Recent Cruisers From Bermuda

[babba]

I have several questions and thank you in advance ... departing on Sunday ...

 

1. Which is the best pier for an Uber to drop us off ? ... it is my understanding that the check in area differs from the testing area .

 

2. Is the main dining room open on embarkation day ?

 

3. Did you have to wear masks indoors ?

 

4. Is this correct ... a. getting PCR tested tomorrow (Wednesday) for Sunday sailing ... b. have my Eurofins bar code ... c. on Thursday I complete the Bermuda T.A. form with PCR results and vaccination card 

 

5. Is there anything else I should be aware of ?  

[Mike C]

We were on the September 26 sailing.  Unless things have changed:

 

1.  Drop off your bags at Pier 88.  Then you go to Pier 90 for testing.  Have your Bermuda TA handy; you'll be asked for it many times.

2.  I believe it was open, but we didn't dine there

3. Masks were nit required.  We were wearing them in the elevators though.

4. Make sure it is a PCR test and not a PCR equivalent.  My first test was rejected by Bermuda since it said PCR equivalent on the report.

5. Once you get on board, relax and have fun.  You earned it.

 

Good luck,

 

Mike

[Turtles06]

I’m on the same sailing as the OP, and have one additional question. I’ve already started the Bermuda TA application process, so I’m in their system. Getting my PCR test tomorrow (Wednesday).  Bermuda says they’ll be emailing me a link to upload the test results and vax card. For folks who began the application process before their Wednesday, what day of the week did you get that email?

 

Thanks!

[luckyinpa]

was it possible to complete the TA without paying? id hate to pay then be positive and not go. seems like best to wait for results to do the form

Edited October 19, 2021 by luckyinpa

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, babba said:

I have several questions and thank you in advance ... departing on Sunday ...

 

1. Which is the best pier for an Uber to drop us off ? ... it is my understanding that the check in area differs from the testing area .

 

2. Is the main dining room open on embarkation day ?

 

3. Did you have to wear masks indoors ?

 

4. Is this correct ... a. getting PCR tested tomorrow (Wednesday) for Sunday sailing ... b. have my Eurofins bar code ... c. on Thursday I complete the Bermuda T.A. form with PCR results and vaccination card 

 

5. Is there anything else I should be aware of ?  

 

1. Pier 90 is where testing is being conducted. When I sailed on the 26th and 3rd, there were porters at both piers, but I have since heard that there are only porters at Pier 88.

 

2. Not sure if it was open for lunch... O'sheehan's and the buffet definitely were.

 

3. No masks required onboard, except for crew.

 

4. That is all correct, but you might not have your results from your test yet on Thursday. Don't panic if you don't. Just do the initial TA form and pay your $75 Thursday. Once you have done that, you will receive an email with a link to upload your test results. Try to get them uploaded by end of day Friday at the latest.

 

5. Make sure you bring your vaccine card with you and complete your online checking fully.

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

I’m on the same sailing as the OP, and have one additional question. I’ve already started the Bermuda TA application process, so I’m in their system. Getting my PCR test tomorrow (Wednesday).  Bermuda says they’ll be emailing me a link to upload the test results and vax card. For folks who began the application process before their Wednesday, what day of the week did you get that email?

 

Thanks!

 

 

I posted the full timeline of our experiences for our 9/26 sailing in the Oct. 3 roll call:

 

We did our initial TA application on the Tuesday before sailing and received the link to upload our test results/vaccination proof on Thursday morning.

Edited October 19, 2021 by JamieLogical

[Turtles06]

12 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

was it possible to complete the TA without paying? id hate to pay then be positive and not go. seems like best to wait for results to do the form

 

No. You can't submit anything without paying.  I am sure there are folks who wait till they get their test results to start the process.  

[Turtles06]

5 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

We did our initial TA application on the Tuesday before sailing and received the link to upload our test results/vaccination proof on Thursday morning.

 

Thanks so much!   (I won't get too anxious then if nothing comes on Wednesday. 😂)

[JamieLogical]

1 minute ago, Turtles06 said:

 

No. You can't submit anything without paying.  I am sure there are folks who wait till they get their test results to start the process.  

 

Technically speaking, you are supposed to complete the initial form and pay the $75 no less than 72 hours from sailing and you likely won't have your test results before then, so Bermuda could be sticklers about that. But in reality, they did not seem to enforce that, as especially on the 9/26 sailing, there were people submitting their TAs from the pier.

[Turtles06]

2 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Technically speaking, you are supposed to complete the initial form and pay the $75 no less than 72 hours from sailing and you likely won't have your test results before then, so Bermuda could be sticklers about that. But in reality, they did not seem to enforce that, as especially on the 9/26 sailing, there were people submitting their TAs from the pier.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. Since we've already started the process and paid, I wasn't paying attention to that 72-hour deadline. 

[Seany527]

I probably don’t want to know the answer to this, but I am sailing on the Breakaway in November and NOT going to Bermuda. Will I receive a deep nasal swab for testing at the pier or will the swab go up my noise about 1 inch?

[goldmom]

Just now, Seany527 said:

I probably don’t want to know the answer to this, but I am sailing on the Breakaway in November and NOT going to Bermuda. Will I receive a deep nasal swab for testing at the pier or will the swab go up my noise about 1 inch?

The one for the antigen test will be at the bottom of your nose.  As far as the PCR test at the pier, it depends who you get.  My tech went to maybe the bridge of my nose and it was easy-peasy, just a little tickle.  My DH in the next booth said it got a brain swab!  They all seem to be trained differently.

[goldmom]

4 minutes ago, Seany527 said:

I probably don’t want to know the answer to this, but I am sailing on the Breakaway in November and NOT going to Bermuda. Will I receive a deep nasal swab for testing at the pier or will the swab go up my noise about 1 inch?

