Bermuda Travel Authorization Changed effective May 21

[charlie murphy]

Are other islands giving passangers this fleecing or just Bermuda. At this point they are having passengers pay for a service that the cruise line requires for embarkation. basically paying 40 $ for the privlage of being in  Bermuda's international waters. Now we are looking for "approval" to the privilage. thanks bermuda for the New common sense approach. 

[mpcaruth]

Being that there is much confusion on the process, I thought I'd share the timeline for our Bermuda travel authorization.  We will embark for our cruise on May 26 with first stop in Bermuda on May 28.

• I received an email from Carnival May 5, notifying that a Bermuda Travel Authorization was required.
• I had intended on holding off applying until after I had my negative test results. (Did not want to spend $40 on each of us, if we could not sail).
• After reading on this forum of the new changes for Authorization beginning on May 21, I read on the Bermuda website that applications for authorization should be submitted two weeks prior to sailing.  So...
• I applied for Bermuda Travel Authorization on May 21 and received an email stating "Application pending review" with a link to "Upload and view your documents".
• On May 23, I received an email  "Once your pre-departure test and vaccination documents are uploaded, your application will be reviewed and your Traveller Authorization will be emailed."  What?  The website specifically states you do not need to upload test results after May 21.  So, I ignored the email assuming they just had not updated the automatic email push.
• On May 24, I received an email stating, "APPROVED BERMUDA TRAVEL AUTHORISATION " . The email contained a link to the website and form.  I had to type in my initials in the waiver box  and hit continue to get the completed form.  The completed form (which includes a bar code) is downloadable to a pdf and ready for printing.  Below is a screen shot of the instruction and waiver portion of the Travel Authorization.
• I tested negative for COVID this evening. Woo hoo! I am ready to cruise.

[1025cruise]

22 hours ago, charlie murphy said:

Are other islands giving passangers this fleecing or just Bermuda. At this point they are having passengers pay for a service that the cruise line requires for embarkation. basically paying 40 $ for the privlage of being in  Bermuda's international waters. Now we are looking for "approval" to the privilage. thanks bermuda for the New common sense approach. 

Every country has their own admittance requirements these days. Remember, anyone entering Bermuda, by any means, must get a travel authorization. This includes Bermuda residents returning to Bermuda from traveling off island. Thankfully, Bermuda realized that having to check so many negative tests in a small window made no sense when the ships are doing that as well, so they are trusting the ship to not allow you on. But, they still require the travel authorization, as they do for anyone going to the island by any means.

[AMCJavelin]

How long after applying for your Travel Auth and paying your $40 do you receive an "approved" form via email?  We sail June 12th so a little over 2 weeks out and applied for and paid a week ago.  We have  emails with our application numbers on them and have verified that our charge card was charged the $40 per application.  How close to sailing would we expect to receive our "approved" forms prior to sailing?   If we don't receive them I guess we will just go to port with the proof we have that we applied.   I have tried calling the 800# for the Bermuda TA and cannot get through.  

 

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

[lx200gps]

20 minutes ago, AMCJavelin said:

How long after applying for your Travel Auth and paying your $40 do you receive an "approved" form via email?  We sail June 12th so a little over 2 weeks out and applied for and paid a week ago.  We have  emails with our application numbers on them and have verified that our charge card was charged the $40 per application.  How close to sailing would we expect to receive our "approved" forms prior to sailing?   If we don't receive them I guess we will just go to port with the proof we have that we applied.   I have tried calling the 800# for the Bermuda TA and cannot get through.  

 

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Following with interest. We're on the same sailing, applied around the same time as you and also have not yet received our final approval.  We're going to do the same as you, just show up with the Conditional Approval if we haven't received the final one. I would also bring your CC statement showing that they did in fact charge you.

[cruising oceangal]

My husband and I are on the 6/3 sailing to Bermuda.  He got approval a few days ago but I have not.  I would think they would approve both of us together.  Has this happened to anyone?

 

[shipgeeks]

24 minutes ago, cruising oceangal said:

My husband and I are on the 6/3 sailing to Bermuda.  He got approval a few days ago but I have not.  I would think they would approve both of us together.  Has this happened to anyone?

 

Many others have reported this. I notice that my # is totally different from my husband's, although I did each just a few minutes apart. I think there are so many staff dealing with the applications that there is no reason to expect spouses or other family members to be processed together.

