I now need your help please! What Caribbean documents etc??

[Megabear2]

Well having said no to the Caribbean for 2021, I find myself booked and about to depart on 17 December!!  Following the Austrian lockdown my Christmas plans are in total disarray and my husband in his wisdom has taken the plunge and booked us on Britannia for the Christmas period as a surprise!   Clearly I should have more conversations with him about the cruise situation at present ....  Anyway the die is cast so there's little I can do about it so I'm just going to concentrate on organising us to have a good time.  He is very proud of himself over this replacement Christmas break.

 

Needless to say we already have the very best insurance money can buy (and believe it or not an email confirmation from Allianz of cover in the dreaded offloading situation), in fact my OH has two insurance policies in case one isn't enough as his health conditions are covered on an annual policy with Avanti who do not cover offloading and Allianz who cover me via our bank account and have agreed to cover him for everything else related to health, cancellation, covid etc.

 

I'm now struggling with what else is necessary.  I have booked PCR tests for Tuesday 14 December at 12.50pm.  After searching within a 70 mile radius this was the earliest I could get, I hope it will be okay?

 

I believe we have to fill in a form for Barbados entry but there's nothing anywhere on My P&O (there's a surprise), so I've no idea how or when we need to complete it.  

 

Regarding the PLF, how soon can I start to fill this one in and when can I order our day 2 return tests? 

 

Is there anything else I'm missing and need to do please, I'm assuming P&O will be like a chocolate teapot on information!

 

Thankfully there seem to be quite a few excursions available so I can at least organise the necessary ones.  I'm told very proudly by my husband there were lot of cabins to choose from ... I wonder why!

 

So fellow cruisers I now need your help and advice, please, regarding all the necessary forms and formalities.  Many thanks.

[Harry Peterson]

32 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well having said no to the Caribbean for 2021, I find myself booked and about to depart on 17 December!!  Following the Austrian lockdown my Christmas plans are in total disarray and my husband in his wisdom has taken the plunge and booked us on Britannia for the Christmas period as a surprise!   Clearly I should have more conversations with him about the cruise situation at present ....  Anyway the die is cast so there's little I can do about it so I'm just going to concentrate on organising us to have a good time.  He is very proud of himself over this replacement Christmas break.

 

Needless to say we already have the very best insurance money can buy (and believe it or not an email confirmation from Allianz of cover in the dreaded offloading situation), in fact my OH has two insurance policies in case one isn't enough as his health conditions are covered on an annual policy with Avanti who do not cover offloading and Allianz who cover me via our bank account and have agreed to cover him for everything else related to health, cancellation, covid etc.

 

I'm now struggling with what else is necessary.  I have booked PCR tests for Tuesday 14 December at 12.50pm.  After searching within a 70 mile radius this was the earliest I could get, I hope it will be okay?

 

I believe we have to fill in a form for Barbados entry but there's nothing anywhere on My P&O (there's a surprise), so I've no idea how or when we need to complete it.  

 

Regarding the PLF, how soon can I start to fill this one in and when can I order our day 2 return tests? 

 

Is there anything else I'm missing and need to do please, I'm assuming P&O will be like a chocolate teapot on information!

 

Thankfully there seem to be quite a few excursions available so I can at least organise the necessary ones.  I'm told very proudly by my husband there were lot of cabins to choose from ... I wonder why!

 

So fellow cruisers I now need your help and advice, please, regarding all the necessary forms and formalities.  Many thanks.

Megabear, your post is a delight to read, and I’m sorry not to be able to offer any practical help. My knowledge of the Caribbean is limited to avoiding it, but I can see the appeal. I hope you have a really great time, which I’m sure you will, and I’m equally sure that there are plenty of people in these forums with a lot of knowledge, which they’ll happily share - the work you did was superb. Hats off to you!

 

Right about the chocolate teapot too, by the way.

 

Harry

[Les_ldh]

26 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well having said no to the Caribbean for 2021, I find myself booked and about to depart on 17 December!!  Following the Austrian lockdown my Christmas plans are in total disarray and my husband in his wisdom has taken the plunge and booked us on Britannia for the Christmas period as a surprise!   Clearly I should have more conversations with him about the cruise situation at present ....  Anyway the die is cast so there's little I can do about it so I'm just going to concentrate on organising us to have a good time.  He is very proud of himself over this replacement Christmas break.

 

Needless to say we already have the very best insurance money can buy (and believe it or not an email confirmation from Allianz of cover in the dreaded offloading situation), in fact my OH has two insurance policies in case one isn't enough as his health conditions are covered on an annual policy with Avanti who do not cover offloading and Allianz who cover me via our bank account and have agreed to cover him for everything else related to health, cancellation, covid etc.

 

I'm now struggling with what else is necessary.  I have booked PCR tests for Tuesday 14 December at 12.50pm.  After searching within a 70 mile radius this was the earliest I could get, I hope it will be okay?

 

I believe we have to fill in a form for Barbados entry but there's nothing anywhere on My P&O (there's a surprise), so I've no idea how or when we need to complete it.  

 

Regarding the PLF, how soon can I start to fill this one in and when can I order our day 2 return tests? 

 

Is there anything else I'm missing and need to do please, I'm assuming P&O will be like a chocolate teapot on information!

 

Thankfully there seem to be quite a few excursions available so I can at least organise the necessary ones.  I'm told very proudly by my husband there were lot of cabins to choose from ... I wonder why!

 

So fellow cruisers I now need your help and advice, please, regarding all the necessary forms and formalities.  Many thanks.

