Face Masks Required on Upcoming Transatlantic

[Steve Q]

We are booked on the Miami-Rome sailing on March 25 aboard the Explorer. We were just notified that the EU still requires the wearing of masks aboard the ship in indoor spaces when not eating or drinking. I assume that is for the duration of the cruise as there is no mention of exceptions. Below is a copy of the information we just received:

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR UPCOMING CRUISE DATE OF ISSUANCE: MARCH 4, 2022

 

Dear Valued Guest and Travel Advisor,   The Regent Family looks forward to welcoming you aboard soon. As you prepare for your journey, we would like to provide an update on the Pre-Cruise and Onboard Health & Safety Requirements we have implemented for your cruise, which are outlined in more detail below.   UPDATED POLICY   Booster shots will be required on this voyage based on local destination requirements. Guests must show proof of booster status at embarkation and should carry proof of vaccination and booster whenever going ashore.  Guests who do not meet the booster shot requirements in applicable ports of call will not be allowed to disembark and must remain onboard.   Booster shots are required for: ·          Guests who received the final dose of a 2-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation ·          Guests who received a 1-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation   At this time, based on current EU Healthy Gateways guidance, face coverings are required onboard while indoors, except for when actively eating, drinking, exercising or when in your stateroom or suite. Face coverings are also required for a staff member to enter your suite.   We will continue to provide updates based on EU Healthy Gateways guidance.      Requirements Now Outlined on RSSC.com   As an additional resource, the voyage-specific requirements we have outlined in the correspondence below can now be found on RSSC.com. Please click here to view requirements for your upcoming voyage.   *In addition, guests are strongly encouraged to check directly with their assigned air carrier and/or transportation provider(s) for any additional requirements.   Pre-cruise and Onboard Health & Safety Requirements   To protect our guests, crew and the communities we visit, we have enhanced our commitment to health and safety with the development of our SailSAFE™ program.  This robust and comprehensive health and safety strategy includes new and enhanced protocols to create multiple layers of protection against COVID-19. Below are a few pre-cruise health and safety requirements.   1)    Required Pre-Travel Testing for Guests Flying to the United States   All guests flying to the United States from a foreign country must be fully vaccinated with an FDA, EMA or WHO-approved vaccine. Guests are also required to complete a COVID-19 test from a registered test provider within 1 day of departing your home country and provide proof of a negative test result to your air carrier before boarding.  All guests should travel with a printed copy of the negative test result.   INFORMATION THAT THE TEST RESULT MUST INCLUDE o    Your test result must be in English. o    You must provide the original test result notification. It must include the following information: §   Your name, which should match the name on your travel documents §   Your date of birth or age §   The result of the test §   The date the test sample was collected or received by the test provider §   The name of the test provider and their contact details §   Confirmation of the type of test provided   Testing Resources   Should guests require assistance finding a COVID-19 testing location prior to departing home or while traveling, please click here to visit the Test for Travel website.    Additionally, we have partnered with Inspire Diagnostics to provide hassle-free, online testing for our guests from the convenience of your home.  ·          Please click here for more information.   2)    Required Pre-Embarkation COVID-19 Testing & Arrival Time   All guests are required to complete a COVID-19 PCR or Antigen test from a lab or pharmacy within 48 hours of arriving to the terminal for cruises beginning in a U.S. port.  All guests must provide proof of a negative test result (printed or digital) at embarkation and should travel with a copy of their test result.    Test result documentation must be provided in English and must include the following information: ·          Your name, which should match the name on your travel documents ·          Your date of birth ·          The result of the test ·          The date the test sample was collected ·          The name of the test provider ·          Confirmation of the type of test provided For guests unable to arrange a test within 48 hours of arriving to the terminal for cruises beginning in a U.S port, Regent will have on-site testing available at the pier for a fee of $99 per test. Please be advised that testing at the terminal may result in delayed embarkation. Guests who test positive at the pier before embarkation will be denied boarding and will be responsible for any quarantine or travel-related expenses incurred. Additionally, as this voyage sails to Bermuda, guests who wait to test at the pier will be required to complete Bermuda’s Travel Authorization Form prior to boarding, which could result in further delays. An approved Bermuda TA form is required to embark. As a reminder, we ask that all guests adhere to their port arrival time selected during the Online Check-In process. Port arrival times allow for an orderly and staggered entry into the pre-embarkation testing area. Guests arriving outside of the designated arrival time may be requested to return during their port arrival time. Please arrive at your assigned port arrival time to help ensure a smooth and comfortable embarkation experience for all guests.   3)    Proof of Vaccination & Booster Requirements All guests and crew must be fully vaccinated, at least 2 weeks prior to embarkation, in order to board the vessel. Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination as received at the time of your vaccination, therefore a photograph of a vaccination card is not sufficient. For more details on vaccinations and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.   Booster shots will be required on this voyage based on local destination requirements. At embarkation, guests must show proof of booster received at least two weeks prior to embarkation and should carry proof of vaccination and booster whenever going ashore.  Guests who do not meet the booster shot requirements in applicable ports of call will not be allowed to disembark and must remain onboard.   Booster shots are required for: ·          Guests who received the final dose of a 2-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation ·          Guests who received a 1-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation   4)    Face Coverings   At this time, based on current EU Healthy Gateways guidance, face coverings are required onboard while indoors, except for when actively eating, drinking, exercising or when in your stateroom or suite. Face coverings are also required for a staff member to enter your suite.   