Covid Recovery Certificate

[Tricialy]

Has anyone used a Covid Recovery Certificate to board a cruise since they added the option?  I'm somewhat worried about getting to the Port (Southampton) and the staff not knowing about the recent change.

Thanks!!

 

 

[mmooreark]

It seems to have just changed in the last week or so for them to start accepting this recovery letter. I'm leaving on our cruise in 3 weeks, so I'm hoping they know about it by then.

Edited June 4, 2022 by mmooreark

[barbuda]

Please let us know if the COVID recovery letter is accepted for embarkation and disembarkation on your return.  We have one in our group of 6 that just tested postive (very very mild syptoms) and hope that this will alleviate some of the required neg testing that has to happen.

[hogie23]

I have the same question for US citizens. Cruising in 3 weeks and justed tested positive with mild symptoms. Planning on getting my recovery letter next week.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, hogie23 said:

I have the same question for US citizens. Cruising in 3 weeks and justed tested positive with mild symptoms. Planning on getting my recovery letter next week.

As long as you understand the exact requirements. Positive test with report (not a home test). Etc.

 

Things to consider (1) actually getting the note - our doctor hates doing anything like that because it creates liability on him and his practice; (2) Ensuring that all ports will accept that letter close to your cruise date - some still don’t. 

[JandC_Cruising]

37 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

(2) Ensuring that all ports will accept that letter close to your cruise date - some still don’t. 

This is a great point!  Bermuda, for example requires the negative test per their rules.   A doctor’s recovery note will not work for the current Bermuda cruises.

[TVLady3]

On 6/4/2022 at 6:11 PM, JandC_Cruising said:

This is a great point!  Bermuda, for example requires the negative test per their rules.   A doctor’s recovery note will not work for the current Bermuda cruises.

You can still board the ship, BUT you can not get off when docked in Bermuda! You must stay on the ship.

[BklynBorn47]

7 hours ago, TVLady3 said:

You can still board the ship, BUT you can not get off when docked in Bermuda! You must stay on the ship.

Have the rules changed since we boarded the Escape in NYC on April 25th?

Bermuda was our first port.  There was a Bermuda representative there and people were NOT being allowed to board even if they did not intend to get off the ship.  Negative test, paper work forms and $40 per person required.

[Boiler_Cruiser]

The test also must be a PCR test. The Antigen and NAAT won't be accepted. I verified it this morning with NCL. I tested positive yesterday with an NAAT and went back and had a PCR this morning. I cruise on 7/31. 

[lbrandon]

My husband had covid two weeks ago and has a doctor's note and copy of positive PCR test result to bring for our 6/12 cruise. He is now testing negative on the rapid antigen test and will still do the pre-cruise test but we are bringing it as a backup just in case. Doctor sent the note right away when he requested it. It seemed like they were used to these requests now for travel.

Edited June 7, 2022 by lbrandon

[Colorado Buffalo]

5 hours ago, lbrandon said:

My husband had covid two weeks ago and has a doctor's note and copy of positive PCR test result to bring for our 6/12 cruise. He is now testing negative on the rapid antigen test and will still do the pre-cruise test but we are bringing it as a backup just in case. Doctor sent the note right away when he requested it. It seemed like they were used to these requests now for travel.

Can I ask what did the doctors note say? Is it just a confirmation he tested positive?

[lbrandon]

15 hours ago, Colorado Buffalo said:

Can I ask what did the doctors note say? Is it just a confirmation he tested positive?

Very short letter only a few lines long.

 

To Whom It May Concern,

 

XXXX was seen in my office on XX/XX/XXXX via tele visit. He tested positive for Covid on XX/XX/XXXX. Took Paxlovid for treatment. Recovered well from Covid. It is my medical opinion that XXXX may travel without at restrictions.

 

Signed by doctor. 

 

They posted it in his MyChart account online so he could print it out for travel.

[cruise603]

I looked at 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

and can’t find anything about recovery letter. I don’t think that NCL will accept it.

[ColeThornton]

8 minutes ago, cruise603 said:

I looked at 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

and can’t find anything about recovery letter. I don’t think that NCL will accept it.

 

 

It's addressed in the FAQ section of your link.

 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe#sail-safe-faq

[bluesea777]

On 6/5/2022 at 11:25 PM, TVLady3 said:

You can still board the ship, BUT you can not get off when docked in Bermuda! You must stay on the ship.

No, I don’t think so! You cannot board the ship going to Bermuda without BTA approval AND a negative test result. Period. 
 

There is no mention of recovery letter in BTA. 
 

