Star-Barcelona boarding

[Speirsdr]

39 minutes ago, Speirsdr said:

 

I agree buying travel insurance is a good idea but, that's not the issue. Traveling 7000 miles to Barcelona only to be denied boarding because the dweeb got it wrong, and some throne sitting dweeb that doesn't have the leadership ability, common sense, lack of concern or compassion to make a hard decision for those people left standing on the pier with no hotel, flight home, and possibly no funds to pay for the addition expences. Show some concern and compassion for the honeymoon couple crying next to us.  All three of you dweebs got it wrong.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Speirsdr
Misspelling

[KeithJenner]

53 minutes ago, Speirsdr said:

I think the Booster didn't fall into the 12 day rule and the dweeb checking us in made a mistake.

 

Im’m genuinely confused. If the booster didn’t meet a rule then what mistake did the person checking you in make?

[Speirsdr]

On 4/3/2022 at 5:45 AM, ronheg said:

The requirement is to have a booster shot if it’s been at least 9 months since the original shot.  Requirement for a booster started on 2/1/22

I was with the denied group. I had the booster on 03/31/22.

Was told it should have been given in compliance to the 12 day rule. I think only the two doses (fully vaccinated) is controlled by that rule. There is no clear information on when the booster is expected as long as it is before checkin.

[Speirsdr]

checking. To

1 hour ago, Speirsdr said:

 

 

15 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Im’m genuinely confused. If the booster didn’t meet a rule then what mistake did the person checking you in make?

 

[Speirsdr]

22 minutes ago, Speirsdr said:

 

 

 

What I'm saying is there is no indication that the booster fits into the requirement of needing to be received two weeks in advance. It is my understanding that the 2 week rule only applies to the definition of "fully vaccinated " which is the full protocol for each vaccine. In my case, the Moderna protocol is two doses. That has to be received at least two weeks prior.. if you were "fully vaccinated" (two doses) more than a certain number of months (according to NCL) you must also have a booster. The person checking us in thought we had to have the booster 2 weeks prior to boarding, but that is not clearly stated anywhere. The mistake made by the person checking me in was that the 2 week (rule) did not apply to the booster and they  thought it did.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Speirsdr
Clarify

[KeithJenner]

18 minutes ago, Speirsdr said:

What I'm saying is there is no indication that the booster fits into the requirement of needing to be received two weeks in advance. It is my understanding that the 2 week rule only applies to the definition of "fully vaccinated " which is the full protocol for each vaccine. In my case, the Moderna protocol is two doses. That has to be received at least two weeks prior.. if you were "fully vaccinated" (two doses) more than a certain number of months (according to NCL) you must also have a booster. The person checking us in thought we had to have the booster 2 weeks prior to boarding, but that is not clearly stated anywhere. The mistake made by the person checking me in was that the 2 week (rule) did not apply to the booster and they  thought it did.

Ok, I understand now. Your earlier posts were something of a rant and weren’t easy to understand. The name calling doesn’t come across well either (just a little bit of advice in order to help get people on your side).

 

I think you are correct that the booster should be taken into account straight away. If so then it does look like you should have been allowed to board and a mistake was made somewhere. It would sound odd that a decision of that magnitude was made by the check in staff, so I would guess that it was intimately someone else’s call, but obviously that is speculation.

 

I can certainly see how your situation happened, but I would think that you have a good case against NCL or whoever it was that denied boarding for some sort of rectification.

 

Good luck.

[ReubenR]

If you thought the person checking you in was wrong about the 12-day buffer for the booster, why didn't you insist on speaking with a more knowledgeable supervisor and demand the cruise line show you that 12-day requirement in writing?

 

You're not wrong that NCL's website makes no mention of a 12-day waiting period for a booster to be considered acceptable. The only reference I could find on any cruise line's website at all was Cunard stating it required 7 days after a booster shot. And there's no mention of a 12-day requirement on Spain's official entry website nor on Italy's.

 

As for the boarding official confusing that 12-day requirement, the 2nd dose of Moderna/Pfizer or first dose of J&J must be administered at least 14 days prior to the cruise, not 12.

 

Sorry that you were denied boarding. Seems like you should have been allowed on if you indeed had a booster shot on March 31st. It's such a shame when inflexible policies that don't make sense result in such hardships for people. I'm all for requiring people to be vaccinated and boosted to go anywhere (including on planes, which sadly never happened), but if a person was fully vaccinated w/out booster and also tested negative at the pier, I'd have no concerns about traveling with that passenger.

[Speirsdr]

2 minutes ago, ReubenR said:

If you thought the person checking you in was wrong about the 12-day buffer for the booster, why didn't you insist on speaking with a more knowledgeable supervisor and demand the cruise line show you that 12-day requirement in writing?

