Bermuda Covid protocol

[penny56]

Hi, traveling Oct 3 on 5 days Bermuda cruise with NCL. Any current Bermuda cruiser can answer this question: do we need to prove health insurance if you are vaccinated & double boosted?? I am confused because the emails sent are contradicting. 
 

[shof515]

insurance is only needed for unvaccinated

 

 

[schmoopie17]

Our November 1st TA just changed the itinerary, dropping Bermuda for an additional stop in the Azores.

 

A number of people from our Roll Call page (as well as the site that cannot be named) conducted an email campaign to the CEO of NCL asking that Bermuda be dropped, due to their inane rules.

 

Bermuda was the final stop on a 16 day cruise, one which would have been only seven hours, and would have required a lot of hoop-jumping. It was an afterthought to most of us, as we booked this cruise to see Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Bermuda was just someplace to break up the sea days.

 

Now we have no testing requirements for our entire cruise (we would have been required to be tested before embarking in Rome, three weeks before landing in Bermuda). That was followed by an additional test (at $95 per person) to be done two days before landing there. Not to mention the ridiculous $40 money grab.

 

We are breathing a sigh of relief. Christmas has come early. 

[Treasure Hunter]

That's great. We are on an 8 day NY to Bahamas in February with a stupid stop in Bermuda on the way home. In February it's only good for intrepid golfers. It really complicates things. I hope they drop it for us too and stay down south longer.

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, penny56 said:

Hi, traveling Oct 3 on 5 days Bermuda cruise with NCL. Any current Bermuda cruiser can answer this question: do we need to prove health insurance if you are vaccinated & double boosted?? I am confused because the emails sent are contradicting. 
 

 

The best place to go for the correct answer to questions like this is the Bermuda Travel Authorization site itself, which contains the up to date rules:

 

https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

 

As you can see, only the unvaxxed or not fully vaxxed need to have proof of travel health insurance.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, penny56 said:

Hi, traveling Oct 3 on 5 days Bermuda cruise with NCL. Any current Bermuda cruiser can answer this question: do we need to prove health insurance if you are vaccinated & double boosted?? I am confused because the emails sent are contradicting. 
 

It is essential that you follow the instructions provide to you by the cruise line. In many cases, the cruise lines may have more restrictive requirements. And failure to abide by those cruise line requirements will result in the denial of boarding. And protocols are constantly changing. 

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

 

For your consideration, while Cruise Critic is a great source of information, a lot of the "good advice" people are providing regarding current COVID protocols is incorrect. 

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by BirdTravels

[spanishguy1970]

We had this stop in November and thankfully we have just been informed that they removed Bermuda from the itinerary.

[uneamie]

7 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Our November 1st TA just changed the itinerary, dropping Bermuda for an additional stop in the Azores.

 

A number of people from our Roll Call page (as well as the site that cannot be named) conducted an email campaign to the CEO of NCL asking that Bermuda be dropped, due to their inane rules.

 

Bermuda was the final stop on a 16 day cruise, one which would have been only seven hours, and would have required a lot of hoop-jumping. It was an afterthought to most of us, as we booked this cruise to see Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Bermuda was just someplace to break up the sea days.

 

Now we have no testing requirements for our entire cruise (we would have been required to be tested before embarking in Rome, three weeks before landing in Bermuda). That was followed by an additional test (at $95 per person) to be done two days before landing there. Not to mention the ridiculous $40 money grab.

 

We are breathing a sigh of relief. Christmas has come early. 

$95 per person for testing is insane! What could possibly be the reason for such a high price when I can get one here at our pharmacy for $20. It's just another way to make money and is shameful to me considering all the world has been through this past few years due to Covid. 

[spanishguy1970]

7 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Our November 1st TA just changed the itinerary, dropping Bermuda for an additional stop in the Azores.

 

A number of people from our Roll Call page (as well as the site that cannot be named) conducted an email campaign to the CEO of NCL asking that Bermuda be dropped, due to their inane rules.

 

Bermuda was the final stop on a 16 day cruise, one which would have been only seven hours, and would have required a lot of hoop-jumping. It was an afterthought to most of us, as we booked this cruise to see Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Bermuda was just someplace to break up the sea days.