Do an Antigen test rather than PCR/NAAT. The antigen tests are weaker than PCR/NAAT … better chances of being negative to go on cruise.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by bluesea777

[cruise603]

On 6/13/2022 at 8:32 AM, ColeThornton said:

 

 

It's addressed in the FAQ section of your link.

 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe#sail-safe-faq

Thank you, somehow I did not see it couple days ago.

[Broadwaybb]

I don’t understand why it would have to be a PCR when they accept antigen for everything else. Chat just told me antigen is fine, but I don’t know. I really would prefer to use this recovery certificate than take the pre cruise test.

[Karaboudjan]

16 minutes ago, Broadwaybb said:

I don’t understand why it would have to be a PCR when they accept antigen for everything else. Chat just told me antigen is fine, but I don’t know. I really would prefer to use this recovery certificate than take the pre cruise test.

 

Isn't the standard procedure to confirm a positive antigen test with a PCR?  I would think that a doctor would want a PCR result before certifying that someone in fact had COVID.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

Isn't the standard procedure to confirm a positive antigen test with a PCR?  I would think that a doctor would want a PCR result before certifying that someone in fact had COVID.

 

Not all. There are doctors who don't even need to see patients in person before writing a covid exemption. 

[Mlake09]

7 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

Isn't the standard procedure to confirm a positive antigen test with a PCR?  I would think that a doctor would want a PCR result before certifying that someone in fact had COVID.

I got Covid on our end-of-April cruise (along with half the ship!), but my doctor told me I didn’t need the PCR to confirm it. We’re traveling again in July (within the 90 day window) and now I wish I had the Pcr because NCL told me the doctor’s note is not enough.

[Broadwaybb]

My understanding is that you are much more likely to get a negative result on an antigen test and still potentially have Covid than a positive result when you don’t have it. Of course there are false positives, but the PCR is much more sensitive and will pick it up easier. I would think it would be safe to assume a positive lab confirmed antigen test and doctor’s note would be enough for boarding, but that isn’t what’s stated on the site which I find a little confusing. The US entry testing allowed for antigen results when that was required. I don’t understand why NCL would have different rules for this, but I don’t want to take a chance and be denied boarding. I guess I’ll just put those Emed tests to use. I went to the trouble of seeing my doctor for the certificate of recovery and bugging the office for weeks when they kept forgetting to send it to me, so I would like to make use of this, but oh well. 

[Kaitlyn2]

I had covid late May and got a PCR test on June 4th - showed positive still and my doctor wrote the letter the next day.  I had emailed my doctor with the exact wording needed off the CDC website.  We leave July 3rd out of Southampton and I'm expecting (hoping) NCL will accept the test result and the doctor's letter.  The rest of our party will need to get rapid antigen tests when we land in England as we are coming in 3 days early.  

[apietros]

1 minute ago, Kaitlyn2 said:

I had covid late May and got a PCR test on June 4th - showed positive still and my doctor wrote the letter the next day.  I had emailed my doctor with the exact wording needed off the CDC website.  We leave July 3rd out of Southampton and I'm expecting (hoping) NCL will accept the test result and the doctor's letter.  The rest of our party will need to get rapid antigen tests when we land in England as we are coming in 3 days early.  

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question - and I am absolutely not trying to be sarcastic (I truly am curious) ..... why would you not just take an Antigen test like everyone else?

[bluesea777]

1 hour ago, apietros said:

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question - and I am absolutely not trying to be sarcastic (I truly am curious) ..... why would you not just take an Antigen test like everyone else?

 

Exactly! We (party of 4) contracted covid while on the Joy at the end of March, but didn't test positive on the antigen test until after we got home to Bermuda. None of us bothered to take a PCR test. A week and a half later we all finally tested negative and were able to go out grocery shopping/back to work.

 

Two in the same party went away again earlier this month - to USA - and their pre-departure antigen tests were negative. 

 

Our next cruise is in 4 weeks' time and it's a NCL one leaving Reykjavik, we'll just take pre-boarding Antigen test. 

 

A recovery letter costs $$$ plus you need to take PCR test which also cost $$$, and that become worthless after 90 days. 

 

Anyway, Bermuda Travel Authorization do not accept recovery letters, they just want negative test results, period. So best test to take is the Antigen ones.

 

 

[bluesea777]

1 hour ago, Kaitlyn2 said:

I had covid late May and got a PCR test on June 4th - showed positive still and my doctor wrote the letter the next day.  I had emailed my doctor with the exact wording needed off the CDC website.  We leave July 3rd out of Southampton and I'm expecting (hoping) NCL will accept the test result and the doctor's letter.  The rest of our party will need to get rapid antigen tests when we land in England as we are coming in 3 days early.  

 

I hope you are you planning on taking an antigen test ANYWAY with the rest of the party when you arrive in England?