Bermuda Travel restrictions

[njhorseman]

40 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

I saw this. I wasn't sure if supervised antigen test meant that a video one was allowed, or if it needed to be done in person.

My understanding is that video supervised tests are permitted. If that were not the case I suspect there are going to be a lot of passengers on Friday's NCL cruise from Boston to Bermuda who are going to be in for a very unpleasant surprise in the net couple of days when Bermuda rejects their applications.

I'm also reasonably sure from reading the roll call for the Norwegian Epic cruise that was in Bermuda the past two days that there was mention of using the supervised at home tests.

[1025cruise]

53 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

My understanding is that video supervised tests are permitted. If that were not the case I suspect there are going to be a lot of passengers on Friday's NCL cruise from Boston to Bermuda who are going to be in for a very unpleasant surprise in the net couple of days when Bermuda rejects their applications.

I'm also reasonably sure from reading the roll call for the Norwegian Epic cruise that was in Bermuda the past two days that there was mention of using the supervised at home tests.

I'm one of those cruisers. Booked the Pearl last minute and was starting to stress about a test. Just picked up a FlowFlex and scheduled a telehealth for tomorrow. Figured it will give me enough time that if it isn't accepted, I can get something else.

[PMO]

I talked to an individual in Bermuda gave my exact information which is we sail on May13th and arrive in Bermuda on May 19th. I also sent an email to Bermuda Coronavirus Center and was told Bermuda does NOT require another test on the ship 48 before unless your ship requires one. Both gave me the same information send in the TA get tested PCR 4 days prior antigen 2 days and upload to your TA. Nothing more. 

[Laurab23]

The more I read the more confused I get. We sail on May 13 and are in Bermuda May 19. Good thing over a month until sailing and hopefully everything will be figured out by then.

 

Laura

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, PMO said:

I talked to an individual in Bermuda gave my exact information which is we sail on May13th and arrive in Bermuda on May 19th. I also sent an email to Bermuda Coronavirus Center and was told Bermuda does NOT require another test on the ship 48 before unless your ship requires one. Both gave me the same information send in the TA get tested PCR 4 days prior antigen 2 days and upload to your TA. Nothing more. 

 

27 minutes ago, Laurab23 said:

The more I read the more confused I get. We sail on May 13 and are in Bermuda May 19. Good thing over a month until sailing and hopefully everything will be figured out by then.

 

Laura

@PMO, the person you spoke to is not providing accurate information. It's like calling cruise line telephone customer service. Every time you call you get a different answer. if you're lucky one of the answers might actually be correct.

Bermuda's published rules clearly require an additional test no more than two days prior to arrival when the arrival in Bermuda is more than 4 days after embarkation.

@Laurab23the rule might change multiple times between now and mid May, but the current rule is crystal clear.

 

I've highlighted the relevant information on the table below in red . The additional required test is clearly stated.

 

https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

 

Summary table of travel requirements for cruise ship passengers landing in Bermuda:

 

Passenger Category	Cruise voyage where Bermuda is the first port of call	Cruise voyage where Bermuda is not the first port of call or ship takes longer than 4 days to arrive to Bermuda from embarkation port
Fully Vaccinated Cruise Ship Passengers	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test (PCR, LAMP or TMA) up to 4 days before embarkation  OR Supervised antigen up to 2 days before embarkation	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test up to 4 days before embarkation  OR Supervised antigen up to 2 days before embarkation AND COVID-19 NAAT or supervised antigen test up to 2 days before disembarking in Bermuda
Unvaccinated Cruise Ship Passengers 11 years old and under	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test up to 4 days before embarkation AND Supervised antigen test at embarkation in the terminal or on the cruise ship Unvaccinated children 11 years and under travelling with fully vaccinated parents will be allowed off the ship.	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test up to 4 days before embarkation AND Supervised antigen test at embarkation in the terminal or on the cruise ship AND Supervised PCR or supervised antigen test up to 2 days before arriving in Bermuda. Unvaccinated children 11 years and under travelling with fully vaccinated parents will be allowed off the ship subject to COVID-19 NAAT or supervised antigen test up to 2 days before disembarking in Bermuda
Passenger Children under 2	No travel Authorisation and no testing required	No travel Authorisation and no testing required

 

 

 

 

[CGinMTL]

15 hours ago, PigsCanFly said:

Any thoughts re: a b2b cruise that includes Bermuda on each segment.  Will we need 2 seperate Authorisations?

