DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED TO CRUISE

[Tablelamp]

How does one find out what documentation is required for each cruise.  Is there a published list available.?

[yorkshirephil]

7 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

How does one find out what documentation is required for each cruise.  Is there a published list available.?

Details are on the P&O web site, you do tend to have to dig about. 

[amajaa]

1 hour ago, yorkshirephil said:

Details are on the P&O web site, you do tend to have to dig about. 

The problem is not everyone is computer savvy which is why there are questions on social media asking for advice. I know you might say if they can use social media they can navigate the P & O website but it isn’t always as easy as that. 

[grapau27]

9 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

How does one find out what documentation is required for each cruise.  Is there a published list available.?

For Southampton departures.

Boarding pass.

Insurance documents.

Covid vaccination proof.

Passports.

Health form completed 1-2 days before boarding.

Credit card.

These are the essentials.

Edited January 7, 2023 by grapau27

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Health form completed 1-2 days before boarding.

No longer required, thank goodness. You are asked questions at the port by people with tablets.

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

No longer required, thank goodness. You are asked questions at the port by people with tablets.

Nice of them to be prepared if you say you have a headache! 

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, amajaa said:

The problem is not everyone is computer savvy which is why there are questions on social media asking for advice. I know you might say if they can use social media they can navigate the P & O website but it isn’t always as easy as that. 

You are correct, however the problem with informing people of what is needed can mislead as since covid things are changing. A clear example is someone turned up for the 65 night on Aurora and was turned away as they did not have a yellow fever cert and someone on facecloth said they didn't need one.

[Megabear2]

4 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

You are correct, however the problem with informing people of what is needed can mislead as since covid things are changing. A clear example is someone turned up for the 65 night on Aurora and was turned away as they did not have a yellow fever cert and someone on facecloth said they didn't need one.

That's interesting to me.  As a 67 year old live vaccinations such as Yellow Fever is disbarred for me as it's medically not recommended.  Would that rule me out of the Aurora 65 night cruises - I have been considering one?

[grapau27]

15 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

For Southampton departures.

Boarding pass.

Insurance documents.

Covid vaccination proof.

Passports.

Health form completed 1-2 days before boarding.

Credit card.

These are the essentials.

I had to fill in the Health Questionnaire on line for our Azura cruise on November 22nd and received emails back saying we were Good to Travel.

It only takes seconds to fill in.

[Megabear2]

4 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I had to fill in the Health Questionnaire on line for our Azura cruise on November 22nd and received emails back saying we were Good to Travel.

It only takes seconds to fill in.

It ceased for cruises from 9 December.

[yorkshirephil]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

That's interesting to me.  As a 67 year old live vaccinations such as Yellow Fever is disbarred for me as it's medically not recommended.  Would that rule me out of the Aurora 65 night cruises - I have been considering one?

Not if you have an exemption.  The rules have changed recently as now you don't need to have another one after 10 years as long as you have the old certificate, I seem to remember that there may be an upper age limit where it is not advised. Each country can change the requirements depending on which other countries you have visited, this is why it is important to keep monitoring these things rather than believe what you read on social media.

[Megabear2]

Just now, yorkshirephil said:

Not if you have an exemption.  The rules have changed recently as now you don't need to have another one after 10 years as long as you have the old certificate, I seem to remember that there may be an upper age limit where it is not advised. Each country can change the requirements depending on which other countries you have visited, this is why it is important to keep monitoring these things rather than believe what you read on social media.

I assume the exemption comes from my GP or would it be from the vaccination centre - I did look at this in 2019 but thankfully none of my Destinations required one.  Presumably it it also something certificated and available at a cost?

[Pine Man]

10 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

How does one find out what documentation is required for each cruise.  Is there a published list available.?

 

Most of the information you require is contained in 'My P&O Cruises' - https://my.pocruises.com/mycruise/login

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I assume the exemption comes from my GP or would it be from the vaccination centre - I did look at this in 2019 but thankfully none of my Destinations required one.  Presumably it it also something certificated and available at a cost?

I would be surprised if there wasn't a fee, I would assume a doctor or vaccination centre would be able to supply. To be fair it is something I have not really looked into as we have had ours, the only reason I knew we didn't need a booster is because we required a yellow fever jab to visit a particular Caribbean Island at the time so went onto the gov.uk web site where it stated that the jab now provides lifelong protection, however as usual there were the odd exemptions to that rule.

[Camberley]

Yes keep checking your personaliser plus any emails they send if there are changes.
 