[picruiser]

On 5/21/2022 at 5:15 PM, molly361 said:

We have already received an email from Royal telling us that we will all need to be retested

you're arriving 5 days after 

 

[AMCJavelin]

2 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Following with interest. We're on the same sailing, applied around the same time as you and also have not yet received our final approval.  We're going to do the same as you, just show up with the Conditional Approval if we haven't received the final one. I would also bring your CC statement showing that they did in fact charge you.

Thats the plan, proof of submission, proof of payment not much else we can do.  Fingers crossed.  Hope you get your approved form soon as well.

[MOONMOUNTAIN]

I ended up calling the toll free number.  I was # 89 and was on hold over an hour but in the end the guy approved me while talking and email arrived before we hung up so the hour wait was worth the satisfaction of knowing I had it 

[lx200gps]

59 minutes ago, MOONMOUNTAIN said:

I ended up calling the toll free number.  I was # 89 and was on hold over an hour but in the end the guy approved me while talking and email arrived before we hung up so the hour wait was worth the satisfaction of knowing I had it 

Excellent data point, thanks. So to confirm, you didn't have to upload any test results, exactly as the Bermuda site currently says? I ask because NCL just sent out a message yesterday to those of us on the June 12 Joy sailing, pointing out that we had to upload our test results to Bermuda within 2 day of sailing, which is completely opposite to what Bermuda require.  The Bermuda site clearly says to show the results at the pier, no upload necessary.

[dazey]

I understand we should get approved approval two weeks before sailing How long would you wait before calling their 800# to check on it.  We sail 6/19.

[njhorseman]

42 minutes ago, dazey said:

I understand we should get approved approval two weeks before sailing How long would you wait before calling their 800# to check on it.  We sail 6/19.

I don't believe anyone has said you should get approved two weeks before sailing. The process may go more quickly now that you no longer have to upload test results because that will eliminate the crush of last minute work but I don't think it's necessary to call unless you haven't been approved by four or five days prior to sailing. 

[joyandjerry]

Every one with whom I spoke (on the ship recently) or posted in forums was #89 on hold. Perhaps the system doesn't  go higher than that.  Upon arriving home, our agent told us the Bermuda goct reps were working till 05:00 to try to get the authorizations done for our ship and the Norwegian Joy that was docked the same time. I don't know what they were thinking that they could get them all done in time. Ours came in several hours apart on the day we sailed, even though I submitted them together, early AM the day prior.  A passenger on the ship said they were doing them seemingly in any order, as she didn't even apply until the night before sailing, and did everything all in one go for several family members. And they got their TAs in less than an hour!

 

Got off the Carnival Legend 28 May. Very smooth embarkation at Baltimore - 30 minutes from arrival to lunch in front of me! Sadly, getting info on the final TA was a real cluster. While the govt policies are not CCL's fault, there was no communication about if we got the final TA and we just had to keep bugging them at Guest Services. Many were very upset on the ship, and it really ruined the first few days. False info from the staff to meet with the officials on board, but that was only if we received notice to do so, which we did not. We were "lucky" we found the officials at the start of a meeting that very few knew about and we were already approved. We asked for a hard copy of the Green TA, and were told  "don't worry about it". Really!!??? The day after (second sea day) many stood in line for over two hours to find out that was superfluous, as they were already approved and not informed. Many upset passengers!

 

Nothing was required upon leaving the ship except your ship room card and photo ID. No one asked about the TA. A big production was made of wearing a mask to walk through a terminal that was the size of a large garage and nearly bare. Same with getting on the open air ferry. We had a ship tour and no one was asked to mask up. Crystal Caves required masks, but the guide took his off as did many.

 

This was our first time in Bermuda, and it was very nice, but maybe my expectations were too high for it to live up to the hype. Locals were very cordial and helpful. Sadly, Hamilton had beggars and a few street people. Traffic was awful in town and it was very congested. Food was insanely expensive. They are supposed begging for tourist money, but everything closes at 5:00. Many commented the the shop owners didn't really seem to care if the tourists were buying. Pink sands are slowly disappearing due to the coral dying. The popular beaches were crowded. Jerry and I are not big beach people, and thought HMC and Coco Cay were just as nice. Barbados and some other islands are nearly as pretty and not nearly as pricey. Many historical areas of interest that would benefit from a closer look.

 

I calculated I spent as much time chasing down the TA before and during the cruise, posting on forums about it, etc. as I spent actually off the ship in Bermuda.

