Attitude if cannot travel because of covid entry restrictions

[Denarius]

Has anyone any experience of Star Clippers attitude if a passenger cannot join the cruise because of new entry restictions in the country of departure?

I have a Star Clippers cruise booked for June of this year, all Italian ports sailing from Rome to Rome. I am fully vacinated including booster. Recently however, Italy changed its entry requirments requiring that the booster jab be given within 180 days of travel. As I had my booster last October I would be unable to comply with this and by default would be required to isolate for 5 days after arrival in Italy. Obviously this would be completely impracticable. My final balance is due in April and hopefully Italy will have relaxed its requirements again before then. Should it not have done I would be faced with the choice of cancelling and losing my deposit and pre paid air fare, or paying my balance in the hope that things might still change with a potential for a much greater loss should they not. Or would Star Clippers be prepared to rearrange my cruise for a later date in say 2023? Has anyone any experience of this?

[cluso]

We had a "Grand Cruise" from Malta to Athens booked for April 2021.  Of course, that did not happen.  We were able to slip it to April this year, same itinerary.  SC held our deposit for a year, no change in costs.  Just paid our final for this April sailing.  Malta has some tight entry restrictions/quarantine rules. Hope that will change.  Our boosters had to be less than 9 months old at sailing.  We sent our Covid cards in with final payment.  Fingers crossed.  PCR test before sailing.

[Noggins]

This subject caught my eye as we had been agonising over either a SC Med trip in May - or giving Tradewind Voyages a go for a change. By a narrow margin we decided on the latter - and we hope they commence / survive!

Checking out the OP's issue, I can find mention of the 180 day issue on the UK (GOV.UK) site but not on this Italian site.

https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/nuovocoronavirus/dettaglioContenutiNuovoCoronavirus.jsp?lingua=italiano&id=5412&area=nuovoCoronavirus&menu=vuoto&tab=4

If issues like this do exist and are not sorted out in time for the summer cruise season there is going to be carnage out there.......

Good luck everyone!

[Denarius]

13 hours ago, Noggins said:

This subject caught my eye as we had been agonising over either a SC Med trip in May - or giving Tradewind Voyages a go for a change. By a narrow margin we decided on the latter - and we hope they commence / survive!

Checking out the OP's issue, I can find mention of the 180 day issue on the UK (GOV.UK) site but not on this Italian site.

https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/nuovocoronavirus/dettaglioContenutiNuovoCoronavirus.jsp?lingua=italiano&id=5412&area=nuovoCoronavirus&menu=vuoto&tab=4

If issues like this do exist and are not sorted out in time for the summer cruise season there is going to be carnage out there.......

Good luck everyone!

There is! Whilst we are getting back to normal life and reducing restrictions, the Europeans are scurrying back behind the sofa and increasing theirs.

My concern is that I will pay my balance in the hope that Italy will relax their requirements before I sail, but that they do not. Star Clippers would be legally entitled to say that the cruise was preceeding as booked and it was not their problem that the Italian government had effectively prevented me from sailing, and treat my absence as a failure to embark. I would lose all payments but would not be able to reclaim the balance from my insurers, who would rightfully argue that I was aware of the Italian restrictions when I paid. As they say, between a rock and a hard place.

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by Denarius

[Noggins]

Hmm - there wasn't in the version I looked at but this site does, eventually, make clear the 180 days ruling.

It's actually quite a neat site for checking out your own situation.

https://infocovid.viaggiaresicuri.it/returningtoitaly.html

I fully understand your dilemma and your only hope (mine too) is that Italy will come to realise the implications of their ruling on tourist income coming from countries that were way ahead of Italian covid booster shots.

If they don't, then the carnage I referred to will come to pass. I'm wondering now whether Italy is the only Med country with this new approach. Our cruise goes to Spain and France too. However many Med cruises with British pax will this impact..?

Your best (only?) hope is that this will be resolved by the time your balance is due.

I doubt Star Clippers have much influence on their own but assuming they belong to a trade association such as CLIA (?) it would do no harm to flag the issue now and give them the chance to think through the implications and what they might do by way of lobbying.

🤞

[Denarius]

I understand that after only a few days in force Italy has modified its new entry requirements to remove the 180 day validity period on booster jabs, which are now valid indefinately. Panic over - for now at least!

[FWFrog]

You may wish to review again.  The Super Green Pass is required to use public transportation or enter many venues.  The 6-month validity remains for the Super Green Pass.  The Green Pass is to enter the country.  This is for non-EU entering from the USA.

[Denarius]

3 hours ago, FWFrog said:

You may wish to review again.  The Super Green Pass is required to use public transportation or enter many venues.  The 6-month validity remains for the Super Green Pass.  The Green Pass is to enter the country.  This is for non-EU entering from the USA.

The FCO page has changed again, yesterday!

 

"Still current at:

12 February 2022

Updated:

11 February 2022

Latest update:

Updated information on the validity of primary vaccination certificates serving as a Super Green Pass. Update to information on entry requirements and clarification of proof of vaccination status ('Coronavirus' and 'Entry requirements' pages)"

 

That's 3 changes in less than a fortnight, and verging on the ridiculous. You are on constantly shifting sand never knowing from one day to the next what rules apply. I am coming around to the view that I will not pay my balance unless I would be allowed entry at that time and Star Clippers will agree to transfer my booking if the rules change yet again before I travel. No use throwing good money after bad.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Denarius

[Denarius]

3 hours ago, FWFrog said:

You may wish to review again.  The Super Green Pass is required to use public transportation or enter many venues.  The 6-month validity remains for the Super Green Pass.  The Green Pass is to enter the country.  This is for non-EU entering from the USA.

Not sure that this is so. The latest FCO advice (issued 11 February, could have changed again before you read this) appears to state that the NHS app acting as a Super Green Pass "has unlimited validity in Italy for those who have had a booster dose." Or is that just wishful thinking.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/coronavirus

[Denarius]

The FCO guidance for Italy was updated again yesterday 15 February, the 4th time in a fortnight! But it now appears that the UK NHS vaccination certificate will be accepted for entry with unlimited validity for those who have had a booster, and will also double as a Super Green Pass (see the Coronavirus section of the advice).

Edited February 16, 2022 by Denarius

[djr7961]

On 2/3/2022 at 3:31 PM, cluso said:

We had a "Grand Cruise" from Malta to Athens booked for April 2021.  Of course, that did not happen.  We were able to slip it to April this year, same itinerary.  SC held our deposit for a year, no change in costs.  Just paid our final for this April sailing.  Malta has some tight entry restrictions/quarantine rules. Hope that will change.  Our boosters had to be less than 9 months old at sailing.  We sent our Covid cards in with final payment.  Fingers crossed.  PCR test before sailing.

Question, we will be on same cruise, did they ask for your covid cards? We were not asked to submit.

[cluso]

2 hours ago, djr7961 said:

Question, we will be on same cruise, did they ask for your covid cards? We were not asked to submit.

Yes, at final payment we sent our covid cards AND trip insurance info.  We confirmed they received them.  We were told about the 9 month requirement.  We both had our boosters the end of October, so that worked for us.  We talked to Rachel Savino at SC for payment and info.

We'll be monitoring any changes in Covid requirements as the time gets closer.  Right now, SC requires a PCR test.  We'll be in Malta for 3 nights before sailing.