 

You're not wrong that NCL's website makes no mention of a 12-day waiting period for a booster to be considered acceptable. The only reference I could find on any cruise line's website at all was Cunard stating it required 7 days after a booster shot. And there's no mention of a 12-day requirement on Spain's official entry website nor on Italy's.

 

As for the boarding official confusing that 12-day requirement, the 2nd dose of Moderna/Pfizer or first dose of J&J must be administered at least 14 days prior to the cruise, not 12.

 

Sorry that you were denied boarding. Seems like you should have been allowed on if you indeed had a booster shot on March 31st. It's such a shame when inflexible policies that don't make sense result in such hardships for people. I'm all for requiring people to be vaccinated and boosted to go anywhere (including on planes, which sadly never happened), but if a person was fully vaccinated w/out booster and also tested negative at the pier, I'd have no concerns about traveling with that passenger.

I've been typing in 12 days when I meant two weeks. As to your first question, we/I did ask for someone from NCL instead of trying to discuss it with the Port checkin supervisor. An individual representing NCL came and explored our situation. Some no booster and some like us and others with different problems. She disappeared for 4 hours, and when she returned she gave us a form letter saying we were not in compliance with their covid vaccination policy. I tried to talk to her to have a review of my individual case but with all 70 or so people trying the same, she just turned and left.

They took our cabin numbers and removed our bags from the ship, placed them on the pier.

[julig22]

14 minutes ago, Speirsdr said:

I've been typing in 12 days when I meant two weeks. As to your first question, we/I did ask for someone from NCL instead of trying to discuss it with the Port checkin supervisor. An individual representing NCL came and explored our situation. Some no booster and some like us and others with different problems. She disappeared for 4 hours, and when she returned she gave us a form letter saying we were not in compliance with their covid vaccination policy. I tried to talk to her to have a review of my individual case but with all 70 or so people trying the same, she just turned and left.

They took our cabin numbers and removed our bags from the ship, placed them on the pier.

So it was someone who worked for the port who said you couldn't board, not NCL?  Sounds like it's an issue for your insurance, not NCL.

[Jkellen]

2 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Yes, one of the inconsistencies that I have seen is the claim that NCL changed things a couple of days ago. There has been reference to the booster requirement on their website, and included in emails I have received for some time before that.

Not to be difficult, but I booked NCL's Baltic cruise on the Getaway on Sunday.  The cruise leaves in May. I specifically asked the NCL employee what the requirements were for boosters and he said they have had no problems with European sailings and no one is asking for a booster so....  I can see the frustration for the OP. Right now all the countries we are going to for that cruise have stopped all Covid restrictions, but this person's story does make me nervous.  I did buy cancel for any reason insurance, but still.

[BermudaBound2014]

49 minutes ago, julig22 said:

So it was someone who worked for the port who said you couldn't board, not NCL?  Sounds like it's an issue for your insurance, not NCL.

@Speirsdrstated that someone from NCL came down, gathered info, left for 4 hours, and returned with rejection letters signed by NCL. Doesn’t sound to me like a port agent made the ultimate call.
 

I have no idea why so many are quick to defend the cruise lines. Things are really confusing for everyone. Sounds to me like a case of left hand/right hand.

 

I know every place is different but when Maui instated a booster requirement (that barely lasted 2 weeks) the verbiage was initially confusing. Eventually it was cleared up, there was a 2 week wait for the vaccine only, but boosters were effective immediately. Sounds like something similar happened here.

 

To the cruisers effected, don’t be too hard on yourselves. Try to salvage the vaca the best you can. There are lots of us wishing you a wonderful journey. 

 

 

[julig22]

1 hour ago, Speirsdr said:

we/I did ask for someone from NCL instead of trying to discuss it with the Port checkin supervisor.

 

20 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

@Speirsdrstated that someone from NCL came down, gathered info, left for 4 hours, and returned with rejection letters signed by NCL. Doesn’t sound to me like a port agent made the ultimate call.

Actually, it sounds exactly like the port agent made the original call and NCL spent 4 hours trying, unsuccessfully, to see what they could do.  Has nothing to do with "defending" the cruise line since from what's been posted it appears that it wasn't NCL that denied boarding.  How they handled it, before and after, is a totally different discussion.

[BermudaBound2014]

27 minutes ago, julig22 said:

 

Actually, it sounds exactly like the port agent made the original call and NCL spent 4 hours trying, unsuccessfully, to see what they could do.  Has nothing to do with "defending" the cruise line since from what's been posted it appears that it wasn't NCL that denied boarding.  How they handled it, before and after, is a totally different discussion.

did the denial letter come from NCL or the port agent? 

[julig22]

19 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

did the denial letter come from NCL or the port agent? 

Read the first line - failure to provide required documents to enter all ports....