However, and this is where I have found P&O to be very good, phoning them to double-check for your specific cruise. While they are normally poor on the phone with other issues/complaints etc, they have proved themselves to be efficient with general queries. Ok, you might be on the phone for some time getting through but I have found it is sometimes quicker than sifting through the personaliser.

[Megabear2]

41 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I would be surprised if there wasn't a fee, I would assume a doctor or vaccination centre would be able to supply. To be fair it is something I have not really looked into as we have had ours, the only reason I knew we didn't need a booster is because we required a yellow fever jab to visit a particular Caribbean Island at the time so went onto the gov.uk web site where it stated that the jab now provides lifelong protection, however as usual there were the odd exemptions to that rule.

Thank you.  I cannot recall ever having one so will trawl my paper NHS records - I .  If it's too difficult I'll forget it!  My jabs in 2018 in preparation for my 2019 cruise cost me over £800 as I followed the recommendations to the letter.  If the Yellow Fever thing is too complicated I'll just look elsewhere for a cruise as because of time lapse I'll have to renew them all again anyway and the Yellow Fever clinic involves using a different vaccination centre miles away.

 

27 years ago I went to Jamaica and I know my GP gave us loads of injections so that could well have been one, I'll check.

 

Thanks for your help.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Nice of them to be prepared if you say you have a headache! 

You answer NO to the headache question.🤣

[tring]

55 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Thank you.  I cannot recall ever having one so will trawl my paper NHS records - I .  If it's too difficult I'll forget it!  My jabs in 2018 in preparation for my 2019 cruise cost me over £800 as I followed the recommendations to the letter.  If the Yellow Fever thing is too complicated I'll just look elsewhere for a cruise as because of time lapse I'll have to renew them all again anyway and the Yellow Fever clinic involves using a different vaccination centre miles away.

 

27 years ago I went to Jamaica and I know my GP gave us loads of injections so that could well have been one, I'll check.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

You would need a certificate to say you have had a yellow fever jab, so without that you would not be covered by any jab.  It seems people over a certain age are getting away with exemption certificates now, but needs checked. 

 

Your local pharmacist should be able to point you in the right direction, but will not be able to do anything themselves.  Yellow fever is only dealt with by registered centres.  Our GP surgery was one when we had ours, but not sure if it still is.  Otherwise, may need to be dealt with by a travel clinic, we have one based in The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, but that is obviously no good to you. 

 

We had the jab for a second time, not long before they decided it did not need done again, which was a number of years back (about 9 years ago), even though we were slightly over the age when we could have asked for an exemption certificate.  We discussed the options with the clinic nurse and decided we would prefer to have the jab as it was overall the cheaper and easier option.  Once you have the certificate to say you have had the jab, that now covers you for life, but if we had asked for an exemption certificate, it would only have covered us for that one holiday, so we would have had to have further exemption certificates if needed for future holidays.  Yes charges for both certificates and they are not cheap.  All depends on your medical background obviously.

 

Edit

 

If you Google the fitfortravel website, it will give you all the up to date information about all travel requirements. 

 

Of course if you have not had the advised jabs, etc., your insurance company will not pay up if you have problems regards the illnesses concerned.  Another point many people ignore.

 

Those second jabs I mentioned we have had were done in 2014.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Barbara 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by tring

[Ardennais]

When we had our yellow fever jabs back in 2019, we had to travel 30 miles to the nearest provider and pay a fee. I recall that this clinic was using the NHS Scotland guidance for some reason which amused me. That’s why I still remember! 

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

When we had our yellow fever jabs back in 2019, we had to travel 30 miles to the nearest provider and pay a fee. I recall that this clinic was using the NHS Scotland guidance for some reason which amused me. That’s why I still remember! 

I can get the jab locally no problem as I learned in 2019.  However I was informed I could not have it due to health and age restrictions 

 

This was the link I used at the time:

https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/yellow-fever-vaccine-stamaril-and-fatal-adverse-reactions-extreme-caution-needed-in-people-who-may-be-immunosuppressed-and-those-60-years-and-older

 

I note it has been updated in 2021.

 

Regarding the insurance I had absolutely every jab listed on government website despite Cunard's recommended visa/immunisation agent saying unnecessary as only in port for a day.  Better safe than sorry I always say.

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Megabear2

[tring]

50 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

When we had our yellow fever jabs back in 2019, we had to travel 30 miles to the nearest provider and pay a fee. I recall that this clinic was using the NHS Scotland guidance for some reason which amused me. That’s why I still remember! 

