13 and received a communication from Seabourn today via our TA confirming vax required, and Viral  test required before boarding (within 48 hours, not at the pier). 

[cruiseej]

28 minutes ago, don731 said:

We are on Ovation Feb.13 and received a communication from Seabourn today via our TA confirming vax required, and Viral  test required before boarding (within 48 hours, not at the pier). 

 

@don731Thanks for that information. So you need to get a test (do they specify PCR or antigen?) 48 hours before boarding, but then no additional test upon arrival or boarding the ship? Interesting, and a little surprising;  it sounds like they doing that to cut their cost of testing. Oh, I see that you're doing the cruise roundtrip Miami, right? That's probably different than all the other cruises departing from other countries. 

[don731]

Yep, MIA round trip.
 

Full text:

 

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION:
Voyage: From Port: To Port:
 Ships' Registry: Bahamas
Page 1 of 2
Please be advised that all guests on this voyage (including children) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof at the terminal prior to boarding the cruise. It must show that your final dose of an approved vaccine was received at least 14 days prior to embarkation.
Guests must also provide a negative viral COVID-19 test (medically observed PCR or antigen test) taken within 2 days of embark. Testing at the terminal is very limited and you will not be able to cruise without proof of a negative test.
Guests are also required to wear face masks in elevators, entertainment venues, retail shops, the casino, prior to being seated in all dining venues, during
embark and debark and in other designated areas except while eating & drinking.

Edited October 15, 2021 by don731
Additional info

[cruiseej]

 @don731  Thanks for sharing the text of the message about the cruise to/from Miami. It seems like Seabourn has decided masks are going to be with us for awhile, and it's good that they are making people aware of this well in advance of the cruise. We can all hope that some day the need for masks will be behind us, but it's probably not going to be in the next four months.

 

I'd be interested to hear from anyone traveling on a cruise departing from Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten in the next few months if you have received a similar letter, and what the stated testing requirements are. The country seems to require a PCR test within 72 hours or antigen test within 48 hours of departure for people coming from most countries. I'm wondering if Seabourn will do an additional antigen test at the pier, as they have been doing in Barbados since the summer, or not. And what will the requirement be if you fly into Sint Maarten a day or two early? Will it be necessary to get a test somewhere on the island?

 

I suppose the next unknown regarding travel as we go into 2022 is whether/when any cruise lines or airlines or countries begin mandating booster shots. As the miracle of the initial vaccines turns out to provide maximum protection for a limited time, and more and more breakthrough cases are occurring with vaccinated people, it just seems inevitable that the requirements for travel might develop into: fully vaccinated for a minimum of 14 days and a maximum of [6][8][10][12] months since the last initial shot or booster shot.

[cruiseej]

And we are now booked with friends on an Odyssey cruise in late February, Sint Maarten to Barbados. 🙂I have several questions for anyone who has been on a cruise from Sint Maarten, or is booked on one in the next few months...

 

I'm nervous about planning to fly from the northeast US in February on the day of embarkation; there's a reasonable chance of a winter storm somewhere in the east disrupting air travel. I'd appreciate if anyone traveling soon has information about testing requirements for arrival and boarding if flying to Sint Maarten a day or two before the cruise. 

 

Any recommendations for a hotel in Sint Maarten for a day or two? Does anyone know what hotel(s) Seabourn uses? 

 

This cruise does not go to Carambola Beach; will there be a Caviar in the Surf event somewhere, or is that only done at Carambola Beach. The port stops are:

• Sopers Hole/Frenchman's Cay on Tortola
• Gustvaia on St. Barts
• Basseterre on St Kitts
• Cabrits on Dominica
• Fort-De-France on Martinique
• Saline Bay on Mayreau in St. Vincent And The Grenadines

Any recommendations for excursions in any of these ports would also be appreciated, since we can only leave the ship in these ports on ship excursions.