 

Now we have no testing requirements for our entire cruise (we would have been required to be tested before embarking in Rome, three weeks before landing in Bermuda). That was followed by an additional test (at $95 per person) to be done two days before landing there. Not to mention the ridiculous $40 money grab.

 

We are breathing a sigh of relief. Christmas has come early. 

We are on the same cruise. We are also breathing a sigh of relief

[seanwg]

7 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Our November 1st TA just changed the itinerary, dropping Bermuda for an additional stop in the Azores.

 

A number of people from our Roll Call page (as well as the site that cannot be named) conducted an email campaign to the CEO of NCL asking that Bermuda be dropped, due to their inane rules.

 

Bermuda was the final stop on a 16 day cruise, one which would have been only seven hours, and would have required a lot of hoop-jumping. It was an afterthought to most of us, as we booked this cruise to see Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Bermuda was just someplace to break up the sea days.

 

Now we have no testing requirements for our entire cruise (we would have been required to be tested before embarking in Rome, three weeks before landing in Bermuda). That was followed by an additional test (at $95 per person) to be done two days before landing there. Not to mention the ridiculous $40 money grab.

 

We are breathing a sigh of relief. Christmas has come early. 

 

 

Hi

 

I got the email last night also.  I  booked this cruise, just for Bermuda and was planning on leaving the cruise in Bermuda, to stay a week or so then fly back to Canada from there.

 

How can certain people conduct an email campaign, to the CEO of NCL to change the plan? I've never done a transatlantic crossing, so now 5 days at sea now out of 16? 

 

Sean

 

PS: I found this site, actually searching for why Bermuda was bypassed. Yes the Bermuda TA form/fee/testing is a total waste, but Canada also has stupid ArriveCan also. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by seanwg
spelling

[schmoopie17]

6 minutes ago, seanwg said:

 

How can certain people conduct an email campaign, to the CEO of NCL to change the plan? I've never done a transatlantic crossing, so now 5 days at sea now out of 16? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure I understand the question, but several of us suggested writing to the CEO and many did. Although, realistically, I highly doubt that a bunch of emails would cause the CEO to order a cruise ship to instantly change ports. Such an action must have already been in the works, as it would be a major undertaking to drop a port and go to another one. The logistics of such a move would be huge.

[seanwg]

I found the posting on here, where Harrys email was shared, and I emailed him my thoughts.

 

I booked this cruise specifically for the stop in Bermuda. 

 

I'm not a big cruiser;  in the past I did Alaska, and a Pacific coastal one. 

 

I lived in Bermuda for 10 years; and the little stop I was planning on having lunch with the gentleman I  used to work for down there. It was his 65 birthday this year that I missed due to all the "stupid" covid procedures. Its been along 3 years and I am doing this trip solo.

 

It seems like there are allot of people on here celebrating the drop of the stop, or complaining about the costs. $100, on this trip, is literally a drop in the ocean and having the stop, would be a great way to get off not just for us passengers but also the crew.

 

Anyways, I'll see what happens but I'm not a happy camper.

 

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by seanwg
spelling.

[Sundiego]

46 minutes ago, seanwg said:

I found the posting on here, where Harrys email was shared, and I emailed him my thoughts.

 

I booked this cruise specifically for the stop in Bermuda. 

 

I'm not a big cruiser;  in the past I did Alaska, and a Pacific coastal one. 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. I'm trying to "do the math" here. You are flying all the way to Rome to take a 16-night cruise just to go to Bermuda? 

 

~Denise

[seanwg]

3 minutes ago, Sundiego said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic. I'm trying to "do the math" here. You are flying all the way to Rome to take a 16-night cruise just to go to Bermuda? 

 

~Denise

 I was planning on departing in Bermuda, staying a week then heading back to Canada.

 

 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, seanwg said:

I got the email last night also.  I  booked this cruise, just for Bermuda and was planning on leaving the cruise in Bermuda, to stay a week or so then fly back to Canada from there.

You need to plan for the contingencies before deciding that you are going to disembark the cruise early.

 

You can't just decide the walk off the ship and stay in Bermuda. Have you gotten permission to disembark in Bermuda from NCL ? You have to be cleared by Bermuda's immigration authorities and NCL has to inform Bermuda that you will be disembarking and receive their permission.

