Why is the Getaway still in port in NY

[Mike A]

Getaway was supposed to leave at 4:00. Now 6:45. Anyone know?

[Mike A]

As soon as I write the post it is pulling out. Never mind LOL

[worktocruise610]

Asked same question on another thread, no answer. But yes I’m watching it leave now. Still curious why so late

[mking8288]

Purely speculating here, based on some of the chatter on roll calls - could be related to the early season run to Bermuda with the Covid-testing and travel authorizations ... calls on queue to island's health authorities, long wait/hold time in getting thru for help to obtain the final approval.  

[jimsig]

On Friday the Pearl was late getting into BOS and in turn departed late.  From what I hear it was due to rough seas on the return from Bermuda.  I know it two days later but could be the same if it arrived late today.  

[shof515]

27 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Purely speculating here, based on some of the chatter on roll calls - could be related to the early season run to Bermuda with the Covid-testing and travel authorizations ... calls on queue to island's health authorities, long wait/hold time in getting thru for help to obtain the final approval.  

according to this article: https://www.royalgazette.com/transport/news/article/20220410/web-outage-and-e-mail-issue-causes-delay-in-ta-applications/ there is a backlog of applications they need to process in a short amount of time. this is why there is a long wait time

[JIMESOPUS]

Here is a note from my TA - please fill out the TA as soon as possible, I'm on the next cruise, may have to start drinking before I get on the ship.

 

 

Hey upcoming Bermuda Cruisers,

 

I wanted to offer a little advice in regards to the Bermuda Authorization that every traveler must complete prior to being allowed to embark on the ship.  Yesterday and today have been a bit of a fiasco in both Boston and NYC as many people did not complete this process or did not receive authorization from Bermuda which can and will prevent some from boarding the ship.

 

ADVICE: I've been told you do not need to have your Covid Test Results before you complete the application. You should complete the application and pay the $40 per person ASAP. You will then receive an email from Bermuda about 3-4 days prior to remind you to upload your Covid Negative Tests when you receive the results. Once those are uploaded, you need to then wait to get the authorization which you will need to present at check in

 

From what I understand Getaway was scheduled to depart at 4pm today but with the Bermuda Authorization issues, it's nearly 6pm and they have not yet departed.  A travel agent friend has a client that arrived today at noon, his Bermuda Authorization had not come through by then, it finally came through and he just now got on board. He didn't do his authorization until Yesterday I believe and Bermuda was very slow at getting approvals completed.

 

SO PLEASE, start that Bermuda Authorization Stuff NOW

 

 

[styles27]

NCL has nobody to blame for this but themselves. They have conflicting instructions on their site compared to the Bermuda Health site’s instructions. 
 

It is very clear on the Bermuda website that people should start the process within 30 days of their cruise not two days before when you have your Covid test results as NCL recommends doing. 
So stupid of them. 

I’m cruising from Boston this Friday and our applications have been done for almost 3 weeks…since the day I booked the cruise. 
Bermuda health authorities sent us an email yesterday reminding us to upload our test results on Wednesday. 
 

I wonder how many more departures have to be delayed before NCL changes their instructions on their site🙄

[SeaHunt]

2 hours ago, Mike A said:

As soon as I write the post it is pulling out. Never mind LOL

 

When you posted I looked at PTZ so I could watch but forgot to post the screengrab of her until now - she's a beauty 😁

 

[NYFirstTimeCruiser]

3 hours ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Here is a note from my TA - please fill out the TA as soon as possible, I'm on the next cruise, may have to start drinking before I get on the ship.

 

 

Hey upcoming Bermuda Cruisers,

 

I wanted to offer a little advice in regards to the Bermuda Authorization that every traveler must complete prior to being allowed to embark on the ship.  Yesterday and today have been a bit of a fiasco in both Boston and NYC as many people did not complete this process or did not receive authorization from Bermuda which can and will prevent some from boarding the ship.

 

ADVICE: I've been told you do not need to have your Covid Test Results before you complete the application. You should complete the application and pay the $40 per person ASAP. You will then receive an email from Bermuda about 3-4 days prior to remind you to upload your Covid Negative Tests when you receive the results. Once those are uploaded, you need to then wait to get the authorization which you will need to present at check in

 

From what I understand Getaway was scheduled to depart at 4pm today but with the Bermuda Authorization issues, it's nearly 6pm and they have not yet departed.  A travel agent friend has a client that arrived today at noon, his Bermuda Authorization had not come through by then, it finally came through and he just now got on board. He didn't do his authorization until Yesterday I believe and Bermuda was very slow at getting approvals completed.

 

SO PLEASE, start that Bermuda Authorization Stuff NOW

 

 

Hello.