[shipgeeks]

I am one who avoids making phone calls for any reason.  Twice during the process with our applications, I emailed Bermuda, and in both cases I received a reply and a fix within a few hours. One reply came in after 11pm my time (midnight or later there); it appears that they are working 24-hours a day.  I highly recommend the email route rather than phone, unless it has become strictly last-minute.

[lx200gps]

16 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

I am one who avoids making phone calls for any reason.  Twice during the process with our applications, I emailed Bermuda, and in both cases I received a reply and a fix within a few hours. One reply came in after 11pm my time (midnight or later there); it appears that they are working 24-hours a day.  I highly recommend the email route rather than phone, unless it has become strictly last-minute.

That's an excellent idea, thanks for the reminder. I was not looking forward to sitting on hold for hours either.  I notice the Email address posted right on our conditional approval is TAapprovals@gov.bm, so that's what I'll be writing to if I haven't received our final approval by about 4 days prior to leaving for the port.  BTW, I had applied and received our Conditional Approvals just a few days before they dropped the requirement to upload our test results, and I notice it says to do that on our documents.

[tink123]

We applied two weeks ago for the BTA for our June 5 sailing and just received approval emails today 

[Tessie 2022]

Scheduled to cruise out of Boston 06/10.  Applied for BTA prior to the recent change.  Uploaded Vax card and received email confirmation of submittal but no Provisional yet.  Anyone cruising 06/10 from Boston receive anything from BTA?  

[Tessie 2022]

On 5/30/2022 at 3:14 PM, shipgeeks said:

I am one who avoids making phone calls for any reason.  Twice during the process with our applications, I emailed Bermuda, and in both cases I received a reply and a fix within a few hours. One reply came in after 11pm my time (midnight or later there); it appears that they are working 24-hours a day.  I highly recommend the email route rather than phone, unless it has become strictly last-minute.

I've emailed Bermuda TA twice this week and have not heard a word, unfortunately!  I'm checking spam and junk folders as well.  Fingers Crossed I get what I need by next week!

[adolfo2]

On 5/21/2022 at 4:58 PM, njhorseman said:

They don't have to test anyone. Passengers have to be tested before embarkation and bring their test results to the pier. This is no different than any other cruise in the current environment

Except that you're getting SCAMMED $40.00 per-person! I don't understand how they (Bermuda) are getting away with this.

[joyandjerry]

1 hour ago, adolfo2 said:

Except that you're getting SCAMMED $40.00 per-person! I don't understand how they (Bermuda) are getting away with this.

I concur that this is a money grab, and it would be bedlam if all of the ports started doing this. But "scam" involves dishonesty, and this does not. It sure does not show respect for the tourists, but even their own citizens have to do this l when leaving the country upon return. One can hardly cancel the cruise at this late date. Even if it were possible, I doubt many would do so over $40. For me, the real aggravation was trying to get our test results uploaded and get the TA before the rules changed two weeks ago. It was surprising to me also that the cruise lines did not band together and refuse to do this.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, adolfo2 said:

Except that you're getting SCAMMED $40.00 per-person! I don't understand how they (Bermuda) are getting away with this.

If Bermuda had quietly raised its port taxes by $40 per person you'd be none the wiser or if your cruise line raised your fare $40 per person you wouldn't give a moment's thought to it.

 

The real problem isn't the money in and of itself, it's the unnecessary and aggravating bureaucracy they've created with it.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, adolfo2 said:

Except that you're getting SCAMMED $40.00 per-person! I don't understand how they (Bermuda) are getting away with this.

 

They can do it because Bermuda is a sovereign country. The current government there was elected with a two thirds majority and they pretty much do what they please.  All we can do about the $40 is not book Bermuda cruises. 

[joyandjerry]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

 

 

The real problem isn't the money in and of itself, it's the unnecessary and aggravating bureaucracy they've created with it.

Totally with you! The stress, aggravation and ill will among the passengers for my 22 May sailing was unbelievable. Many spent hours on hold with three figure phone bills and lost sleep. On the ship, no one was keeping us informed.

[travellovers2]

Spain requires a form like that to enter, but at no charge. We have gone twice and each time all we had to do is fill out a form letting the govt know the dates of our vaccinations and our contact information in Spain. As soon as you submit the form, you get an email with a form that has a QR code and/or you can download the pdf from the website.

 

It looks more like Bermuda just wants to make sure your $40 payment goes through your cc. 😉