We will continue to provide updates based on EU Healthy Gateways guidance.    5)    Required COVID-19 Testing During Cruise ·          All guests will be required to take a COVID-19 antigen test and receive a negative result to go ashore in Portugal.   o    Testing will be administered onboard the ship and will be paid for by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.   6)    Quarantine Protocols   In the event you test positive for COVID-19 during your cruise, there are mandatory isolation protocols that must be followed, including close contact quarantine requirements in accordance with CDC guidelines specific to cruise vessels and other local protocols   Pre-Cruise Check List for Arrival Country and Embarkation Requirements   Before you begin your journey, please be sure to complete the below country specific health declarations at home and bring the completed documentation with you to the ship.   1)    United States Entry Requirements   All guests flying to the United States from a foreign country must be fully vaccinated with an FDA, EMA or WHO-approved vaccine. Guests are also required to complete a COVID-19 test from a registered test provider within 1 day of departing your home country and provide proof of a negative test result to your air carrier before boarding.  All guests should travel with a printed copy of the negative test result.   In addition, all guests flying to the United States from a foreign country will be required to complete a Passenger Attestation & Disclosure Form before boarding their flight. By completing this form, guests are declaring that they have received a negative pre-departure test within 1 day of departing their home country, and that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.   To complete the form: ·          Click here to download the Passenger Attestation & Disclosure Form and print out the form. ·          To confirm you have received a negative pre-departure test result for COVID-19, select option “A” in the first section (Passenger Attestation Requirement Relating to Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test Result or Recovery from COVID-19). ·          To confirm that you are fully vaccinated, select option “A” in the second section (Passenger Attestation Requirement Relating to Presidential Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic). ·          Print, sign, and date the bottom of the form and present to your air carrier before boarding.   2)    Bermuda Entry Requirements ·          To enter Bermuda, all guests must submit a negative antigen or PCR test result from a lab or pharmacy no more than two days prior to embarkation in Miami. o    Guests can utilize the required pre-embarkation COVID-19 test to satisfy requirements to board the vessel and enter Bermuda. ·          All guests must have an approved TA before the cruise ship departs from the homeport terminal. o    All guests must complete a Travel Authorisation (TA) Form on the Bermuda Tourism website to receive a Travel Authorisation number which will be issued by Bermuda once approved.  o    Click here to access the Travel Authorisation form. o    Guests will need to upload proof of their negative COVID-19 test result and vaccination card. o    Guests can begin their TA application within a month of cruise departure date but will need a negative COVID-19 test result to complete the form.  Once guests have received their negative test result, they can complete the TA form prior to arriving at the terminal in Miami. o    The Bermuda Quarantine Authority is charging $40 for each TA application. Only Visa and Mastercard payments will be accepted. o    Once all documents have been uploaded, your application will be reviewed by Bermuda’s Quarantine Authority who will approve or deny your application for entry into Bermuda.  o    If approved, you will be emailed your Travel Authorisation document. You cannot leave the cruise ship terminal or enter Bermuda without an approved Travel Authorisation. o    If you have any issues with the process, please contact: §   Bermuda Tourism Authority: 1.833.570.2594 (toll-free)   3)    Spain Entry Requirements   All travelers must complete Spain’s Health Control Form 96 hours prior to arrival in Spain and present upon arrival the QR code generated in this form, which must be printed or on your mobile phone. ·          Please click here to complete Spain’s Health Control Form. ·          Please click here for instructions on completing Spain’s Health Control Form when arriving by cruise ship.   4)    Italy Entry Requirements  All guests are required to complete Italy’s Passenger Locator Form (EUdPLF) application prior to entering the country and present it to their carrier before boarding. The local health authority (ASL) must be informed of their presence upon arrival as well as duration. ·          Please click here to apply for Italy’s Passenger Locator Form. ·          Please click here for instructions on completing Italy’s Passenger Locator Form for entry by cruise ship.   Current Destination Requirements   Throughout your journey there will be requirements to visit specific destinations.  Below please find these destination specific requirements, which are subject to change.   Miami, Florida ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests can go ashore independently. Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests must have an approved Travel Authorisation to go ashore in Bermuda. ·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas   Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          All guests will be required to take a COVID-19 antigen test and receive a negative result within 48 hours of arrival in Portugal in order to go ashore. o    Testing will be administered on board the ship and will be paid for by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.   ·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Malaga, Spain ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Cartagena, Spain ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Palma de Mallorca, Spain ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Provence (Marseille), France ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Monte Carlo, Monaco ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy ·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination. ·          Guests are required to complete Italy’s Passenger Locator Form (EUdPLF) application prior to entering the country and bring the completed form in paper format or digitally when going ashore. ·          For those guests who require a test to return home, COVID-19 antigen tests prior to disembarkation will be administered on board and paid for by the cruise line.  o    If a PCR test is required for any travel home, the cruise line will administer and pay for a PCR test only for those guests whose home country specifically requires a PCR test.  o    It is the responsibility of the guest to determine which test is required for their return home and to confirm if the PCR test the cruise line is offering will be accepted by their home country. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the numbers below. Our commitment is to offer you the safest and most enjoyable cruise possible — we are here to help.    Sincerely,       Regent Seven Seas Cruises