Sorry, I didn't read your post closely enough.  If you aren't going to Bermuda then unless things change you'll only need the antigen test to board the ship.  That one is only the bottom of the nose.  Enjoy!

[Seany527]

5 minutes ago, goldmom said:

Sorry, I didn't read your post closely enough.  If you aren't going to Bermuda then unless things change you'll only need the antigen test to board the ship.  That one is only the bottom of the nose.  Enjoy!

Thanks for the info. And no problem, I hijacked a thread about Bermuda to ask a kinda irrelevant question. 

[goldmom]

And a couple of FYI's for future Bermuda cruisers.  The musical Six changes days and times each week.  The days on our cruise were different from the week before so you may need to adjust once you're onboard.

Also, do a search to see if there are any road closures in NYC on the Sundays you're leaving and coming home.  When we got back this past Sunday there was a bike race or marathon and the Westside Highway and 12th Ave were both closed going south which made it almost impossible to get into the ship terminal.

Have fun everyone.  Enjoy your cruise.  Wish I was going again!

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Seany527 said:

I probably don’t want to know the answer to this, but I am sailing on the Breakaway in November and NOT going to Bermuda. Will I receive a deep nasal swab for testing at the pier or will the swab go up my noise about 1 inch?

 

If not going to Bermuda, you won't be getting a PCR test at the pier, just an antigen test, which does not require them to go too far up with the swab.

[Turtles06]

What was disembarkation like in NY in terms of getting through immigration?   Are they using anything high tech (like facial recognition) to speed the process?  I doubt they've instituted true Global Entry, but are they letting folks who have Global Entry cards walk straight through (as they were doing in Fort Lauderdale before the pandemic)? 

 

I'm sure that the reduced passenger load helped, whatever process is being used.

 

Thanks for any info.

[NYcruzzer]

I was on 9/26th sailing. MDR was open on embarkation day. Had the Cheesesteak..yummy. Wore masks in elevators as well. Other then that I felt pretty safe indoors without.

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

What was disembarkation like in NY in terms of getting through immigration?   Are they using anything high tech (like facial recognition) to speed the process?  I doubt they've instituted true Global Entry, but are they letting folks who have Global Entry cards walk straight through (as they were doing in Fort Lauderdale before the pandemic)? 

 

I'm sure that the reduced passenger load helped, whatever process is being used.

 

Thanks for any info.

 

They are using facial recognition at customs on disembarkation and it is super quick.

[luckyinpa]

i was shocked sunday when i got off in NJ. we had no forms to fill out and didnt even have to show passport. i wonder if someone didnt have a passport if it was as easy ask getting a screenshot and walking out.  i hope they keep things this easy. theres no reason to do the porter trick in NYC if it's this easy all the time

[kochleffel]

10 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

For folks who began the application process before their Wednesday, what day of the week did you get that email?

 

I started my application on Sunday and received the link on Tuesday evening (I was about to say "tonight" but it's 1:10 a.m. here).

[kochleffel]

11 hours ago, babba said:

2. Is the main dining room open on embarkation day ?

It is typical for Taste/Savor to be open for embarkation lunch. Just check the Freestyle Daily if you've received one at check-in, or go to them and see. They're right across from each other. NCL employees anywhere else on the ship try to herd everyone to the buffet.

 

I have a suggestion about embarkation night dinner. Often the MDRs are slammed the first night, but not any other. I think that this happens because the sequence of boarding and sailaway seems to put everyone on the same schedule and too many people arrive at the MDRs at about the same time. I remember one cruise where they ran out of pagers and started asking people to return in 30-40 minutes, not for seating but only to get a pager. Since then I have booked into a specialty restaurant on the first night.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, kochleffel said:

 

I started my application on Sunday and received the link on Tuesday evening (I was about to say "tonight" but it's 1:10 a.m. here).

Same here, it came in very late on Tuesday night.  (Well after I’d asked my question about when folks on prior cruises had received theirs.)

[Turtles06]

16 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

I’m on the same sailing as the OP, and have one additional question. I’ve already started the Bermuda TA application process, so I’m in their system. Getting my PCR test tomorrow (Wednesday).  Bermuda says they’ll be emailing me a link to upload the test results and vax card. For folks who began the application process before their Wednesday, what day of the week did you get that email?

 

Thanks!

 

14 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

We did our initial TA application on the Tuesday before sailing and received the link to upload our test results/vaccination proof on Thursday morning.

Just closing the loop here for subsequent cruisers reading this thread: I received that email from Bermuda with the upload links very late last night (Tuesday).

[JamieLogical]

7 hours ago, kochleffel said:

It is typical for Taste/Savor to be open for embarkation lunch. Just check the Freestyle Daily if you've received one at check-in, or go to them and see. They're right across from each other. NCL employees anywhere else on the ship try to herd everyone to the buffet.

 

I have a suggestion about embarkation night dinner. Often the MDRs are slammed the first night, but not any other. I think that this happens because the sequence of boarding and sailaway seems to put everyone on the same schedule and too many people arrive at the MDRs at about the same time. I remember one cruise where they ran out of pagers and started asking people to return in 30-40 minutes, not for seating but only to get a pager. Since then I have booked into a specialty restaurant on the first night.

 

Don't think you have to worry about MDRs being "slammed" right now. Staffing is near 100% and passenger capacity is below 50%. In the Manhattan Room on embarkation night for my 9/26 sailing, there was a line of crew at least 30 people deep just waiting to seat people. They had more crew than passengers. As we walked by them to be seated ourselves, every single one of them wished us "good evening". It reminded me of a reception line at a wedding.