      Does everyone need to fill out the Bermuda authorization?  There's 6 of us and only 3 are disembarking at Bermuda so only the one's getting off filled out the form.  Reading above delay, does that mean everyone needs to fill out and pay $40 even if you are not going down?

[JIMESOPUS]

6 hours ago, NYFirstTimeCruiser said:

Hello.

      Does everyone need to fill out the Bermuda authorization?  There's 6 of us and only 3 are disembarking at Bermuda so only the one's getting off filled out the form.  Reading above delay, does that mean everyone needs to fill out and pay $40 even if you are not going down?

Yes, they will not let you board the ship without one.

[goldmom]

Hopefully as the Bermuda season gets underway they will get the system working more efficiently.  NCL should update their instructions and it seems like Bermuda needs to hire more people to process the applications.

You would think that as NCL requires the negative test to board (and I would guess that most people are using the same test for both boarding and the TA) that there should be a way for Bermuda to accept that test at the pier.  Maybe passengers could apply for the TA, pay their fee, upload vaccine card and then receive a provisional TA they can show at the pier along with their negative test.

I doubt they will change the system, but right now it doesn't seem to be working well and passengers are definitely feeling the stress.  It really shouldn't be that hard to go on vacation!

[JIMESOPUS]

9 hours ago, NYFirstTimeCruiser said:

Hello.

      Does everyone need to fill out the Bermuda authorization?  There's 6 of us and only 3 are disembarking at Bermuda so only the one's getting off filled out the form.  Reading above delay, does that mean everyone needs to fill out and pay $40 even if you are not going down?

yes, I don't think you will be allow to board the ship without it.

[Sunandgames]

On the Getaway now. NCL was mostly not at fault for this, from my perspective. The Bermuda paperwork was all delayed, and a phone call to Bermuda with a 3-4 hour wait on Saturday after completing both steps by Friday was the only way to have the certificates in hand, other than a lucky few who received the last email without a call. We called while driving into NYC. The hold number tells your place in line constantly, so one could call and walk away from the phone for long stretches while waiting, packing, etc. In retrospect this would have been easier for me Friday afternoon before leaving home. We waited in the security line, the 2nd line, (to organize paperwork? Not entirely clear what that one was for) then skipped the Bermuda help line, continued to the Haven lounge, and were onboard in time for lunch and an afternoon of unpacking and hot tubbing. 

[styles27]

56 minutes ago, Sunandgames said:

On the Getaway now. NCL was mostly not at fault for this, from my perspective. The Bermuda paperwork was all delayed, and a phone call to Bermuda with a 3-4 hour wait on Saturday after completing both steps by Friday was the only way to have the certificates in hand, other than a lucky few who received the last email without a call. We called while driving into NYC. The hold number tells your place in line constantly, so one could call and walk away from the phone for long stretches while waiting, packing, etc. In retrospect this would have been easier for me Friday afternoon before leaving home. We waited in the security line, the 2nd line, (to organize paperwork? Not entirely clear what that one was for) then skipped the Bermuda help line, continued to the Haven lounge, and were onboard in time for lunch and an afternoon of unpacking and hot tubbing. 

I agree passengers need to take responsibility and not wait until the last minute to call if they haven’t received the authorization.
If even half the passengers are following NCL’s advice to not start the application process until you have your negative test result in hand  2 days before sailing, that’s enough to backlog a small system like Bermuda has. 
 

We’re testing day after tomorrow at 8:30 in the morning with Inspire diagnostics so our test results will be uploaded to our already existing applications by 9am the latest. (two days before our cruise)
You can bet I will not be waiting until our drive to Boston Friday morning to call the Bermuda line to ask where my approval is. I will be calling by 3pm the same day we test if I haven’t heard from them and if need be every few hours until I get the approval. 
 I am super organized and I understand most people probably think I’m being anal, however it makes our vacations much less stressful when we don’t have surprises that aren’t the good kind. 
 

 

[Sunandgames]

15 minutes ago, styles27 said:

I agree passengers need to take responsibility and not wait until the last minute to call if they haven’t received the authorization.
If even half the passengers are following NCL’s advice to not start the application process until you have your negative test result in hand  2 days before sailing, that’s enough to backlog a small system like Bermuda has. 
 

We’re testing day after tomorrow at 8:30 in the morning with Inspire diagnostics so our test results will be uploaded to our already existing applications by 9am the latest. (two days before our cruise)
You can bet I will not be waiting until our drive to Boston Friday morning to call the Bermuda line to ask where my approval is. I will be calling by 3pm the same day we test if I haven’t heard from them and if need be every few hours until I get the approval. 
 I am super organized and I understand most people probably think I’m being anal, however it makes our vacations much less stressful when we don’t have surprises that aren’t the good kind. 
 