[FengShui@Sea]

We received the same email from Regent regarding our April 5, 2022 transatlantic sailing on the Splendor (Miami to Barcelona).   Quite frankly between this nonsense and hotels with their “in these unprecedented time there will be no housekeeping”…  WTH?  We have a cruise booked on the Mariner for October 3rd that will surely be cancelled if they keep up with this BS!  I am quite happy to spend our dollars elsewhere!

[WNcruiser]

@Steve Q Is this the first time you have been notified that a booster is required? Or was that disclosed earlier?

Edited March 5, 2022 by WNcruiser

[Steve Q]

9 minutes ago, WNcruiser said:

@Steve Q Is this the first time you have been notified that a booster is required? Or was that disclosed earlier?

That a great question. I honestly cannot remember being told about the booster shot earlier. Fortunately, we received ours in October. 
What happened was that we did our online check this morning. Later in the day we received this email with all the additional information about the cruise. The required mask wearing is the biggest disappointment, by far. There is nothing we can do about that. We are going to have to jump through some additional hoops, however, to be able to visit some of our ports. I guess we just go step by step and see how it goes. 

One thing should be clear, however, and that is that masks still must be worn on most cruises within Europe. That requirement might change, but that is uncertain.

 

This will be our first Regent cruise, so we are still excited. We already wrote to their Cruise Critic monitor about securing a certain gluten free beer for me. I have celiac so that would be a nice bonus. I am hoping they are able to help with that request.

[islandchick]

We are taking the TA on Splendor and also received this letter. Glad boosting is required because at this point the 2 dose vaccine is ineffective. Not happy about masks and lots of other red tape such as Bermuda requiring extra application and Azores requiring another Covid test onboard, however Regent cannot control the requirements for various ports and we knew that this might occur when we booked. We will just go through the hoops and hope that the requirements get a little more lax in a month, but if they don't we will still have a great time. 

[Sunprince]

Did they also disclose what the quarantine period is? 10 days or 5 days on ship? What about those destinations (I.e. Bermuda) , where you require an entry test? Are you forced to be offloaded if you test positive due to local regulations?   Many things to consider here. 

[Pudgesmom]

I am not clear on this email whether masks are required for the entire cruise or just in EU waters. 
 

We had not been previously notified on the booster but I had already seen it as a requirement for Spain or somewhere else we’re going. 

