New Rules for Bermuda Cruise passengers. Aka this will affect my Beyond cruise in October

[Turtles06]

42 minutes ago, jelayne said:

While the verbiage in the body of the document says one thing the chart has not changed and there is no notation that the on board test is only for those wishing to get off the ship.

 

I understand what you are saying, but the chart describes itself as a "summary table" of requirements.  The actual written language (what you called the "verbiage") in the body of the document has more specifics/details.  And with respect to testing when the ship takes more than 4 days to reach Bermuda, it very specifically says:  "passengers wishing to get off the ship in Bermuda must take another supervised COVID-19 test on board, no more than 2 days before arrival to Bermuda."   It doesn't say everyone must take that test, only those "wishing to get off the ship in Bermuda."

 

Also, this is new language and very different from the language that previously existed regarding testing when a ship takes more than 4 days to arrive in Bermuda.  The old language, from the June 3, 2022 rules, said: 

 

"Cruise voyages that take more than 4 days to get to Bermuda from the embarkation port:

All passengers regardless of vaccination status must undergo a further supervised antigen or COVID-19 NAAT on-board, by the ships medical team, no more than 2 days before passengers are to come ashore in Bermuda."

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20220803232710/https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

 

The prior language specifically required "all passengers" to be tested on board (and made no mention of their desire to disembark or not).  The new language specifically turns on the passenger's desire to get off the ship in Bermuda, and says those wanting to get off in Bermuda must take a test.

 

 

[canderson]

@Turtles06

Yup, that new added language didn't appear by accident.  

Could conceivably reduce the load on Medical enough to make testing practical without a big staff-up if enough choose to stay aboard.  However, after four days at sea after Ponta Delgada, bet a lot will want to put their toes in the sand, so to speak.

 

[RichYak]

4 minutes ago, canderson said:

Could conceivably reduce the load on Medical enough to make testing practical without a big staff-up if enough choose to stay aboard.

I doubt that insufficient staffing is the reason for a cruise line's reluctance to mass test its passengers well into a voyage.

[canderson]

Just now, RichYak said:

I doubt that insufficient staffing is the reason for a cruise line's reluctance to mass test its passengers well into a voyage.

I really doubt they want to discover and quarantine all of the previously undiscovered positives, too (I assume thats what youre driving at), but this would lower the other logistical bar a little bit.

[canderson]

4 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I doubt that insufficient staffing is the reason for a cruise line's reluctance to mass test its passengers well into a voyage.

If fact, the curious but impractical side of me would be fascinated to discover what the real % positive is on one of these cruises.  It's a data point that X has never had except for crew, and they don't publish those.  Crew just disappear mid-cruise.  I assume they're still doing regular testing now.

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, canderson said:

I really doubt they want to discover and quarantine all of the previously undiscovered positives, too (I assume thats what youre driving at), but this would lower the other logistical bar a little bit.

That is what I'm driving at. It could result in a large number of partial refunds that can be avoided by an itinerary change. There is also the possibility that the test requirement could impact passenger behavior--they could choose not to go ashore in Bermuda just to avoid the test. It's difficult to predict.

[RichYak]

2 minutes ago, canderson said:

If fact, the curious but impractical side of me would be fascinated to discover what the real % positive is on one of these cruises.  It's a data point that X has never had except for crew, and they don't publish those.  Crew just disappear mid-cruise.  I assume they're still doing regular testing now.

I think the B2B testing requirement gives them a clear enough picture.

[canderson]

1 minute ago, RichYak said:

That is what I'm driving at. It could result in a large number of partial refunds that can be avoided by an itinerary change. There is also the possibility that the test requirement could impact passenger behavior--they could choose not to go ashore in Bermuda just to avoid the test. It's difficult to predict.

Beyond the partial refunds, there is the potential problem of a much larger number of pax to service with food, wellness checks, etc. in quarantine.  They've already had struggles with this with 'normal' numbers of pax in quarantine.

[canderson]

3 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I think the B2B testing requirement gives them a clear enough picture.

Many B2B pax have been so paranoid about B2B testing that I'm not sure they're a representative sample.  Many have reported taking a lot of extra precautions on earlier legs.  And 50 or so out of thousands may not be a sufficient sample size.

[rrraydon]

Well, I didn’t win the “guess the date of RCI unvaxxed and testing update” but I’m very happy they updated today!!

 

Healthy Sail Center

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All Guests, All Aboard

Updated August 22, 2022 | Effective September 5, 2022 

 

We’re making it easier for more guests to sail with Royal Caribbean.

 

Unvaccinated travelers can join us for almost all U.S. sailings.

Starting with September 5^thdepartures, guests who are not vaccinated can sail on almost all cruises from the U.S. (except itineraries that visit Canada or Bermuda). More details. 
 

Testing protocols will be easier

Starting with September 5^th, for U.S. cruises that don’t visit Canada or Bermuda: 
 

• Vaccinated guests won’t have to take a pre-cruise test on cruises that are shorter than 10 nights.
• Unvaccinated guests age 5 and up will need to test within 3 days before boarding, regardless of cruise length.
• We will begin accepting results from self-administered home tests. See full testing details

Requirements in other regions

Starting September 5th, guests who are not vaccinated can also sail on European cruises. Currently published testing and vaccination requirements remain in place for cruises from Australia and Singapore; cruises that depart from or visit Canada or Bermuda; and transatlantic sailings, until further notice. 

