Bermuda Travel Authorization Changed effective May 21

[Sumthing]

Rant...

If we are not required to upload the negative test results but show it to board the ship, then I don't understand why they can't approve the form now instead of waiting until I have to travel to the port (via booked airline). It's just the red tape of it all that frustrates me. I simply have submitted the application with "pending" approval. 

 

1. Submit the application to Bermuda within x days of embarkation (make the $40 payment). Receive the approval, promptly (not within 24 hours of cruising). 

2. Get a negative COVID test 2 days prior to embarkation and present it at embarkation/boarding.

3. Arrive in Bermuda. Enjoy your vacation!

 

It would also be easier, if the cruise line would test everyone before boarding the ship. I still cannot schedule a test until next Friday. I don't like last minute tasks. 

 

[Charles4515]

9 minutes ago, Sumthing said:

Rant...

If we are not required to upload the negative test results but show it to board the ship, then I don't understand why they can't approve the form now instead of waiting until I have to travel to the port (via booked airline). It's just the red tape of it all that frustrates me. I simply have submitted the application with "pending" approval. 

 

1. Submit the application to Bermuda within x days of embarkation (make the $40 payment). Receive the approval, promptly (not within 24 hours of cruising). 

2. Get a negative COVID test 2 days prior to embarkation and present it at embarkation/boarding.

3. Arrive in Bermuda. Enjoy your vacation!

 

It would also be easier, if the cruise line would test everyone before boarding the ship. I still cannot schedule a test until next Friday. I don't like last minute tasks. 

 

Bermuda is planning to make the process more user friendly. No timeline though as to when. 
 

https://www.royalgazette.com/tourism/news/article/20220604/minister-plans-in-the-pipeline-to-make-ta-more-user-friendly/

[Sumthing]

#52 - thank you

 

Rant#2:

I still don't understand why the cruise line wants a negative test result and your COVID vaccination record and Bermuda wants the SAME EXACT documents! Logic tells me that if I need those documents to board the ship and go to Bermuda, I should NOT need the same documents before I get to the ship or before I arrive on the ship in Bermuda. It's mentally exhausting!

 

I've spent more time on the cruise critic and trip advisor forums, on emails, and on the phone trying to get simple answers about the confusion of the COVID test type terminology (and various names) between Celebrity, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, and Bermuda. Why in the heck can I not schedule an appointment today (4 June) for a test that I know I will need taken on 17 June  to satisfy Celebrity's requirements for a negative test result leaving on 19 June? The appointments for Walgreens are only showing as available through 10 June. Walmart's appointments have to be made through Quest Diagnostics, but it is unclear whether it is a supervised test. When I called, I was told that I would have to contact the same person that I thought I was calling about questions! CVS is just totally mixed up and I get caught up in a loop for trying to schedule. 

[joyandjerry]

Sumthing, I feel your pain! This is so illogical and has created a lot of ill will towards Bermuda with the tourists. We sailed there 22 May when the upload of the test was still required to sail, and very few got the TAs on time. Ppl were furious. Passengers went through so much aggravation, on hold for hours, afraid they couldn't even board the ship. No cooperation or coordination on ship from CCL. We spent a lot of time on board chasing it down. I mentioned it in post #13 here.

 

We did an eMed online; you still have time to order it.

[travellovers2]

We have purchased the BinaxNow from the optum store and emed and have used it three times. Twice to return from Spain and once to get on a cruise here in FL. 

 

We received them the next day. You may want to call both of them and ask for sure when you will get it. It's very easy to do in the comfort of your home or hotel. 

 

You go to emed.com and click on start test. They instruct you on what to do. Don't open the box until they tell you.  After 15 minutes, they read the results, which you can see if you have 2 lines it's positive, 1 line on the top is negative.  Then they email you the results in pdf format so you can open and print it.

 

Good luck! 

Edited June 4, 2022 by travellovers2

[cmjars]

Bermuda Travel Authorization is a hot mess.

