Seabourn covid testing policy for boarding Mediterranean cruises 2022

[Rosie B.]

Seabourn starts Mediterranean sailings on 19th February 2022.  Please can anyone confirm if Seabourn requires a pre-embarkation negative test in addition to the complimentary one quayside - given that the embarkation port/country  no longer requires a pre-departure test for fully vaccinated passengers e.g. Portugal, Spain, France.    All information at present is contradictory and neither Seabourn nor any travel agent seems able to clarify.

[claranda]

If you look at the Roll Call for 19 Feb, you’ll see that most of us are opting for a pre-arrival test just to be on the safe side and to avoid any boarding arguments. Erring on the safe side seems to be best at the moment in the face of Seabourn’s confusing messages.

[LEESRE]

Like Claranda has said Seabourn require a negative test done before you board,( 72 hours or 48 hours) and they will do another test at the quayside. 

Most on the Roll Call are having the tests.

 

Also don't forget the PLF you will require for entry into Portugal.

Filled ours out but still have had nothing back to either print out or put on the phone. All very confusing 

[cruiseej]

It seems Seabourn has changed its policies to require a negative Covid test before you arrive at the pier, both in Portugal and in the Caribbean. Although they haven't directly said so, it seems the idea is to minimize the likelihood of someone arriving for a cruise and testing positive at the pier, at which point you're Seabourn's problem to assist with isolation and returning home. If you test positive before leaving home, Seabourn still has an empty cabin but doesn't have to pay out money for a hotel or rescheduled return air. This approach is certainly helpful to Seabourn, and it's probably helpful to passengers as well. (After all, if you unknowingly have Covid, you'd probably be happier finding that out before departing and isolating at home than finding out at the pie and being shuttled off to some unknown isolation hotel for 10 or more days.)

[firsttimers68]

16 hours ago, LEESRE said:

Like Claranda has said Seabourn require a negative test done before you board,( 72 hours or 48 hours) and they will do another test at the quayside. 

Most on the Roll Call are having the tests.

 

Also don't forget the PLF you will require for entry into Portugal.

Filled ours out but still have had nothing back to either print out or put on the phone. All very confusing 

You should have received an email with QR code about 10 seconds after you submitted form. I've just done ours and received emails straight away. Maybe worth doing again?

[Rosie B.]

Thanks everybody for your input.  We'll go ahead and do the test to be on the safe side.  We have no problem with testing - would rather everyone was safe - but it would be nice to have clear information. 

Safe sailing and enjoy Encore.

[Ceepot]

Has anyone had any success in completing the Portuguese passenger locator form for arrival back to Lisbon at the end of the cruise? Seabourn say this must be completed before we leave, but the Portuguese PLF says I can only complete it 96 hours before arrival. 

 

[LEESRE]

Agree I have tried to do the form but it says can only be done 96 hours before arrival.

 

 

[claranda]

Ditto.

[wjf]

Just heard from Seabourn and also received confirmation by email that they no longer require a Covid test to be produced on embarkation.

They are still testing at the quayside prior to boarding and that is all that is necessary to emabrk the ship.

[John117]

Is it possible to share the email you received from Seabourn? My TA has told me Seabourn do want a test before leaving home. It would be good to clear up the confusion lots of us are experiencing. 

[wjf]

John

Not sure I am able to post a private email but if you call Seabourn Southampton tomorrow I am sure they will be happy to confirm 

[cruiseej]

Ughhh, how confusing! While I empathize with Seabourn's challenges in keeping up with entry requirements all over the globe, it would really help if they would update their website travel pages to put out the same message to all customers. The Portugal web page still shows a test is required; the same for the Caribbean web page. If it is correct that the protocol is being changed — just for Portugal? for all Seabourn cruises? — that should be communicated a.s.a.p. via email and on their website to all passengers with cruises in the next 2-3 weeks. 

[claranda]

I haven’t had this notification yet. I expect it will come from my TA tomorrow. Seabourn could at least have waited until us 19 Feb passengers - nearly all of whom have paid for a test at their insistence - had got on board. I shall request a refund of the cost of the test through my TA, but I don’t suppose I’ll have much luck.

[Ceepot]

We will still go for our test on Friday as we’ve paid for it now. And I would need to see the website updated. I do feel  it’s unreasonable for Seabourn to move the goalposts so close to our sailing. 

[claudiaYVR]

We just did our rapid antigen telehealth tests a few minutes ago. Just to be on the safe side.

[John117]

12 hours ago, claranda said:

I haven’t had this notification yet. I expect it will come from my TA tomorrow. Seabourn could at least have waited until us 19 Feb passengers - nearly all of whom have paid for a test at their insistence - had got on board. I shall request a refund of the cost of the test through my TA, but I don’t suppose I’ll have much luck.

Well it will be interesting to see if anyone asks to see your test results. The airline won't, neither will the Portuguese authorities, and I suspect the testing contractor at the port will only be interested in getting his test done. If no one checks it you have a strong case for a refund I would suggest? 

[1901Phil]

I also received a message from my TA this morning. This stated that Seabourn are no longer requiring guests to have a Covid test prior to arriving in Portugal. It also stated that " Seabourn are still strongly advising guests to partake in a test before arriving at the port and leaving for Portugal as if you test positive at check-in you will be required to quarantine ans Seabourn cannot intervene with , and any financial costs cannot be covered by Seabourn for any mandatory quarantine"

 

We have already booked a supervised rapid flow test on Sunday 27th February  and will go ahead with this.