[PhD-iva]

I sailed on Riviera (Regent’s sister cruiseline, Oceania) on 17 Nov 2021 Rome to Miami. As soon as we left EU waters, face masks were no longer required. My understanding is that later when Omicron became a serious issue, face masks were again required on all cruises.

 I think you’ll find the face mask mandate will be dropped as soon as you depart EU jurisdiction. Best wishes for a great cruise!

[SusieQft]

Is the requirement for masks before arriviing in EU waters different from the requirement after departing?  I could see them saying they would not allow a previously unmasked ship to enter EU ports.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

I have all the same questions for the April 5 Splendor TA. Luckily for us we can watch Explorer "test the waters" on their TA two weeks before us. Hopefully some on Explorer will find time to post and let us know.

[Pudgesmom]

12 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

I sailed on Riviera (Regent’s sister cruiseline, Oceania) on 17 Nov 2021 Rome to Miami. As soon as we left EU waters, face masks were no longer required. My understanding is that later when Omicron became a serious issue, face masks were again required on all cruises.

 I think you’ll find the face mask mandate will be dropped as soon as you depart EU jurisdiction. Best wishes for a great cruise!

Our cruise is in the opposite direction, leaving US from Miami and ending with several days in the EU.

[fdnycruiser]

Didn’t see this coming. I guess that’s travel today. Things are changing all the time,so just have to go with the flow.

[Kwaj girl]

Wearing a mask for 5 days as you cross the Atlantic...makes a lot of sense...NOT!  The ship is in international waters during those days, so why should the EU even have a say in the matter?  🙄

[islandchick]

21 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

Wearing a mask for 5 days as you cross the Atlantic...makes a lot of sense...NOT!  The ship is in international waters during those days, so why should the EU even have a say in the matter?  🙄

Because you are arriving in their country, so they have every right to set the rules. They could also require a Covid test but they are not at least for Spain. Portugal is requiring a Covid test if you want to get off the ship. We should abide by the rules graciously as we are mere visitors to these countries. People complaining about the protocols should probably have thought about this before booking a cruise during a pandemic.   

[runnerswife]

Has anyone read the "Spain's Health Control Form".  Sounds like a project, especially since

you can't finish it before 48 hours of arriving in Spain?  Regent's internet is pretty slow as

is  so can't imagine all the passengers trying to access Spain's website for this form,

or am I not reading this right......   Mary

[islandchick]

26 minutes ago, runnerswife said:

Has anyone read the "Spain's Health Control Form".  Sounds like a project, especially since

you can't finish it before 48 hours of arriving in Spain?  Regent's internet is pretty slow as

is  so can't imagine all the passengers trying to access Spain's website for this form,

or am I not reading this right......   Mary

I was thinking the same. I can't imagine everyone on board having to do this around the same time with slow wi fi. Hopefully there will be more info on this as we get closer the the cruise. 

[Mystictraveler]

I looked up the EU Healthy Gateways guidance referred to on the Regent email. It is dated September 2021. Hopefully it will be updated soon especially since European countries seem to be lessening restrictive requirements.

[Boatmans Lady]

On 3/5/2022 at 4:59 PM, Kwaj girl said:

Wearing a mask for 5 days as you cross the Atlantic...makes a lot of sense...NOT!  The ship is in international waters during those days, so why should the EU even have a say in the matter?  🙄

The EU goes one further in saying that individual members can adopt their own rules. 

It is only because I did some research that I discovered that Italy requires you to wear a Ffp2 mask when flying into their country. 

We fly into Italy, and have a night in a hotel and are free to do what we like but once we board the ship we cannot go ashore unless on an organised tour, I really don't get that logic, but these are the rules we must follow. 

[vai]

What's a Ffp2 mask? Are you sure about having to take an organized tour in Italy?

[Buglady777]

Wow, sounds like we have to jump trough  hoops on this cruise!  Our friends are on Celebrity April 8 TA, and they have not gotten any such notice as ours. They stop at several Eu countries. Their Roll Call has NO chatter about what we are talking about.  Strange.

[Boatmans Lady]

7 hours ago, vai said:

What's a Ffp2 mask? Are you sure about having to take an organized tour in Italy?

 

Vai, a Ffp2 mask is also a NR95 and that info was direct from both the UK government travel information and Italy's travel requirements. 