[dazey]

We received approval from Bermuda for travel authorization just one day short of 2 weeks before our cruise leaves.  However, we received the one for my husband but none for me and I applied on same day/time.  Does anyone have knowledge of how long I should wait to get my approval before I start calling?

[joyandjerry]

For our nightmare of getting the TA for our 22 May sailing, when one still had to upload test results, I uploaded both at the same time. The final TAs came in several hours apart when were were already sailing. Then, a duplicate of mine (Joy) came in 12 hours later.

[molly361]

37 minutes ago, joyandjerry said:

For our nightmare of getting the TA for our 22 May sailing, when one still had to upload test results, I uploaded both at the same time. The final TAs came in several hours apart when were were already sailing. Then, a duplicate of mine (Joy) came in 12 hours later.

I thought you needed to have it before they would let you board?

[dazey]

I was just going to ask how you handled not having the travel authorization but Molly361 beat me to it.  If you bring proof of applying does the ship or Bermuda authorities check on it for you?

 

Thanks.

[lx200gps]

50 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I thought you needed to have it before they would let you board?

As of a few weeks ago, Bermuda changed the rules to allow boarding the ship without having received the final Approval, though AFAIK you still require it to actually disembark in Bermuda. The old rule was causing massive problems at embarkation. They also eliminated the requirement to upload test results, and instead are allowing the cruise line to verify test results at the pier

[dazey]

"AFAIK you still require it to actually disembark"  - So if I do not get the actual approval I cannot disembark  in Bermuda but can get on ship.  Will Celebrity and Bermuda try to help me get it once on board?  What is AFAIK?

 

Usually I worry about these issues and they resolve themselves before panic time but appreciate any info you all can get to me about your situations.

[joyandjerry]

1 hour ago, dazey said:

"AFAIK you still require it to actually disembark"  - So if I do not get the actual approval I cannot disembark  in Bermuda but can get on ship.  Will Celebrity and Bermuda try to help me get it once on board?  What is AFAIK?

 

Usually I worry about these issues and they resolve themselves before panic time but appreciate any info you all can get to me about your situations.

 

AFAIK - As far as I know.

 

I feel your pain, as I am a worrier, and I was responsible for our party. The people telling you not to worry about any situation are not the ones taking care of it and will not be dealing with the fallout.

 

On 21 May, the regs were changed to not have to upload test results starting with sailings 24 May. Our sailing was 22 May. Very few in our 75% capacity sailing got their TA in advance, and it was total hit and miss as who did and didn't. There was another large ship in the same day, so the govt. realized they bit off more than they could chew and issued a Provisional TA to allow us to board, then were to get a final one later, which was a total mess and ruined the first part of the cruise. I posted  about it here, It is post #13. Now they are just going to issue the one Green Travel Authorization.

 

It seems many have had more luck emailing Bermuda as opposed to phone calls. So many reported they were #89 in queue, so that must be the limit of the system. Goodness knows what number they really were. Many on our ship gave up and called the toll number, resulting in bills of $100-150.

 

Oddly enough, we ran into an acquaintance shopping today that sailed out of Baltimore the week before us (14 May) and said it was a real mess, waiting for hours and the ship sailing two hours late, as no one knew what was happening.  That was on RCCL. The wek late on CCL, we sped through; they were a model of efficiency.

 

Now , if one applies in advance, they should have plenty of time to get their act together. We have another sailing 30 Sept., so I will be following. Insane in that the ships have to do this anyway.

[lx200gps]

2 hours ago, dazey said:

"AFAIK you still require it to actually disembark"  - So if I do not get the actual approval I cannot disembark  in Bermuda but can get on ship.  Will Celebrity and Bermuda try to help me get it once on board?  What is AFAIK?

 

Usually I worry about these issues and they resolve themselves before panic time but appreciate any info you all can get to me about your situations.

