Will Grandeur still sail from Barbados?

[birdylady]

5 hours ago, little britain said:

Hope you got the details of the person who told you this…. I would want it in writing lol!

While I agree with getting their name, I seriously doubt that will hold water once in Barbados if someone says otherwise.  Just saying.  Personally, I don't want to stress all the to getting on the ship (from now till then) that we may not get on the ship.  Bad enough we stressed for 2 days after we got out test for our recent Allure cruise that they wouldn't accept the results as there was 'some' written items on the paper (thankfully, they said that they see all the time, the main thing was testing results from the test machine).  So, we are seriously considering canceling our cruise. Not what we want to do.  Trying to hold on a few more weeks to see if RCI cancels on us instead before final payment.

Erika

[EllaDuChien]

21 hours ago, birdylady said:

While I agree with getting their name, I seriously doubt that will hold water once in Barbados if someone says otherwise.  Just saying.  Personally, I don't want to stress all the to getting on the ship (from now till then) that we may not get on the ship.  Bad enough we stressed for 2 days after we got out test for our recent Allure cruise that they wouldn't accept the results as there was 'some' written items on the paper (thankfully, they said that they see all the time, the main thing was testing results from the test machine).  So, we are seriously considering canceling our cruise. Not what we want to do.  Trying to hold on a few more weeks to see if RCI cancels on us instead before final payment.

Erika

 

That's exactly where we are.  Our final payment isn't due until the end of December, so if they start on December 5 as scheduled, we should have some first hand reports before I have to pay or cancel.  

[RocCruisers]

We are on that first sailing.  The online TA that I use shows half a dozen other cruise lines that will be departing from Bridgetown before we do.  Seabourn has been leaving from there for the past few months.  Now most of the other lines are a premium class, including Wind Star and Sea Dream.  Even MSC Seaview will use Barbados as a home port starting in December.  I’m sure that none of the ships will sail full for awhile, but I can’t imagine the government and all these cruise lines working something out.  

[EllaDuChien]

@RocCruisers I really hope it works out and you (and all of us) get to sail!  I agree, I can't imagine Barbados not working something out with the cruise lines...I just wanna know what it is!! 🙂  

[SRF]

We are booked on the repo from Barbados to Houston.

 

I don't understand why 2 days for test results.  I just did a work trip where I was COVID tested 5 times in 2 weeks (one to fly to the first country, one upon arrival, one to fly to the next country, one upon arrival, and one to fly back to the US).  All results were within 12 hours.

 

And both countries were in Africa.

 

 

[boxman52]

We are on the new KLM service to Barbados arrives Thursday back Monday. Therefore hopefully enough time to get the test & result, however going back we have one night before the evening flight.

I messaged RCL to say we can't get home if we can't get a test that Barbados accepts for us to fly. I pointed out that there was nothing on the protocol for what is now a home port.

The reply from RCL was they will provide on the ship at their expense any tests required for onward travel. That sounds like they are sorting something out

One other point is the Barbados Gov talk about free rapid PCR tests at the airport. It seems but there is confusion that they mean antigen lateral flow. If this is the case they can get the results in 15 mins at the airport. It makes sense for fully vaccinated people who arrive with a 3 day PCR. To make them take another PCR is ridiculous

[SRF]

21 hours ago, boxman52 said:

It makes sense for fully vaccinated people who arrive with a 3 day PCR. To make them take another PCR is ridiculous

 

But that is the standard for many countries.  Not based on science.

 

I recently did a two country, two week trip for work.  FIVE COVID tests in 2 weeks.

 

One 3 days before to go to country 1.  One upon arrival.  One 3 days prior for country 2, then again upon arrival.  Then one 3 days prior to fly home.

[sellwingri]

I was booked on this cruise in April ‘22 but canceled it a few days ago because of the high cost of airfare.  If this cruise sails, maybe these ports will become more frequent stops on Southern Caribbean cruises.

[little britain]

7 hours ago, sellwingri said:

I was booked on this cruise in April ‘22 but canceled it a few days ago because of the high cost of airfare.  If this cruise sails, maybe these ports will become more frequent stops on Southern Caribbean cruises.

I think most of us booked purely for the itinerary… 9 new ports for me so I certainly did !   Zero interest in doing St Thomas etc again if they change the itinerary 

Edited October 21, 2021 by little britain

[kw1816]

We're booked on the April 3rd sailing with a week in Barbodos before. So hoping that the cruise will go, if not, we'll extend another week in Barbados. It's a great itinerary, we did something similiar on Carnival Fascination many years ago out of Puerto Rico and it's a much different vibe than the normal Eastern/Western caribbean.