[BermudaBound2014]

4 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Read the first line - failure to provide required documents to enter all ports....

Actually,  that is only part of the first line. Devil is in the details. Here is the entire letter again. 
 

 

[LNielsen]

NCL had no choice. 
 

 

Here are a copy of the "entry-rules" for Italy:

Document checklist

Travellers can enter Italy without being subject to quarantine if they provide all the following documents:

1. Fill in the EU Digital Passenger Locator Form before travelling
    
2. Proof of full vaccination.
   Accepted vaccines: vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA): Comirnaty (BioNTech and Pfizer), Nuvaxovid (Novavax), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca), COVID19 vaccine Janssen; vaccines considered equivalent in Italy: Covishield, Fiocruz, R-Covi.
   Validity: 270 days (9 months) after the primary vaccination series is completed. Vaccination certificates with booster doses are valid until further notice.
   Note: to access public places in Italy, certificates with a full primary vaccination series are valid for 6 months. Please, consult the Measures section for further details.
   
   Or
   
   Proof of recovery from COVID-19.
   Validity: 180 days (6 months) from the first positive swab.
   
   Or
   
   A negative result to a pre-departure molecular test (valid 72 hours) or to a rapid antigen test (valid 48 hours).

Travellers can provide proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test result with one of the following documents, meeting the requirements listed above:

• An 'EU Digital COVID Certificate' (EUDCC) or equivalente certificates;
• Equivalent certificates of vaccination in Italian, English, French, Spanish or German (documents in other languages must be accompanied by anofficial translation in Italian);
• Equivalent certificates of recovery from COVID-19 accompanied by an official translation in Italian.

 

Travellers who do not hold valid proof of vaccination, proof of recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test result must self-isolate for 5 days, at the address indicated on the Passenger Locator Form, and perform an antigen or molecular test at the end of the self-isolation period.

 

And here for Spain:

Entry rules

Citizens of non-EU and non-Schengen Associated countries can enter Spain only if they belong to one of the categories listed by the Ministry of Health.

 

Document checklist

Travellers from countries and areas considered at risk must provide all the documents listed below. The list of risk and high-risk countries is updated every 7 days (see the list valid between 4 and 6 April).

1. All travellers arriving to Spain by air or by sea, including children of any age, passengers in transit to other countries and residents in Spain returning home, must fill in a Health Control Form before departure. Travellers must provide the QR code when they board and when they arrive in Spain. Remember: a separate form must be filled in for each trip and each person.
   
   Travellers by air must fill in and sign the form electronically in the 48 hours before the flight departure, via the Spain Travel Health website or via the apps for Android or iOs.
   
   Travellers by sea must fill in and sign the form electronically on puertos.es.
   
   For travel by land, no form is required.
    
2. A valid 'EU Digital COVID Certificate' (EUDCC) or equivalent documents containing one of the following:
   
   Proof of full vaccination.
   Validity: between 14 and 270 days after the lastscheduled dose of the primary vaccination series was administered. After 270 days, vaccination certificates must include a booster dose.
   Only vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will be accepted for travellers from non-EU and non-Schengen countries. Certificates with other vaccines will also be accepted if the last dose was administered with an authorised vaccine.
   
   Or
   
   Negative result to a pre-departure molecular test (valid 72 hours) or rapid antigen test (valid 24 hours). Consult the list of rapid tests approved bythe European Commission.
   
    

For information regarding specific requirements for all EU countries, here is a direct link (you just fill out the "travel plan", and as you are not residing within EU, you have to put in "rest of the world" as departure country, and then the various requirements are listed:

https://reopen.europa.eu/en

 

[BermudaBound2014]

13 minutes ago, LNielsen said:

NCL had no choice. 
 

 

 

Here are a copy of the "entry-rules" for Italy:

Document checklist

Travellers can enter Italy without being subject to quarantine if they provide all the following documents:

1. Fill in the EU Digital Passenger Locator Form before travelling
    
2. Proof of full vaccination.
   Accepted vaccines: vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA): Comirnaty (BioNTech and Pfizer), Nuvaxovid (Novavax), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca), COVID19 vaccine Janssen; vaccines considered equivalent in Italy: Covishield, Fiocruz, R-Covi.
   Validity: 270 days (9 months) after the primary vaccination series is completed. Vaccination certificates with booster doses are valid until further notice.
   Note: to access public places in Italy, certificates with a full primary vaccination series are valid for 6 months. Please, consult the Measures section for further details.
   
   Or
   
   Proof of recovery from COVID-19.
   Validity: 180 days (6 months) from the first positive swab.
   
   Or
   
   A negative result to a pre-departure molecular test (valid 72 hours) or to a rapid antigen test (valid 48 hours).

