Received info re/ Chile COVID rules

[karen11g]

We're booked on an Antarctica cruise on MS Roald Amundsen, Jan 11, departure from Santiago. Months ago, planning to arrive a couple of days before the cruise start, we booked a tour in Santiago for Jan 10. I just heard from the tour operator, Chile Dream Tours, confirming our booking and giving us information about COVID requirements in Chile. Posting here in case the info helps anyone else:

 

"On November 1, Chile will lift its 5-day quarantine for incoming travelers.  You will just need to quarantine in your hotel on date of arrival until you receive the test results from the PCR that will be taken at the airport, which the government has announced will take at most 12 hours. There are additional requirements, however, which you can find at the following site, the most important being obtaining Chile' Vaccination Mobility Pass, which can be done online but takes up to a month to receive. https://chile.gob.cl/chile/en/ingreso-a-chile-desde-el-exterior "

 

I went to the site and tried to apply for the mobility pass, but received the message the pass is good only for 45 days, so wrote back to the tour operator, "Thanks so much for the info and links to get the mobility pass. I went online to do that, but it says you can only apply 45 days before your arrival. That makes me nervous, since you said it can take a month to get the pass. Do you have any idea if that's likely to be a problem?"

 

His response: "Generally from what we have been seeing lately it is taking around 3 weeks for the Mobility Pass to be approved for tourists vaccinated in the U.S. It is a bit faster for those travelers whose countries have a digitized database of everyone vaccinated, such as some of the European countries. They recommend not applying more than 60 days out counting 15 days for the approval and then that gives you 45 days to enter the country. So, I would think in your case, I would start the process in late-November if you are arriving on January 9. This would give plenty of time for approval and once you do receive the approval will be within 45 days of your travel date.

 

"I anticipate the arrival PCR test at Santiago airport to continue for a while. You will just need to stay at your hotel until the results come in and since you most likely will be arriving in the morning on a flight from the U.S., you should have the results later that day with your Mobility Pass being activated that evening or overnight."

[Spike11]

Very useful information. Thanks for sharing. We are also on that expedition, but booked directly with Hurtigruten. Hopefully they will provide us with this kind of information soon - or at least in good time!

[karen11g]

We booked the cruise directly with Hurtigruten as well. The tour operator above was for a tour in Santiago a couple of days before the cruise start.

 

When Hurtigruten sent us the email about paying our balance, all it said was more information about COVID rules and restrictions would be coming. Hope it’s soon.

 

BTW, looks like the ship is off the coast of W Africa, so on her way.

[Spike11]

Yes Roald Amundsen is currently moored in the Canary Islands - at Las Palmas - the one with the volcano which is currently spewing red hot lava! Perhaps picking up supplies? According to MarineTraffic she is due to arrive at Montevideo on 17th November. I guess the people on the first cruises will have all the COVID information by now?

[Spike11]

Just left Las Palmas heading for Montevideo - now due to arrive 19th November according the MarineTraffic.

[Heartfelttraveler]

Karen11g - We are also on the January 11, 2022 cruise.

We saw the ship leave Las Palmas, then return, then leave, then return.  It looks like it is now actually on it's way.

We tried on our winter gear from a trip to the Arctic (Hurtigruten Spitsbergen) from Kirkenes to Bergen in February 2019.  We have gained some weight and therefore made an exciting trip to Dick's and REI.

Booked an appointment for November 22 with our primary care physician to get the medical forms signed off on.

I really feel like this trip will happen.

[karen11g]

Heartfelt Traveler - We’ve got my husband’s forms and I have an appt this week for mine. We’re also looking at gear. We had resigned ourselves to probably rescheduling - it’s so exciting to be making concrete plans!