 

Yes, when I say mostly not at fault, I meant that the advice to not start the process early was poor. And when I say I called on the drive, I mean we tested two days before, in the morning, submitted results to Bermuda immediately, waited the 24 hours, then called from the car the next day, since we were going to NYC a day early. Whatever business hours you can most easily leave a speakerphone going for several hours between test submitting and departure, I would plan to do that. Once the phone wait was done, approvals come immediately. 

[Biffire]

We were on the Breakaway for the first Bermuda cruise on 9/26/21. It was a fiasco.We never left NYC til about 9:30 PM. We did get to see the city all lit up. Hundreds of people did not do the TA or did not test properly. Bermuda was completely overwhelmed, people on hold for hours. Lots of pages on the roll call, with great advice, so many people do not follow cruise critic and had no idea.I think NCL could have been more assertive about giving better instructions.The critical day where they were supposed to send a link to update the TA with test data, Bermuda sent a bad link. I ended up with 2 TAs, that they charged me for. After the cruise I tried to dispute the charge and Bermuda just supplied the two TAs and I had to pay. I tried to point I am only one person, and only went once, to no avail. TAs were  $75 back then.Sounds like there were no lessons learned.

[yamiangie]

I'm worried because my parents are on a May 22 sailing to Bermuda on the Joy where they have an extra stop before so everyone needs to get a 2nd test while sailing.

 

Breakaway left late on my sailing in Oct as well but I think that was tides not just TA.

[worktocruise610]

22 minutes ago, yamiangie said:

I'm worried because my parents are on a May 22 sailing to Bermuda on the Joy where they have an extra stop before so everyone needs to get a 2nd test while sailing.

 

Breakaway left late on my sailing in Oct as well but I think that was tides not just TA.

Not sure if this will apply to their cruise (things change almost daily) but hopefully it will and can ease your mind and theirs… the Getaway cruise this week was told if they do not get off in Norfolk they will not need to test again. So that may be an option, but if not, NCL will take care of the test on the ship, I’m sure they’ll be fine.

[Pete's Girl]

We're not sailing until May 29th, but I just read the BTA steps on their website. Step 2 clearly says to upload proof of vaccination at the time you initially submit your application. But, I've been told to upload proof of vaccination and negative test at the same time...that if I upload the proof of vaccination during the initial application, that it will be rejected and we'll be out the $40. 

 

For those of you who have already been through this process, what did you do?

[styles27]

11 minutes ago, Pete's Girl said:

We're not sailing until May 29th, but I just read the BTA steps on their website. Step 2 clearly says to upload proof of vaccination at the time you initially submit your application. But, I've been told to upload proof of vaccination and negative test at the same time...that if I upload the proof of vaccination during the initial application, that it will be rejected and we'll be out the $40. 

 

For those of you who have already been through this process, what did you do?

I booked our 4/15/2022 cruise on March 24th and did the travel authorization that day.

I paid the $40 each and uploaded our vaccination cards.
Received emails immediately from Bermuda health.gov with our application #’s and informing us that we would be receiving a reminder email from them 4 days before we are required to take our Covid test. (Received the email yesterday) 

 

Follow the directions on the Bermuda website. Do not do what NCL instructs. 

 

 

[Pete's Girl]

13 minutes ago, styles27 said:

Follow the directions on the Bermuda website. Do not do what NCL instructs. 

 

 

Thank you

[JGmf]

14 hours ago, Pete's Girl said:

For those of you who have already been through this process, what did you do?

 

I uploaded vax card along with initial application and $40 as it clearly states on the Bermuda website.  No problemo.

[vacation44]

15 hours ago, styles27 said:

I booked our 4/15/2022 cruise on March 24th and did the travel authorization that day.

I paid the $40 each and uploaded our vaccination cards.
Received emails immediately from Bermuda health.gov with our application #’s and informing us that we would be receiving a reminder email from them 4 days before we are required to take our Covid test. (Received the email yesterday) 

 

Follow the directions on the Bermuda website. Do not do what NCL instructs. 

 

 

Thank you very much for this first hand advice.

[ALS1214]

15 hours ago, Pete's Girl said:

We're not sailing until May 29th, but I just read the BTA steps on their website. Step 2 clearly says to upload proof of vaccination at the time you initially submit your application. But, I've been told to upload proof of vaccination and negative test at the same time...that if I upload the proof of vaccination during the initial application, that it will be rejected and we'll be out the $40. 

 

For those of you who have already been through this process, what did you do?

I turned mine in without the proof and then panicked and called. the person rejected it and sent it back  and told me to fill in what was missing and then  press submit. I will not have to pay again  My husband's came in an email asking me to upload the negative results. I was told to call when I submit and they will approve immediately. I am on the April 17th cruise so I will be calling Friday right at 9am.