 

I feel that if they start up in December  then the season has a good chance of completing. Interestingly  all the April cruises have disappeared from the website, but the 10 night repositioning to Galveston still  shows as leaving on the 24th April.

[texmex.ferr]

New protocols for entering Barbados

[EllaDuChien]

3 hours ago, texmex.ferr said:

New protocols for entering Barbados

 

Good news!  Hopefully it stays that way for a while!

[Sunshine3601]

On 10/20/2021 at 7:14 PM, sellwingri said:

I was booked on this cruise in April ‘22 but canceled it a few days ago because of the high cost of airfare.  If this cruise sails, maybe these ports will become more frequent stops on Southern Caribbean cruises.

Had you checked fares with air2sea?  We had booked $440 pp thru a2s vs $1000 if we booked direct with united.

[EllaDuChien]

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Had you checked fares with air2sea?  We had booked $440 pp thru a2s vs $1000 if we booked direct with united.

 

I used Air2Sea as well, ours was $698 non-stop on AA. Currently fares are $900 if I purchase directly.

[El turista]

I'm glad to see this change in Barbados. Now things looks easy.

 

Interesting that Royal restarted bookings for the 14 night sailing of February 2022 after this was released.

[SRF]

I was just looking at airfare.

 

One way to Barbados, if I stop over in Miami overnight, is only $194 per person.

[adamdiane]

Whilst I am quietly confident Grandeur will be sailing from Barbados in December, I am hoping that if there are any itinerary changes then Royal announce these sooner rather than later. 

P&O Britannia is now heading across the Atlantic heading to Barbados where she will home port for the rest of the year. Also Seabourn have been sailing out of Barbados already this month. 

As the first cruises were quite port intensive I don't mind having a sea day to relax and hopefully enjoy the nice weather 😁

 

[Sockie]

On 10/21/2021 at 2:23 AM, kw1816 said:

We're booked on the April 3rd sailing with a week in Barbodos before. So hoping that the cruise will go, if not, we'll extend another week in Barbados. It's a great itinerary, we did something similiar on Carnival Fascination many years ago out of Puerto Rico and it's a much different vibe than the normal Eastern/Western caribbean.

 

I feel that if they start up in December  then the season has a good chance of completing. Interestingly  all the April cruises have disappeared from the website, but the 10 night repositioning to Galveston still  shows as leaving on the 24th April.

There are a group of six of us that are booked on the one week trip the week before leaving March 27 and then returning April 3 in which we’re going right back out for a second week since the ports of call are not the same. Really thought when we made this booking We wouldn’t be dealing with the Covid issues, Didn’t know that the cruise ship would give us a free test on board but I am concerned that hearing that April cruises I’m not showing up at all. Final payments due end of December so I guess at that point will need to make a decision. So need this trip based on all the cancellations we’ve had since 2019.

[kw1816]

April cruises seem to be back up - at least on the UK site. 

[nicben]

We’re booked on the 2nd to the 23 of January 2022 and from the uk. 2 of the ports are on the red list for the uk. As the protocol is changing daily we will be looking at the 5th,12, and 19th of December sailings before making a decision.

[boxman52]

6 hours ago, nicben said:

We’re booked on the 2nd to the 23 of January 2022 and from the uk. 2 of the ports are on the red list for the uk. As the protocol is changing daily we will be looking at the 5th,12, and 19th of December sailings before making a decision.

We are booked February from The UK. If the country remains on the red list and we don't get off the ship what does that mean for our return to UK?

 

[nicben]

If you look on guv.uk red countries there is a section on cruise,trains and other basically if your on a cruise and no new passengers get on its ok, you’ll have to make your mind up how its interpreted as it is complicated 

[little britain]

28 minutes ago, boxman52 said:

We are booked February from The UK. If the country remains on the red list and we don't get off the ship what does that mean for our return to UK?

 

I understand if others go ashore in port then you are counted as having been into the country too as you’re then mixing with these people onboard

Edited October 25, 2021 by little britain

[texmex.ferr]

We were on Jewel of the Seas sailing from Cyprus around the Greek Islands a week ago, and when we went to complete our Flight Locator Form for returning to the UK, I asked the staff member the question that if we don't get off the ship, do we have to enter the island on the form, and the answer was 'No.     The ports of call and areas you visit, are only if you get off this ship.       This could also be verified, if need be, by checking who check off the ship at each port with your sea pass card.

[CruiszBug]

On 10/9/2021 at 10:37 AM, bermuda_fm said:

I’m on Allure this week we saw her in Saint Maarten didn’t look too pretty dirty and rusty

We were on Allure last week... wasn't that Rhapsody, not Grandeur?

Edited October 25, 2021 by CruiszBug