[cruiseej]

5 hours ago, 1901Phil said:

"Seabourn are still strongly advising guests to partake in a test before arriving at the port and leaving for Portugal, as if you test positive at check-in you will be required to quarantine and Seabourn cannot intervene with, and any financial costs cannot be covered by Seabourn for any mandatory quarantine"

 

So this is a major change in policy, isn't it? My understanding of procedures in the past was that if you tested positive prior to boarding, the cruise line took responsibility for getting you home — largely or fully at their cost. Now, they're saying if you test positive at the pier, you're own your own for the quarantine hotel.

 

Of course, as Seabourn is wont to do, their statement raises as many questions as it answers. For instance, if you do have a test before flying to Portugal, and test negative, but then you test positive at they pier, are you still now responsible for the cost of for your quarantine hotel and travel home? Or will Seabourn cover you in this case? In other words, are they saying the pre-flight test acts as a form of insurance, because Seabourn will pay for your quarantine if you tested negative before travel? Or are they saying that if you test positive at the pier, you're on your own whether or not you tested before flying?

 

Also, Seabourn is stating they cannot help wit the cost of quarantine; will they cover the cost of any change in air travel to get home after the quarantine, or are they now saying they will not reimburse any added travel costs if you test negative at the pier?

[bohaiboy]

We are on the Encore out of Istanbul in April.  I wrote SB and was informed that there is a dockside test but they only said pretesting was at your discretion or a requirement of the country you were visiting.  It would be prudent, as we did before going to Iceland last year, to take a self test at home to be 100% certain youi are negative before getting on a plane and spending thousands of $$$$

[John117]

15 hours ago, cruiseej said:

 

So this is a major change in policy, isn't it? My understanding of procedures in the past was that if you tested positive prior to boarding, the cruise line took responsibility for getting you home — largely or fully at their cost. Now, they're saying if you test positive at the pier, you're own your own for the quarantine hotel.

 

Of course, as Seabourn is wont to do, their statement raises as many questions as it answers. For instance, if you do have a test before flying to Portugal, and test negative, but then you test positive at they pier, are you still now responsible for the cost of for your quarantine hotel and travel home? Or will Seabourn cover you in this case? In other words, are they saying the pre-flight test acts as a form of insurance, because Seabourn will pay for your quarantine if you tested negative before travel? Or are they saying that if you test positive at the pier, you're on your own whether or not you tested before flying?

 

Also, Seabourn is stating they cannot help wit the cost of quarantine; will they cover the cost of any change in air travel to get home after the quarantine, or are they now saying they will not reimburse any added travel costs if you test negative at the pier?

I agree 100% with what you have said. It is sensible to carry out a home test before you leave home and we will be carrying out a test each day for 3 days prior to boarding the flight, This is of course not fool proof and we could still test positive at the port. 

We have booked a "package holiday" with Seabourn which includes flights and transfers in Lisbon so as far as I am concerned my contract with Seabourn starts when I board the plane and I expect them to manage things for us from that time including any quarantine required.

[cruiseej]

8 hours ago, John117 said:

We have booked a "package holiday" with Seabourn which includes flights and transfers in Lisbon so as far as I am concerned my contract with Seabourn starts when I board the plane and I expect them to manage things for us from that time including any quarantine required.

 

Well, you can expect what you wish, but that doesn't mean that's it's Seabourn's policy! 😉  The language in the email people are reporting says the opposite: "if you test positive at check-in you will be required to quarantine and Seabourn cannot intervene with, and any financial costs cannot be covered by Seabourn for any mandatory quarantine." If you test positive at they pier, I would guess they would handle rebooking your flight home one you come out of quarantine, but we don't know if they would pick up any additional airfare costs. But your quarantine hotel stay and food during that stay, from that Seabourn statement, would apparently be your responsibility.  

[English Tim]

One of the many problems of travelling during Covid is that policies change frequently, so what might be in place now may not be next week, so it’s probably easier to email affected passengers rather than make blanket policy on the website.

[ciaoYacht]

None of this makes me feel like I am "Traveling With Confidence" or sounds "worry free."  Is this all just a marketing ploy? Also, Seabourn's current protocols are falling out of line with what the other major cruise lines are transitioning to given the changes in the covid numbers.  I would expect more from a luxury line, starting with keeping their website up to date.  They need to update their policies and stand behind the guests spending their hard earned dollars on Seabourn!

Edited February 18, 2022 by ciaoYacht

[cruiseej]

2 hours ago, English Tim said:

One of the many problems of travelling during Covid is that policies change frequently, so what might be in place now may not be next week, so it’s probably easier to email affected passengers rather than make blanket policy on the website.

 

I agree that things often change during this era. But I see no reason to have a web page explaining in detail the requirements for embarkations from each port Seabourn is using, and keeping that data incorrect and out of date. Who is that serving? They updated the web page for the Portugal trips 8 days ago; if the rules have changed since then, why not update it? 

 

Additionally, I don't understand why they are applying a different policy for departures from Portugal than departures from St. Maarten, when neither country requires certain travelers not to be tested to enter the country.

 

Travel these days is complicated and full of uncertainties and changes; anyone who isn't comfortable with that reality should postpone traveling. But Seabourn could do a much job to keep their customers up-to-date to alleviate some of the travel stress by being transparent and timely on their website. That doesn't seem too much to ask... but apparently it is. 😉