I’ll be following everyone else’s advice to you closely as I’m off to the Caribbean in February, but here’s a couple of starters for you.

 

Regarding the PLF, if you create an account when prompted you can start filling it out as soon as you want to, and it gets saved for (I think) 6 months. I believe that you’re on a fly cruise, in which case you can’t finish and submit until a couple of days before returning to the U.K.. I’m sure if I’m slightly wrong with the timings someone will correct me.

 

You can order your Day 2 test at any time before you go. I used Testing for All, and it was a very good and efficient service, and cost £19.

 

As for your chocolate teapot I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. For my recent Canary Islands sailing P&O let me know exactly what information/documentation I would need. Look at your cruise personaliser frequently and ensure you have completed all the parts as they become available, and I would advise printing out all required documentation rather than relying on your phone.

 

Have a fantastic cruise, and now it’s over to everyone else here to answer your other questions.

 

les.

[wowzz]

I have to say, all the palaver about having to do a PCR test 3 days before flying, is putting me although the cruise prices look fantastic.

[Megabear2]

Thank you all.  I'm about to start my account for the PLF.  First thing that's come up is do I have a Government account already.  Well I have a Government gateway which I use for pensions, tax etc but my password for that isn't 14 characters long, so I assume I need to start from scratch and its something different?

 

Thanks for the heads up on Testing for All, I'm looking into them.   Regarding the PCR, you are right, it is a minefield.  I was going to use Prenetics in Southampton as Princess and P&O used them for our staycations but then I read several people who'd not got their results in time, including a lady who got them 20 minutes after the gate closed at Birmingham for her Caribbean cruise flight.  That sounded very scary so I've chosen Boots because they had the earliest appointment available on the Tuesday.  I assume if all goes wrong Barbados will accept the 24 hour rapid test available at huge cost at Gatwick.

 

I haven't looked at the prices as it was bought as a surprise although i was shocked to hear large number of suites on offer as well.

[Jennizor]

Hi Megabear2, if you go into My P&O cruises and look at the A-Z port requirements in the ‘Before you Sail’, ‘Important to Know’ section, it shows that for Barbados you need to complete a Barbados Immigration and Customs form. You can download it from the site 72 hours prior to travel. You need to show you have done this at your departing airport. We are going on the cruise before you so will be filling it in next week. Fingers crossed it will be easy to complete.

[Megabear2]

Thank you all.  I now have PLF accounts (not started filling them yet ).  It is 21 days tomorrow before I fly and apparently that's when I can order day 2 lateral flow test from Testing for All. 

 

Thank you Jennizor, I've now located the Barbados form. Unless anything changes am I there now or are there other details hiding from me somewhere?

[Jennizor]

Hi Megabear2, I think you seem to have covered everything now. If anything else comes to mind I will let know. I hope you have a great problem free cruise (us too).

[Marmaduke]

Am I correct in my assumption that if you set up a UK PLF account  you can fill it in at home before you go, and log in and out as many times as you like adding and altering information as required.  Then you can just press the submit button within the 48hrs before your return date?

The only caveat being that if any of the information changes once the form has been  submitted you have to start again and complete a new form ?

 

At home I have a decent size computer and keyboard but when abroad I will only have access to a small i phone.  Will this work?

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, Marmaduke said:

Am I correct in my assumption that if you set up a UK PLF account  you can fill it in at home before you go, and log in and out as many times as you like adding and altering information as required.  Then you can just press the submit button within the 48hrs before your return date?

The only caveat being that if any of the information changes once the form has been  submitted you have to start again and complete a new form ?

 

At home I have a decent size computer and keyboard but when abroad I will only have access to a small i phone.  Will this work?

My understanding was that you cannot add the travel information until you are within the 48 hour arrival window. 

[Jennizor]

When we cruised in September my husband completed the PL forms for us on his smartphone. I set them up before we sailed but he had to start from scratch but wasn’t too difficult. I think you need 4G though.

[Megabear2]

Phone access might be a Caribbean problem or do P&O give internet access? My provider offers £5.00 per day add on ashore but assume it's not going to work at sea.  I assume could do it on morning of departure in Barbados or is that cutting it too fine?

[Jennizor]

When we were on Britannia in September P & O provided guest WiFi on the last two days and I think they had someone helping people complete their forms. We went ashore a couple of times but the WiFi kept cutting out. Over lunch we were chatting to the people on the next table and the husband literally completed their forms while he was eating. We met them on deck later and he guided Ian on to the connection and it was quite easy after that. There were an awful lot of people who were struggling with this as they didn’t have smartphones. Thank goodness that P&O provided support in those last two days. There were several people saying they were not bothering with the forms. Nobody checked that we had done them in Southampton!! We are not taking any chances in the Caribbean though.

[Cruising Nomads]

Just a minor point regarding filling in the PLF. If travelling as a couple do you need both need an email address or would just one be enough?

[Jennizor]

Sorry, we can’t remember. Made me think though, there will be people who don’t have an email address won’t there? What happens then?

[bbtablet]

Each passenger must have their own PLF completed. The same email address can be used though.

Those on Southampton to Southampton cruises who say they won't bother are likely to get caught now this new variant is raising the stakes of track and trace, and the fines are swingeing!

The powers that be have only to request a passenger list from the cruise company and can then"track" everyone they wish.

 

Interesting point Jennizor. I wonder whether it is possible to book a cruise nowadays without internet facility and an email address? - I know friends or children can help granny through the pre-Cruise stuff, but will granny know what her children's/friend's email address is when it comes to doing the PLF at sea?

Edited November 27, 2021 by bbtablet