Mira28

Ha ha, 🤣 Yes! October 9th-16th. All the preparation for the cruise has rattled my brain.😱

Hurrah! It took a while, but finally we got the updates. My cruise is on Voyager, September 9th-16th. A lot less pre-cruise stress. 🙂

Wow. I hope this happens! If so, great news.

Hi, I am also on this cruise. It has been wonderful! The crew is amazing. One show I especially enjoyed was the comic/magician Anthony Salazar (?) in the theater on Thursday 9/15. If he is doing a show on a future cruise, I wouldn’t miss it. Syd Norman’s Pour House is also really fun (and packed). So many memorable times on this cruise!

I just booked them in my cabin on the tv, but I believe you could book them at the box office. It doesn’t seem necessary on this cruise; lots of open seats!

Thank you! They are not open. I have heard they will reopen on Saturday, but cannot confirm this. Other than that, the cruise is wonderful! crew, service, Million Dollar Quartet, food, all great. 🌞

Thank you! It is wonderful! I’m not sure 1500 is accurate. Definitely seems lower than that. Just loving it all.😎😎

I took Uber and it was quick. About 10 minutes from Chelsea area of Manhattan to the pier.

Yes, it has been great. Having lunch now at O’Sheehan’s. Excellent. Staff member volunteered that there will be 1500 passengers on this cruise! Amazing.

Just checked into my Getaway cruise to Bahamas and Bermuda. Arrived at Pier 88 at 9:45, was checked in by 10:20. Very organized: 3 check stations, one for Bermuda travel authorization and passport, second for security, and third, check of vaccines and negative COVID test. There are signs advising which documents to show at each point. Staff was friendly and professional. Now waiting to board. Light(ish) crowd so far. I have seen people of all ages, younger to seniors. So far I have seen 3 children. The ship looks beautiful from this vantage point. Looking forward to a great cruise!

I'm glad some of those who responded were respectful. I don't know why everyone cannot be at least polite. It is the prerogative of any government to set the rules for entry into their country. However, it is still frustrating and anxiety provoking to deal with the additional uncertainty of getting the Travel Authorization, and the required negative test(s). It is also not so easy to "just cancel" a cruise. When many of us booked or cruises, almost all itineraries had testing requirements, now Bermuda and Canada are among the few that still do. The 9/3 cruise from NYC to Bermuda before mine (mine is 9/12/22-9/22/22) went through all the testing and paid the money (and waited) for the authorisation, and they ended up not going to Bermuda at all due to the potential tropical storm heading there. I'm wondering if they'll get refunded? Not really 🙂 For me, it's all good. I'm on a ship. But I can empathize with the OP's frustration.

Yes! I wanted to go to Bermuda, as I’ve never been there, but given the requirement for a second test (my cruise gets to Bermuda on day 7 of 10 days) I’d rather just stay on the ship. I’m vaccinated and boosted but find the testing issue very stressful.

Our ship arrives in Bermuda on the 7th day of a 10 day cruise (Getaway from NYC, 9/12-9/22/22.) It appears that nothing has changed for vaccinated passengers as far as pre cruise testing. It’s also hard to imagine that NCL will test everyone on the ship in the 2 days before arriving there. I don’t know how they’ll manage that.

Yes, you are fine. Enjoy!

I love the Splendor too! My first cruise was on her out of NYC in 2014. I was hooked on cruising after that.

Yes, it’s unfortunate that you can’t post your thoughts or experiences on this site without the critics piling on. (Guess they think that’s what Cruise “Critic” stands for.) I actually appreciate your post because it’s easy to make a mistake like this, and your post is a heads up. Thank you. I’m sorry you lost that deal and hope you find another good one.

Yes, I understand that. I’m familiar with contracts and the requirements inherent in them. I was questioning whether in such circumstances (as described in the subsequent post) a refund might be granted. Which apparently it was. It’s not the money. It’s the concern about applying and hearing nothing until a few days before boarding. Or having to call and track down the approval. I’d prefer Bermuda just charge the $40 per cruise passenger, give you a receipt and leave it at that. Let the cruise line sort out the rest.

So, if your cruise gets canceled by the cruise line, or the cruise line changes itineraries and does not stop at Bermuda, you are still out the $40? It’s not a big deal, but I’m curious. Seems like more of a money grab than anything.

Yes, I saw that and was confused as well. I’m on the Getaway 9/12-9/22 so I was able to apply for the Travel Authorization approval. How did it get worked out?

I have a concern. It appears (news update through Google) that Bermuda may no longer be accepting a Certificate of Recovery and that you will now have to have a negative test for any cruises that go to Bermuda. Can anyone confirm this?

Love cruising, love Disney. Yes, it’s still a thing. I even think it’ll be around awhile.

Yes. I recognize that it’s complicated. There’s still so much unknown about COVID. As another posted here, we will probably know a lot more in retrospect. Most land based vacation sites and venues where many people gather (resorts, Disney, summer camps, schools, college dorms, sporting events, work places, concerts) don’t require screening testing anymore. Should cruise ships be different?

This is a big issue. It is harder now to find tests. Sure, you can use the proctored telehealth testing sites if you have access. If you are traveling in the days before boarding, as most are, that requires a lot of planning and causes additional stress. Most importantly, mandating the tests does not seem to prevent positive cases from happening later in the cruise. I would voluntarily test myself, before, during, and after the cruise. Still , I get why many people want mandatory tests, and why others do not. The cruise lines will undoubtedly decide this based on what’s best for their bottom line.

It is my understanding that Viking will no longer require pre embarkation COVID testing as of today (6/12/22)unless the country (or countries) to which they are going requires it. Is this just a rumor? I hope not!

I’m so sorry to hear that you got Covid. I hope you all feel well again soon. It certainly has been a long and difficult two years. Thank you for sharing you experience. Sadly, there are those who seem to be able to express little empathy and I find that most discouraging. Get well and stay well! 🌞