Things have actually worked out perfectly for us. Just this afternoon, a week before we are to climb aboard the NCL Joy , we received the Emailed Final Approval docs from Bermuda. We are now all set to go, save for the COVID test which we will do this Thursday. I can't say there aren't people who embark onto ships without having received their approvals, though technically they can, but in our case we received them in plenty of time.  Also, at one point there were Bermuda gvt reps at the terminal in New York helping people with any problems, though I don't know if they are still around.  Bermuda do say that they are prioritizing these approvals according to sail date, which seemed to be the case with us.

[JFontaine]

For a cruise leaving on June 19, today at 3 pm I submitted our applications and by 6 pm I received the approved Travel Authorizations. 

[dazey]

JFontaine:  Thanks for the info about your approved Travel Authorization.  Guess I will get on the phone tomorrow as I applied on 5/20 and emailed today with no response.  Glad for you; sad for me.  Hopefully I will be able to get off the 6/19 cruise in Bermuda.

[Joesantos]

A couple we met pre cruise hotel never got onboard on may 12 because testing didn’t go through!

   Our test results were late, thanks cvs so had to do airport test out $250!  
 Tested 3 times prior cruise all negative came home from Bermuda cruise both have Covid-19!

   Got off ship and packed in van to horseshoe beach wearing masks but nobody else!    

 

$40 per passengers multiple by 2,400 passengers equals $96,000.00 for Bermuda!  

 

 Crew not allowed of ship!

 

Bermuda not so nice!

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Joesantos said:

Tested 3 times prior cruise all negative came home from Bermuda cruise both have Covid-19!

   Got off ship and packed in van to horseshoe beach wearing masks but nobody else!    

 

 

That is the illogic of the Travel Authorization. The government claims it is for safety of Bermuda but it does not stop covid. Nothing can stop it. In Bermuda most transmission is community transmission. It is not from outside. Certainly all it is about now is collecting the $40. If people don't like it I suggest not booking Bermuda. 

[aloha_DC]

2 hours ago, JFontaine said:

For a cruise leaving on June 19, today at 3 pm I submitted our applications and by 6 pm I received the approved Travel Authorizations. 

Huh! I applied a week ago for a cruise leaving June 17 and nothing yet 🤷‍♀️

[JFontaine]

I don't know why I got lucky, but I followed the directions (not sure whose) to apply not earlier than 14 days before departure. Future cruisers might give that a try. 

[1025cruise]

Since when can the crew not get off? In April, I asked some crew and was told that if scheduling allowed, they were allowed off.

[dazey]

I called this morning and was #9 in line(maybe 6 minutes) and spoke to agent about my travel authorization approval for cruise on 6/19 and also explained my husband got his already and my concern.  She said it is random by a non-person and "you will get it".  Said to call again before 6/17.

 

I may call on 6/13.  

 

 

[aloha_DC]

25 minutes ago, dazey said:

I called this morning and was #9 in line(maybe 6 minutes) and spoke to agent about my travel authorization approval for cruise on 6/19 and also explained my husband got his already and my concern.  She said it is random by a non-person and "you will get it".  Said to call again before 6/17.

 

I may call on 6/13.  

 

 

Thanks for this. Guess I'll maybe call next week before my 6/17 departure if I don't get it by then

[flaca0604]

4 hours ago, dazey said:

I called this morning and was #9 in line(maybe 6 minutes) and spoke to agent about my travel authorization approval for cruise on 6/19 and also explained my husband got his already and my concern.  She said it is random by a non-person and "you will get it".  Said to call again before 6/17.

 

I may call on 6/13.  

 

 

I called this morning also, was #10 in line (about 8 minute wait) and also spoke to an agent about both my husband's and my travel authorization approval for our cruise on 06/19 that we had not received yet.   The agent asked me for the TA numbers and immediately emailed the approvals to me. 

 

[dazey]

Well I am going to have to call again and hopefully get a result like your did! Thanks for the incentive.