Restrictions in Italy

[Tigeeatsea]

Just visited Delta Airlines website, and saw no requirement to test for boarding aircraft to Athens if fully vaccinated. Please comment if you have found different information.

 

[sleeg]

42 minutes ago, floridafolks said:

Did your trip to Greece on Delta happen to have a connection? When I put in direct flight from JFK to Ath on Delta, I cannot see a covid test requirement to board plane if you have vaccine proof. Could you point to where Delta says a test and CDC card for Greece( when not connecting in another airport that requires test.  Things are so confusing. Thank you.

You bet things are confusing.  We went FLL(Delta)>ATL(DELTA)>ATH.  Today, it seems like no test is required for USA>Greece; the page has changed.  I know it has been changed because it is more specific and includes the very recent Sputnik vaccine update. 

 

So, to make a short story long, here goes.  When we booked there was NO test requirement.  Two days before the flight we got a Delta email: "Know What to Expect on Your Upcoming Trip" directing us to the Delta Discover Map that said tests "MAY be required"; then go to "more requirement details" page where it said tests ARE required.  Then call Delta Customer Service: a test is DEFINATELY required. 

 

Things change....

 

 

[sleeg]

24 minutes ago, Tigeeatsea said:

Just visited Delta Airlines website, and saw no requirement to test for boarding aircraft to Athens if fully vaccinated. Please comment if you have found different information.

 

Right; cannot find any test requirement now.  But it was there when we went.  Two days notice.  Had to run around like crazy to get tests.  $130.  Guess we can call it a 'Covid copay'.

[floridafolks]

24 minutes ago, sleeg said:

You bet things are confusing.  We went FLL(Delta)>ATL(DELTA)>ATH.  Today, it seems like no test is required for USA>Greece; the page has changed.  I know it has been changed because it is more specific and includes the very recent Sputnik vaccine update. 

 

So, to make a short story long, here goes.  When we booked there was NO test requirement.  Two days before the flight we got a Delta email: "Know What to Expect on Your Upcoming Trip" directing us to the Delta Discover Map that said tests "MAY be required"; then go to "more requirement details" page where it said tests ARE required.  Then call Delta Customer Service: a test is DEFINATELY required. 

 

Things change....

 

 

Things change for sure! Thanks- I think maybe I will make appt at CVS for test before flight just in case they make another last minute change.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NC&KY]

Any update on what the situation in Italy is regarding private excursions?

[uktog]

31 minutes ago, NC&KY said:

Any update on what the situation in Italy is regarding private excursions?

I think it is very tricky there - I heard from someone onboard today the Italians are insisting on TWO sets of testing one ahead of Taormino and one Rome and they do not expect to be allowed ashore apart from on excursions.  Reading between the lines the authorities have been challenging added to the fact there have been all sorts of issues with anti vaxer protestors at the port in Trieste today.  Certainly despite all the views expressed here previously no back to back guest was allowed ashore in Trieste today and no one has been allowed ashore all cruise except in a tour bubble.  

Edited October 19, 2021 by uktog

[laurieb]

Yes, b2b guests were not allowed off the ship today.  
We were told about the extra test to take place on our sea day.

[takemewithyou]

26 minutes ago, laurieb said:

Yes, b2b guests were not allowed off the ship today.  
We were told about the extra test to take place on our sea day.

Hi Laurie!!

Are you onboard now?

Desperate for some reports from people onboard!

[NC&KY]

2 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Hi Laurie!!

Are you onboard now?

 

If so, was the spa open for treatments, e.g., massages🤩, on the turnaround day? Did they have any activities for those stuck on the ship?

 

We're scheduled for our first B2B cruises in April around Italy and down the Adriatic. Hope restrictions have eased by then.

[Vineyard View]

Thank you for the updates. Appreciate you keeping us posted on how this all rolls out. 

[uktog]

1 hour ago, NC&KY said:

If so, was the spa open for treatments, e.g., massages🤩, on the turnaround day? Did they have any activities for those stuck on the ship?

 

We're scheduled for our first B2B cruises in April around Italy and down the Adriatic. Hope restrictions have eased by then.

The spa is usually open from mid morning (you can see when they can look after you) but even pre covid staff were engaged in other embarkation preparations. Hopefully by next April it will be different 

[Kitekat]

We were told on our B2B meeting that they do not expect any change to the restrictions on going ashore during November, so it's set for some time to come.