 

What if you were told you couldn't disembark in Bermuda?

 

What if the ship had to miss Bermuda due to weather conditions, which is not unheard of? Mechanical or other operational difficulties could also mean missing a port call.

 

This close to the embarkation date you're subject to substantial cancellation penalties if you were to decide to not take the cruise.

 

 

 

 

[seanwg]

Yes, when I booked the cruise, I specifically asked could I get off in Bermuda, and yes no problem.

 

I'm a Canadian citizen. Bermuda doesn't care. NCL doesn't care, just as long as I'm settled up before departing.

 

The circumstances your talking about yes thats fine, but per the other messages on here, other cruisers for whatever reason lobbied the CEO to take Bermuda off, this cruise - which was part of the marketing of it!

 

Things change thats fine, but there are also consequences to this change. I'm going to contact others in Bermuda, about this.

 

Yes the TA stuff in Bermuda is -- well, a tax grab but the entire cruise industry and taxes? Do you want to even go there? 

 

There is another cruise in  few weeks - by another cruise ship. I wonder what the story here will be?

 

https://*****.com/ey2cfss6

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Travelling2Some]

16 hours ago, spanishguy1970 said:

We had this stop in November and thankfully we have just been informed that they removed Bermuda from the itinerary.

Bermuda was just dropped from our transatlantic as well (New York to Lisbon Nov.3 departure).  Newport has been substituted.  We are VERY pleased with the change.  Bermuda's requirements were causing needless stress and expense for those of us who just want to get to the European ports on our itinerary.  I am not on the "other site" and had no idea there was a letter writing effort to NCL about this. 

 

In general, it is not a good idea to book a cruise for one port since there is always a possibility you will not make that port.  I am VERY surprised to hear that NCL had no problem with someone disembarking in Bermuda.  That has been contrary to their policy and they have been quite rigid about it from what I've seen on these boards.  Even in the "before times" they would not even let us leave the ship overnight in one port and catch up with the ship the next day in the next port.  Both ports were in Spain and were only two hours apart by car. 

[Catchum]

16 hours ago, seanwg said:

Yes, when I booked the cruise, I specifically asked could I get off in Bermuda, and yes no problem.

 

I'm a Canadian citizen. Bermuda doesn't care. NCL doesn't care, just as long as I'm settled up before departing.

 

The circumstances your talking about yes thats fine, but per the other messages on here, other cruisers for whatever reason lobbied the CEO to take Bermuda off, this cruise - which was part of the marketing of it!

 

Things change thats fine, but there are also consequences to this change. I'm going to contact others in Bermuda, about this.

 

Yes the TA stuff in Bermuda is -- well, a tax grab but the entire cruise industry and taxes? Do you want to even go there? 

 

There is another cruise in  few weeks - by another cruise ship. I wonder what the story here will be?

 

https://*****.com/ey2cfss6

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our TA Barcelona to NY in December has also dropped Bermuda and we could not be happier. The stress of testing before a cruise plus the extra paper work and cost  to spend 6.5 hours in a place is not worth it for us. We will now have an 11 hour day in port at Praia Da Vitoria which seems like a win. I am sorry you are going to miss a stop you were looking forward to, but I think the testing requirements  set out by the Bermuda government had a much greater impact on NCL's decision than any customer emails. Testing the entire ship two days before arrival would be a nightmare.

[seanwg]

I'm going to see what my options are, in terms of refund/cancelling.

 

If it was weather, or other circumstances that come up during the trip sure.

 

I only booked a few weeks ago, and specifically for Bermuda. This is a repositioning cruise so all the times in each stop are very limited and from what I've heard not many people get off anyways.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the refunding etc?

 

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 9/3/2022 at 2:06 PM, seanwg said:

Yes the Bermuda TA form/fee/testing is a total waste, but Canada also has stupid ArriveCan also. 

I have no problem with ArriveCan, it's the danged testing that I want to go away.

[WakeView4Us]

On 9/4/2022 at 5:22 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

I have no problem with ArriveCan, it's the danged testing that I want to go away.

ArriveCan and preembarkation testing are dropping Sept 30