Travellers can provide proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test result with one of the following documents, meeting the requirements listed above:

• An 'EU Digital COVID Certificate' (EUDCC) or equivalente certificates;
• Equivalent certificates of vaccination in Italian, English, French, Spanish or German (documents in other languages must be accompanied by anofficial translation in Italian);
• Equivalent certificates of recovery from COVID-19 accompanied by an official translation in Italian.

 

Travellers who do not hold valid proof of vaccination, proof of recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test result must self-isolate for 5 days, at the address indicated on the Passenger Locator Form, and perform an antigen or molecular test at the end of the self-isolation period.

 

And here for Spain:

Entry rules

Citizens of non-EU and non-Schengen Associated countries can enter Spain only if they belong to one of the categories listed by the Ministry of Health.

 

Document checklist

Travellers from countries and areas considered at risk must provide all the documents listed below. The list of risk and high-risk countries is updated every 7 days (see the list valid between 4 and 6 April).

1. All travellers arriving to Spain by air or by sea, including children of any age, passengers in transit to other countries and residents in Spain returning home, must fill in a Health Control Form before departure. Travellers must provide the QR code when they board and when they arrive in Spain. Remember: a separate form must be filled in for each trip and each person.
   
   Travellers by air must fill in and sign the form electronically in the 48 hours before the flight departure, via the Spain Travel Health website or via the apps for Android or iOs.
   
   Travellers by sea must fill in and sign the form electronically on puertos.es.
   
   For travel by land, no form is required.
    
2. A valid 'EU Digital COVID Certificate' (EUDCC) or equivalent documents containing one of the following:
   
   Proof of full vaccination.
   Validity: between 14 and 270 days after the lastscheduled dose of the primary vaccination series was administered. After 270 days, vaccination certificates must include a booster dose.
   Only vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will be accepted for travellers from non-EU and non-Schengen countries. Certificates with other vaccines will also be accepted if the last dose was administered with an authorised vaccine.
   
   Or
   
   Negative result to a pre-departure molecular test (valid 72 hours) or rapid antigen test (valid 24 hours). Consult the list of rapid tests approved bythe European Commission.
   
    

For information regarding specific requirements for all EU countries, here is a direct link (you just fill out the "travel plan", and as you are not residing within EU, you have to put in "rest of the world" as departure country, and then the various requirements are listed:

https://reopen.europa.eu/en

 

I don’t see where either country is specifically stating that two weeks must pass after a booster is received. 

[LNielsen]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

I don’t see where either country is specifically stating that two weeks must pass after a booster is received. 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

16 minutes ago, LNielsen said:

 

That says 270 after primary vaccination not the booster. What am I missing?

 

Edited to add for clarity- I’m referencing the people who were turned away because their booster (not primary vaccination) was less than 14 days old. 

Edited April 6, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[LNielsen]

8 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

That says 270 after primary vaccination not the booster. What am I missing?

It means that your vaccination must be no older than 270 days and no sooner that 14 days prior to entry.  
 

This has been discussed at length on the Oceania forum, as well as an Oceania FB group, as cruisers booked with Oceania ran into the same issues this past weekend when attempting to board. 

Edited April 6, 2022 by LNielsen
Added photo.

[BermudaBound2014]

11 minutes ago, LNielsen said:

It means that your vaccination must be no older than 270 days and no sooner that 14 days prior to entry.  
 

This has been discussed at length on the Oceania forum, as well as an Oceania FB group, as cruisers booked with Oceania ran into the same issues this past weekend when attempting to board. 

exactly- so where does it say you must wait 14 days after a booster? I understand it must be more than 270 after primary vaccination, but a booster is not the primary vaccination. 

[adamio360]

4 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

exactly- so where does it say you must wait 14 days after a booster? I understand it must be more than 270 after primary vaccination, but a booster is not the primary vaccination. 

It says it right there..."Effective immediately, any guest whose primary COVID vaccination will be beyond 270 days at the time of disembarkation from their voyage must have a COVID-19 Booster at least 14 days prior to embarkation."

Edited April 6, 2022 by adamio360

[LNielsen]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

exactly- so where does it say you must wait 14 days after a booster? I understand it must be more than 270 after primary vaccination, but a booster is not the primary vaccination. 

I don’t know how to explain it more clearly. It is written explicitly in both documents I provided above.  It clearly states any booster must be received no less than 14 days prior to entry to be considered fully vaccinated.   

[LNielsen]

Just now, adamio360 said:

It says it right there..."Effective immediately, any guest whose primary COVID vaccination will be beyond 270 days at the time of disembarkation from their voyage must have a COVID-19 Booster at least 14 days prior to embarkation."

thank you!!!

[BermudaBound2014]

My apologies- I only saw the part you circled In red. Thank you for your patience.