Update to Vaccination and Testing for some Southampton sailings effective September 6th

[Host Hattie]

Had this earlier for our Queen Victoria sailing next month -

 

From 6 September 2022, there will be some changes to our vaccination policy, and in addition, self‑testing prior to travel will change from ‘mandatory’ to ‘highly recommended’ for vaccinated guests on the majority of Cunard holidays, including yours. Only guests sailing on longer, or more complex itineraries, will be required to have an observed or in-person lateral flow/antigen test and provide a fit‑to‑travel certificate before departure.

 

Our new vaccination and testing policy comes into effect from 6 September 2022 onwards.

 

Vaccination requirements for your voyage.
For your voyage all guests aged 18 years and over need to be fully vaccinated* with an approved Covid‑19 vaccine a minimum of 14 days prior to travel. If more than 270 days (calculated from the last day of the cruise) have passed since the full completion of a vaccination course, a booster vaccine will also be needed and must be administered a minimum of seven days prior to travel.

Guests who have had one booster vaccine, regardless of the date, are considered fully vaccinated. At this time, a second booster vaccination is not required, however, we strongly recommend all guests to have booster vaccinations at the earliest opportunity, should they be available to them, in order to comply with evolving vaccine policies from the countries we visit.

Guests 17 years of age and under are not required to be vaccinated.

*The definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is having completed an approved (by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL)) two‑dose Covid‑19 vaccination course, or the approved single‑dose Janssen Covid‑19 vaccine (plus a booster if applicable 

 

Testing requirements for your voyage.
For your voyage, while testing is no longer mandatory, we highly recommend that all fully vaccinated guests aged five and over, take a Covid‑19 lateral flow/antigen test in the three days before, or on the day of your ship's departure.

Guests aged 5‑17 years who are not fully vaccinated will still need to take a Covid‑19 lateral flow/antigen test in the three days before, or on the day of your ship's departure. You’ll no longer need to provide a test certificate for these guests, but you must be able to provide photo evidence of your negative test if asked. Guests will also be asked to confirm that a test has been taken, with a negative result, as part of the pre‑boarding health declaration at the cruise terminal.

 

[GolfingBarbie]

The email I just received this morning is worded differently:

Testing requirements for your voyage.

For your voyage, an observed or in-person Covid‑19 lateral flow/antigen test must be organised and paid for in the two days before, or on the day of your ship's departure, for all guests aged five years and over. This test must be medically observed, via a mobile device or conducted in‑person by a government approved testing provider. Please note, testing facilities will not be available at the terminal. All guests aged five years and over will need to present a negative test certificate (fit‑to‑fly/travel certificate) at the cruise terminal.

[Host Hattie]

Where are you sailing from ? If it's from Southampton it sounds as if your sailing is being treated as a more complex sailing.

We're on a round trip to the Mediterranean.

[GolfingBarbie]

Our back-to-back QM2 cruises are out of Southampton starting on 9/11.

[Host Hattie]

Interesting, thanks.

Is it booked as one sailing ? That sounds like the wording for US departures.

 

[Petulia]

I also have received the same email as Host Hattie but can’t see any reference to providing proof of being ‘fully vaccinated’. 
 

Folks have previously mentioned having to download an NHS App to have access to this these details.
 

Is this no longer a requirement do you think?  🤨

[manwithlantern]

Received email this morning with same language as GolfingBarbie for M229F transatlantic departing Le Havre for NYC on September 16.  There must be a Hamburg segment between 9/11 and 9/16, thus a "complex" itinerary, though why that requires an antigen test and a plain transatlantic does not escapes me.

[exlondoner]

11 minutes ago, Petulia said:

I also have received the same email as Host Hattie but can’t see any reference to providing proof of being ‘fully vaccinated’. 
 

Folks have previously mentioned having to download an NHS App to have access to this these details.
 

Is this no longer a requirement do you think?  🤨

 

You don't need the NHS app. You can ring up and get it sent in the post.

[BigMac1953]

Best to have both APP and hard copy status details.

 

Cautionary tale:

 

Our daughter was in Dubai a few months ago and went to a restaurant for lunch. She had to show the APP to confirm her vaccination status. They enjoyed lunch and decided to book a table for dinner later that evening.

 

On return to the restaurant, shock, horror, her phone battery had run out and she couldn't prove her status, despite showing it to the manager a few hours earlier, and she had to leave.

[exlondoner]

23 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

Best to have both APP and hard copy status details.

 

Cautionary tale:

 

Our daughter was in Dubai a few months ago and went to a restaurant for lunch. She had to show the APP to confirm her vaccination status. They enjoyed lunch and decided to book a table for dinner later that evening.

 

On return to the restaurant, shock, horror, her phone battery had run out and she couldn't prove her status, despite showing it to the manager a few hours earlier, and she had to leave.

 

I can see that would be a reason for not relying on the app, but why bother with it all all? Why not just have the paper version?

[MJC]

We got a similar email this morning but it was tailored to our NY departure next month  heading to Canada, which requires a pre-embarkation test. 