 

Yes that is the fitfortravel website I mentioned earlier.  There had always been two recommended websites to look up travel requirements and the nurse who dealt with the travel vaccinations at our GP surgery had advised using them since our first jabs were needed, more than twenty years ago.  We had always found the Scottish "fitfortravel" site easier to understand.  She had always told us to look up the requirements and book an appointment if we needed something administered.  That "fitfortravel" site is now well labelled on the web under NHS Scotland, so possible the funding is shared in some way.  I have put the link to that site below, as well as a paragraph I have copied and pasted from the FCDO website regards travel health requirements, which mentions both websites which have given information over the years and still do.

 

https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home 

 

Copied from the FCDO website:-

 

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad. Guidance is also available from NHS (Scotland) on the FitForTravel website.

 

Of course the health requirements change regularly.  Going back twenty years pharmacies used to keep a loose leaf folder with the up to date requirements and they got updates regularly (about once a month I think).  I think the WHO has a lot to do with deciding the requirements, though of course individual countries will set their own restrictions over what is needed for entry - like yellow fever certificates and of course, now, covid requirements.  I assume they look up the information online now as everyone else can do if have access to the net.

 

Again hope this helps,

 

Barbara

 

[happy v]

If it not recommend by NHS for over 60's surely P&O shouldn't require it 

[Dermotsgirl]

9 minutes ago, happy v said:

If it not recommend by NHS for over 60's surely P&O shouldn't require it 

It's not up to the NHS or P&O, it's the requirement of the country being visited

[tring]

44 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I can get the jab locally no problem as I learned in 2019.  However I was informed I could not have it due to health and age restrictions 

 

This was the link I used at the time:

https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/yellow-fever-vaccine-stamaril-and-fatal-adverse-reactions-extreme-caution-needed-in-people-who-may-be-immunosuppressed-and-those-60-years-and-older

 

I note it has been updated in 2021.

 

Regarding the insurance I had absolutely every jab listed on government website despite Cunard's recommended visa/immunisation agent saying unnecessary as only in port for a day.  Better safe than sorry I always say.

 

 

Must admit I tend to delve into detailed information regards any medical treatments/precautions, but I would still discus my individual position with a medical professional who has been trained to make such assessments and give advice accordingly.  As I said in my earlier post, it depends on your medical background and in our case we were only just over the age range, so risk of the disease may have been more problematic than  any risk from the jab.  Nothing could be given ethically if it was not considered an advantage to some extent. 

 

There is so much care taken these days regards any possible effects from any sort of treatment and even use of various drugs of household chemicals, that there are all sorts of warnings being given, (e.g. pre-operatively, drug safety leaflets and even on the side of bottles of household chemicals).  Those warnings are needed for legal reasons as well as safety as we all know.  There has been various scares with covid vaccines, but overall the risk of the disease has to be compared to any effect from the vaccine, so advice is given accordingly for each individual personal situation.  With a background in lab work, I was well used to writing and taking note of risk assessments, but it is not a good idea to get too bothered about them to an extent that you would not want to touch anything.

 

You run the risk of being run over every time you cross the road, but have to make up your own mind regards relative risks and what you want to do with your life.  Travel certainly has a lot of risks, (apart from travel accidents), and some people do prefer not to go to anywhere that has any health risk over  what they may encounter at home, but that is an individual decision.  If I had health issues that put me at high risk, and even as we get older, I would be thinking carefully before arranging any travel.  Travel by ship, especially across oceans when there would be limits on medical assistance available for a number of days, is something that we are beginning to think carefully about as as we are getting older, though with all the NHS issues at present we are also thinking we may well be better looked after on a ship, than if we were hoping to get an ambulance at home and get from that ambulance into a hospital.  Just my opinion, but something we had been discussing recently regards our future travel plans, which is why I have mentioned it here.

  

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by tring

[Megabear2]

I've just followed Barbara's very helpful link and came up with this:

 

https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/factsheet/6/medical-letter-of-exemption

 

I also followed CDC link on an American site and came up with an almost identical letter.  Very luckily for me my own GP and local Boots who provide all my travel vaccinations are on the Yellow Fever Zone list: 

 

https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/search-results?srch=Salisbury&search=Search

 

I assume if they are listed I should ge able to go through all the health risks etc before booking a cruise - it looks like Brazil is the biggie on P&Os itineraries.  If they say I'm not too much at risk I'll go for it anyway as it will be useful.  Apparently first time use is more of a problem so hopefully if I did have one all those years back I won't be too much at risk.