 

The not going ashore information was sent a couple of days from Regent 

 

 Destination Requirements

 

Throughout your journey there will be requirements to visit specific destinations.  Below please find these destination specific requirements, which are subject to change.

 

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination.

·          Guests are required to complete Italy’s Passenger Locator Form (EUdPLF) application prior to entering the country and bring the completed form in paper format or digitally when going ashore.

·          Guests can only go ashore on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Naples, Italy

·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination.

·          Guests are required to bring their completed Passenger Locator Form in paper format or digitally when going ashore.

·          Guests can only go ashore on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Trapani (Sicily), Italy

·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination.

·          Guests are required to bring their completed Passenger Locator Form in paper format or digitally when going ashore.

·          Guests can only go ashore on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Cagliari (Sardinia), Italy

·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination.

·          Guests are required to bring their completed Passenger Locator Form in paper format or digitally when going ashore.

·          Guests can only go ashore on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Ajaccio (Corsica), France

·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination.

·          Guests can go ashore independently or on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Tuscany (Livorno), Italy

·          Guests must carry their proof of vaccination.

·          Guests are required to bring their completed Passenger Locator Form in paper format or digitally when going ashore.

·          Guests can only go ashore on shore excursions organized by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

[frantic36]

Since I am going to Italy in July I have been following the discussion on the Italy forum about cruise excursions for updates.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2809566-cruiseline-shore-excursions-only-permitted/page/2/#comments

 

This information was posted a few days ago in this thread with a link to an Italian newspaper...which is in Italian...

 

"enforcing restrictions because of Covid are part of the so called "stato di emergenza" since march 2020 (state of emergency). The restrictions regarding cruise ships in Italian ports are also part of these special laws.

The state of emergency is in force until March 31st and in a recent interview the vice minister of health said that very likely it won't be extended. This means most of the restrictions will be lifted.

 

They also sent me this link to a newspaper article

https://www.iltempo.it/attualita/2022/01/31/news/addio-allo-stato-di-emergenza-pierpaolo-sileri-non-sara-prorogato-cosa-cambia-per-green-pass-e-vaccino-30312033/"

 

I have also read this elsewhere so I think it is a case of watch this space. It is frustrating I am sure for those who are travelling soon as they unsure about organising private excursions. Maybe having something booked with a flexible cancellation policy? Also checking with Regent for updates?

 

I also found a Reuters article as well saying similar...

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/italy-will-exit-covid-state-emergency-end-march-draghi-says-2022-02-23/

 

[Boatmans Lady]

Frantic 36, I really hope they are right and you get a much more relaxed visit but we will have left Italian ports and waters by that date. 

But will post how we get on and if anything changes whilst we are aboard. 

[Travelingwithstyle]

On 3/5/2022 at 2:40 PM, runnerswife said:

Has anyone read the "Spain's Health Control Form".  Sounds like a project, especially since

you can't finish it before 48 hours of arriving in Spain?  Regent's internet is pretty slow as

is  so can't imagine all the passengers trying to access Spain's website for this form,

or am I not reading this right......   Mary

We flew into Spain to board a November 2021 cruise on Azamara.  "Parts" of The Spain Health Control form can be filled out a head of time.  They will give you a password to log back in within 48 hours before you arrive.  At that time we had to post our airline information to include our seat assignment.  

 

Hope this helps and hopes the Spain Health Control is still available early.   Thank you all for your post on this current Regent topic....we will be on the 94 day Regent Navigator Grand Voyage in June and it is helpful for us to see what you are receiving from Regent.  Enjoy your cruise. 

[PhD-iva]

1 hour ago, Travelingwithstyle said:

We flew into Spain to board a November 2021 cruise on Azamara.  "Parts" of The Spain Health Control form can be filled out a head of time.  They will give you a password to log back in within 48 hours before you arrive.  At that time we had to post our airline information to include our seat assignment.  

 

Hope this helps and hopes the Spain Health Control is still available early.   Thank you all for your post on this current Regent topic....we will be on the 94 day Regent Navigator Grand Voyage in June and it is helpful for us to see what you are receiving from Regent.  Enjoy your cruise. 

I was on the 17 November 2021 TA Rome to Miami on Oceania’s Riviera. We did not have to fill out the Spanish PLF because we were considered in transit during our stops in both Barcelona and Cartagena. However, pax on ships disembarking in Barcelona did have to fill out the Spanish PLF.