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, manwithlantern said:

Received email this morning with same language as GolfingBarbie for M229F transatlantic departing Le Havre for NYC on September 16.  There must be a Hamburg segment between 9/11 and 9/16, thus a "complex" itinerary, though why that requires an antigen test and a plain transatlantic does not escapes me.

 

Well, I have to say this does strike me as a bit odd. I'm not sure why a 7-night itinerary directly from Le Havre to New York constitutes a complex itinerary or one where government regulations require testing. The preceding 5-night segment is to Zeebrugge, Rotterdam and Southampton. I wouldn't think that's relevant to your voyage. Under the previous guidelines (updated July 21st), my understanding is your itinerary would have been eligible for a self test rather than an observed test because it departs from Europe.

Of course Cunard is entitled to specify whatever testing requirements they deem appropriate for any given itinerary. And they have stated they are contacting everyone whose voyage's requirements differ from what's stated on the website. It just seems like they are muddying the waters here by requiring an observed test for a 7-night crossing from Le Havre to New York.

[TheOldBear]

No emails from Cunard - with a Brooklyn departure date of 25 October, there is plenty of time for several rule changes.

[Underwatr]

Two Cunard press releases on the Carnival Corporation and plc website, both dated August 12. One appears to be targeted to the US market and the other to the UK/rest of the world, but they contain the same language aside from minor differences in contact information. I suppose it contains the same changes being communicated in emails.

 

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cunard-updates-covid-19-travel-requirements-0
https://www.carnivalcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cunard-updates-covid-19-travel-requirements

 

Cunard updates Covid-19 travel requirements

• From Tuesday, September 6, 2022 self-testing prior to travel will change from "mandatory" to "highly recommended" for vaccinated guests on the vast majority of voyages.
• Only guests sailing on longer, more complex itineraries will be required to have an observed or in person antigen or PCR test with a fit to travel certificate prior to departure. These include a number of sailings of 16 nights or more and other specific voyages.
• These new guidelines apply to all Cunard itineraries sailing from Southampton, England, and all other departure points, with the exception of countries where government regulations and protocols may vary including Canada and Australia.
• The vaccination policy for Cunard guests remains the same and full details can be found at: Our assurance to you (cunard.com)

• Exact requirements will be communicated to all guests in due course with the latest updates on www.cunard.com from early September.

• All the updated guidelines and protocols are subject to local regulations of applicable homeports and destinations.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Underwatr

[Bedruthen]

Enhanced requires supervised Covid test. Having Canada ports on the itinerary requires this. 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Bedruthen

[Bedruthen]

3 hours ago, manwithlantern said:

Received email this morning with same language as GolfingBarbie for M229F transatlantic departing Le Havre for NYC on September 16.  There must be a Hamburg segment between 9/11 and 9/16, thus a "complex" itinerary, though why that requires an antigen test and a plain transatlantic does not escapes me.

I think it is because you are on a segment of a cruise which includes Canadian ports, where  tests are still necessary. It would be difficult to have a cruise where some people have to test and others don’t. Maybe?

[Host Hattie]

Seems a bit harsh if anyone is on M229A !

[bluemarble]

59 minutes ago, Bedruthen said:

I think it is because you are on a segment of a cruise which includes Canadian ports, where  tests are still necessary. It would be difficult to have a cruise where some people have to test and others don’t. Maybe?

 

I'll buy that logic. Since some of those boarding in Southampton on 15 Sept or Le Havre on 16 Sept will be sailing to Canada (which requires an observed pre-embarkation test), Cunard has apparently decided everyone boarding then requires an observed test regardless of their actual destination. It does indeed seem a bit harsh for those on the shorter voyages disembarking before Canada but then I suppose mine is not to reason why.

 

If I'm not being too nosey, may I ask where you found that chart of "Standard" and "Enhanced" voyages? Is it posted on the Cunard website or is it from a travel agent site we can't really discuss here?

Edited August 24, 2022 by bluemarble

[hope2]

This just gets more ridiculous. Are they saying we need an observed test to do Southampton to Le Havre and then another Le Havre to New York a day later? If so they can take a running jump. 

I am already so over trying to find somewhere for non U.S citizens to get tested in NYC

[Host Hattie]

I wouldn't think so, it will be 1 test at your original boarding point.

[hope2]

Ah sorry just read it properly now, the 8 day transatlantic is on there as well. Presumably that doesn't mean 2 tests😂 

Still makes no sense as the cruise won’t reach Canada until what 10 days later when everyone could be positive.

Edited August 24, 2022 by hope2

[D&N]

I'm intrigued as to whether they actually sold M229A to anyone.

A different experience from Brittany Ferries!

 

[hrhdhd]

I am on M229 (no Canadian ports) and got the e-mail about the revision. Bummer.

[exlondoner]

13 hours ago, D&N said:

I'm intrigued as to whether they actually sold M229A to anyone.

A different experience from Brittany Ferries!

 

 

Maybe not that different. Isn't the food in the BF restaurants supposed to be very good?

[D&N]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Maybe not that different. Isn't the food in the BF restaurants supposed to be very good?

I've heard that. We only used P&O Ferries from Portsmouth and once with Stena in the brief period that they operated Southampton-Cherbourg.

I think their ferry leaves quite late at night, so might be too late for dinner.