I am in this situation. My TA said only 1 Bermuda form as it is valid 30 days. We are travelling early June 

[njhorseman]

15 hours ago, PigsCanFly said:

Any thoughts re: a b2b cruise that includes Bermuda on each segment.  Will we need 2 seperate Authorisations?

 

3 minutes ago, CGinMTL said:

I am in this situation. My TA said only 1 Bermuda form as it is valid 30 days. We are travelling early June 

I don't have an answer, but last year B2B cruises required a new authorization for each cruise, so I would be very cautious about accepting the TA's word for it until Bermuda specifically addresses that question. It would appear that at the very least you would need another test since your original test would have been taken too far in the past to be acceptable for the second cruise and the return to the ship's home port would probably count as an intermediate port call, which also requires an additional test.

[PigsCanFly]

9 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 

I don't have an answer, but last year B2B cruises required a new authorization for each cruise, so I would be very cautious about accepting the TA's word for it until Bermuda specifically addresses that question. It would appear that at the very least you would need another test since your original test would have been taken too far in the past to be acceptable for the second cruise and the return to the ship's home port would probably count as an intermediate port call, which also requires an additional test.

We have an inquiry into the Travel Authorization folks re: this issue.  As for the second test, we will be tested on board for the second half of the b2b.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, PigsCanFly said:

We have an inquiry into the Travel Authorization folks re: this issue.  As for the second test, we will be tested on board for the second half of the b2b.

Yes, testing on board is how B2Bs have been handled. IIRC last year cruise ships provided complimentary internet access to those who needed it to complete their second application.

 

As to the question about whether a second travel authorization application is required,  given that the application is cruise specific, with an admonition to choose "your ship name carefully" and the need to select your embarkation date before starting the application process, it's difficult to believe that you won't be required to submit an application for each cruise. Those travel authorizations are undoubtedly matched to the ship's passenger manifest and given that there's no way to identify from your original application that you're also on the next cruise the need for a second travel authorization seems rather apparent. 

 

BTW, I didn't say this in my original response, but @CGinMTL's travel agent is incorrect when saying the application is valid for 30 days. You can start the application process up to 30 days prior to your cruise but you will not receive approval until you submit your test results, which for most people will be no more than two days prior to embarkation. As I've already said that approval is for the specific cruise you've identified on your application.

 

Note: In the posts immediately prior to yours you'll see that someone got an obviously incorrect answer to a testing question from the person in Bermuda they spoke to.  Much like contacting cruise line customer service agents be very cautious about relying on the answer you get if it seems to not conform to the process that is documented on Bermuda's travel authorization web pages.

Edited April 6, 2022 by njhorseman

[styles27]

15 hours ago, PMO said:

Both gave me the same information send in the TA get tested PCR 4 days prior antigen 2 days and upload to your TA. Nothing more. 

Am I understanding this correctly that you are getting a PCR test 4 days before and then again an antigen test 2 days before?

[molly361]

Last travel update was March 7th  Maybe a new one will come out tomorrow.  Just dreaming

[Charles4515]

2 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Last travel update was March 7th  Maybe a new one will come out tomorrow.  Just dreaming

 

The next covid policy review is April 18. 

[njhorseman]

52 minutes ago, styles27 said:

Am I understanding this correctly that you are getting a PCR test 4 days before and then again an antigen test 2 days before?

The answer makes no sense regardless of where it came from and is contrary to Bermuda's rules, which are clearly written on their travel authorization website that I've copied to this thread in my original reply to the poster.

[styles27]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

The answer makes no sense regardless of where it came from and is contrary to Bermuda's rules, which are clearly written on their travel authorization website that I've copied to this thread in my original reply to the poster.