 

There were 33 of us B2B so there were no activities. The pool was open although the weather was not particularly hot. Can't say about the spa as we did not investigate.

[laurieb]

Spa is open as usual, including the thelasotherapy pool.

We’re really enjoying ourselves!  The food is wonderful, crew as happy and helpful as ever.  Can’t comment yet on the living room yet, may get there tonight though.

Prime C was full last night; people were being seated in Aqualina.  Two chef’s tables plus two other special meals being offered this cruise.

[Cruizer Bill]

The "cruise bubble" restrictions in Italy are still in affect and we were told by our Captain they will remain so the rest of 2021.  So this will impact the November 6 and 21 cruises of Azamara Journey.  

 

We flew home yesterday through FCO airport in Fumicinco Airport.  It was very frustrating, took about 75 minutes to get through check-in, security and walking to our gate.  We had to show our passport 7 or 8 times.  We had to show our test results and I was singled out for random additional security screening.  Half the seats were taped off for social distancing.  We live it the Seattle area and had planned to fly to Atlanta and on to Seattle.  Our flight on Delta was rescheduled to take off 4 hours late and this wiped out our connecting flight to Seattle, so we re-booked to go thru JFK in New. York and then on to Seattle.  

 

2021 has been a frustrating year for cruise travel.  Let's hope 2022 will be MUCH better!  

[uktog]

Hope you enjoyed your cruise.  I suppose as you knew before you joining that there would be the need for ship only excursions you were ready for that.  Did you manage to have enjoyable excursions?    The doubters must have been really frustrated though, hope they adapted quickly.  

 

Interesting your comments about FCO and the time from arrival to gate, to be honest that was not an unusual length of time there pre Covid.  It’s not a very efficient airport.  That’s why when people ask will I make an early flight I say no.  I will never book earlier than noon from Rome after a cruise.  
 

We have often had reschedules and connection issues coming home in the other direction, it’s a pain isn’t it, but sadly something we are now ambivalent about it’s a “price” for travelling long distance. 

[Cruizer Bill]

I absolutely loved the ship, it is the perfect size and has the amenities I want.  The food, service and entertainment were amazing, - beyond expectations.  I was on the ship for back to back cruises starting October 9th and 19th.  I had previously booked the 14 night Caribbean cruise out of Miami, so we will be flying there on November 25th and cruising the next day.  I even have the same cabin.  While on this recent cruise we booked two more B2B cruises on the Pursuit for September 6th and 17th next year and we are very much looking forward to them.  

 

Having said all that, we booked these recent cruises April 22, 2021.  At that time we knew we had to be vaccinated and we already were.  Later on, the mask requirements were spelled out so we knew we had to wear masks indoors.  There was no talk from Azamara about shore excursion bubbles.  I kept checking the web site every week and no mention of them.  Later on they were informing everyone about their protocols in Greece on their web page.    

 

I sent emails to Azamara first in June and then again in August asking them what protocols we could expect on our cruises.  I never got a response from them.  We went ahead and booked and paid for our airfares, made final payments on our cruises, booked a hotel room, booked and paid for tickets to the Vatican Museum, the Palazzo Colonna and Doria Pomphlij in Rome.  We spent hundreds of hours researching and planning this trip.

 

Then on September 21st - 15 days before our flight to Rome - we were notified in an email and on Azamara's web site that there would be shore excursion bubbles.  At that late date we were far too committed to this trip to change it.  Had I known about the shore excursion bubble in July or early August I would have shifted these cruises into 2022, no problem.  So, we were unpleasantly surprised by what happened.  Yes, it did impact our trip but we still had fun going to interesting places and meeting new people.  I guess Azamara was still holding out hope that Italy would change their strict rules but that did not happen.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Cruizer Bill said:

I guess Azamara was still holding out hope that Italy would change their strict rules but that did not happen.

Everybody was.  I was in Italy on Noble Caledonia from September 23 to October 3 and they were negotiating with the Italian authorities every day trying to get some flexibility.  They already include all shore excursions in the basic fare, so this was just them trying to make the shore excursions more flexible and to give us free time afterward.  And they have really small ships (118 passengers but we weren't full) and a 100% Covid-free track record since they restarted cruising in mid-June.  No dice – Italy actually seemed to be getting more strict as the cruise went on.