To see current protocols by port of departure, visit our Getting Ready to Cruise page.

[RichYak]

7 minutes ago, canderson said:

Beyond the partial refunds, there is the potential problem of a much larger number of pax to service with food, wellness checks, etc. in quarantine.  They've already had struggles with this with 'normal' numbers of pax in quarantine.

Yes, but one is a ship problem, the other is a Miami problem. Miami will decide whether or not to change the itineraries.

4 minutes ago, canderson said:

Many B2B pax have been so paranoid about B2B testing that I'm not sure they're a representative sample.  Many have reported taking a lot of extra precautions on earlier legs.  And 50 or so out of thousands may not be a sufficient sample size.

Multiply that across all sailings and I think it's plenty. B2B pax may all think they're taking extra precautions, but avoiding elevators does nothing. Once that N-95 mask comes off to enjoy a meal, everything they worked for is moot.

[RichYak]

8 minutes ago, rrraydon said:

Well, I didn’t win the “guess the date of RCI unvaxxed and testing update” but I’m very happy they updated today!!

Great news!

[canderson]

6 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Yes, but one is a ship problem, the other is a Miami problem. Miami will decide whether or not to change the itineraries.

Both would be Miami problems.  Miami would also have to add medical (Bermuda requirement) staff in Europe for what would effectively be a 13 night one-way contract (with pre-cruise travel or post-cruise repatriation) to get the job done if most pax choose to disembark.  Wouldn't think existing medical staff have that much extra time on their hands to perform a few thousand extra tests.

 

It's going to be a cost both ways.

 

[RichYak]

23 minutes ago, canderson said:

Miami would also have to add medical (Bermuda requirement) staff in Europe for what would effectively be a 13 night one-way contract (with pre-cruise travel or post-cruise repatriation) to get the job done if most pax choose to disembark.

If that's how it works, then IMO Bermuda will certainly be skipped. As an alternative, X could offer Binax AG proctored tests for purchase on board to those that would like to visit Bermuda. That would require no additional staff and cut way back on pax going ashore in Bermuda.

 

EDIT: Re-reading the Bermuda site says the test must be supervised by the ship's medical team. So never mind about the Binax idea.

Edited August 22, 2022 by RichYak
Never mind about the Binax idea

[canderson]

7 minutes ago, RichYak said:

If that's how it works, then IMO Bermuda will certainly be skipped. As an alternative, X could offer Binax AG proctored tests for purchase on board to those that would like to visit Bermuda. That would require no additional staff and cut way back on pax going ashore in Bermuda.

Right.  They'd all need functional streaming internet, too!

[RichYak]

Just now, canderson said:

Right.  They'd all need functional streaming internet, too!

Read my edit above.

[GRBlizz]

I might have missed it before, but I see the pre-cruise testing requirement now specifies that the test be done at a facility, not just "supervised." As we will be spending most of the days prior to the cruise travelling to England from the US, I had been planning to use one of the telemed supervised tests. This wrinkle complicates things! I guess we have to find a testing place in Southampton, ugh.

Hubby has been to Bermuda a few times (I have not), and he is definitely not inclined to go through all these hoops....

[canderson]

1 minute ago, RichYak said:

Read my edit above.

Yup.  That's been there all along.  I joked in some thread that 'deputizing' a few cooks wasn't an option. 😄

[RichYak]

3 minutes ago, GRBlizz said:

I might have missed it before, but I see the pre-cruise testing requirement now specifies that the test be done at a facility, not just "supervised."

"A valid pre-travel COVID-19 test must be a COVID-19 NAAT test listed below or a supervised antigen test."

 

https://www.gov.bm/covid-19-tests-accepted-bermuda

Edited August 22, 2022 by RichYak
Source link added

[GRBlizz]

14 minutes ago, RichYak said:

"A valid pre-travel COVID-19 test must be a COVID-19 NAAT test listed below or a supervised antigen test."

 

https://www.gov.bm/covid-19-tests-accepted-bermuda

A valid pre-arrival test result must meet the following standards:

• The COVID-19 test type must be indicated on the test result: RT-PCR, Rapid PCR, RT-LAMP, Antigen, 
• The test must be performed by an accredited laboratory, healthcare provider or pharmacy

 

If this accreditation includes EMed, then great. Additional complication - the rules say that the test must be performed no more than four days before departure from the prior port, not the start of the cruise. Of course we will be at sea for most of those four days before leaving Tenerife. So now we have to find a way to get tested on a port day, or else clarify that the EMed supervision counts for Vaxed passsengers. Yuck.

[mfs2k]

I really hope either Bermuda changes their rules again, or Celebrity decides Bermuda is too much of a hassle and cancels the port stop there. 

[RichYak]

30 minutes ago, GRBlizz said:

If this accreditation includes EMed, then great.

It does.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Does this mean that is we choose not to get off the ship in Bermuda we do not have to pay their $40 fee?  Previously, it was required in order to even board the ship.  Life would be so much simpler if Celebrity would just skip Bermuda!

[njhorseman]

23 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Does this mean that is we choose not to get off the ship in Bermuda we do not have to pay their $40 fee?  Previously, it was required in order to even board the ship.  Life would be so much simpler if Celebrity would just skip Bermuda!

No, you still need the approved Bermuda Travel Authorization so you have to pay the $40 fee.

[verizon]

I haven't been to Bermuda.

I just do not think paying $40.00 worth the visit to the third world country.