Agree, that’s why I asked…it sounds like PMO thinks both are required. 

[1025cruise]

Well, my remote FlowFlex test was accepted.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

Well, my remote FlowFlex test was accepted.

Thanks for reporting back. 

[1025cruise]

Just wish I got the answer sooner. I was starting to stress a little bit. Didn't get the approval until 9pm last night. Now all I need to do is print my boarding pass, negative test, and authorization and head to the port.

[PMO]

No PMO does NOT think you need both, one PCR test 4 days before OR antigen 2 days before. 
I talked to Bermuda again yesterday and specifically asked if we are not the first port do we need a test on the ship 48 hours before entering Bermuda? The woman said not for Bermuda but Celebrity says you do. So no one knows what they are doing!!

[BlushPell]

On 4/5/2022 at 7:13 PM, njhorseman said:

My understanding is that video supervised tests are permitted. If that were not the case I suspect there are going to be a lot of passengers on Friday's NCL cruise from Boston to Bermuda who are going to be in for a very unpleasant surprise in the net couple of days when Bermuda rejects their applications.

I'm also reasonably sure from reading the roll call for the Norwegian Epic cruise that was in Bermuda the past two days that there was mention of using the supervised at home tests.

My Inspire Diagnostics video supervised test was accepted for Friday's sailing from Boston. 

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

Just wish I got the answer sooner. I was starting to stress a little bit. Didn't get the approval until 9pm last night. Now all I need to do is print my boarding pass, negative test, and authorization and head to the port.

Enjoy your cruise.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, PMO said:

No PMO does NOT think you need both, one PCR test 4 days before OR antigen 2 days before. 
I talked to Bermuda again yesterday and specifically asked if we are not the first port do we need a test on the ship 48 hours before entering Bermuda? The woman said not for Bermuda but Celebrity says you do. So no one knows what they are doing!!

Frankly, the person in Bermuda you spoke to is clueless. They need someone to show them Bermuda's protocols, which are crystal clear. Celebrity is correct. It''s the person in Bermuda that doesn't know what they're doing.

 

Honestly, it shouldn't matter all that much to you. You don't have to do anything but show up for your test on the ship at whatever time Celebrity tells you to. It's not as if you have to do anything additional to prepare for your cruise.

 

One thing you should note however. While Bermuda will accept a PCR taken up to four days before embarkation, the cruise lines I'm familiar with, including Celebrity will not and want you to test no more than two days prior to a USA embarkation regardless of whether you take a PCR test or an antigen test. 

[njhorseman]

19 minutes ago, BlushPell said:

My Inspire Diagnostics video supervised test was accepted for Friday's sailing from Boston. 

Thanks for confirming that. Enjoy your cruise.

[egurbi]

Has anyone had any luck using an ihealth proctored test that was accepted by Bermuda?  There are some reports that the report generated only lists a qwerty code in the absence of lab name and physical address and Bermuda will not accept. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

[JGmf]

 

1 hour ago, egurbi said:

Has anyone had any luck using an ihealth proctored test that was accepted by Bermuda?  There are some reports that the report generated only lists a qwerty code in the absence of lab name and physical address and Bermuda will not accept. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

 

See this string on the NCL board regarding ihealth.  One of the more recent posters showed a screen shot of their ihealth results that does have an address.  Not vouching for it, but maybe it helps answer your question:

 

 

 

 

[KristieB]

There is quite a bit of misinformation on here about the Travel authorization form process. You can start the process by filling it out, uploading your vaccination card, and paying the fee up to 30 days before you sail. It will be stored on the website. Four days before your cruise you will receive an email reminding you to upload your negative Covid test. The email will have a link to get you to your application. After you get your negative Covid test you will upload the results and submit the application. You must submit it at least 1 day before departure. Then they will review it, if it's approved you will receive an email. 

 

It is Bermuda requiring the second Covid test if your ship makes another stop first. All of this is on the Bermuda website. 

 

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