Bermuda Travel restrictions

[shipgeeks]

Correction to the above:  Should say "within 30 days", rather than "up to 30 days".

[mano2020]

This is insanity. First off, whatever they are doing isn't working as the CDC has Bermuda listed as "Very High" for rates of infection as of today. 

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-bermuda

 

I am booked on the Getaway out of NYC to Norfolk then Bermuda tomorrow, with a group of 6. 

 

I sent in my negative Covid results for me and my cabin mate done by Inspire Diagnostics (recommended by NCL) yesterday afternoon. I got an automated replay saying "Application Pending Review" Nothing since then.

 

I sent a nice email as someone else suggested, about 2 hours ago, along with all of our documentation again....

 

STILL nothing.  The Bermuda travel authority  closes in 1  1/2 hours, and we were planning on leaving in the wee hours of the morning as I am several hours away from NYC. None of us has gotten our approval from Bermuda yet, and without it, supposedly we can't board.

 

I am really regretting this trip already. 

 

Oh, and NCL sent out a letter a few days ago saying if we get off at the first port, Norfolk, then we will need to be tested again on board. If we stay on the ship, we don't need a re-test. 

 

I am hoping they re-route the ship to the Bahamas...The CDC has them rated as moderate for infection rate.

 

Too much money to be dealing with this nonsense!!!

 

 

[mano2020]

Here is the list of what is considered "fully vaccinated" from the Bermuda site. Note the last line says a booster dose is not required to visit Bermuda.

 

 https://www.gov.bm/what-fully-vaccinated

 

•  Apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorisation

What is Fully Vaccinated?

 

 

Effective March 7, 2022:

What is fully vaccinated?

Proof of full vaccination is required for visitors 12 and up to enter Bermuda.

A fully vaccinated traveller is someone who has received the full course of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by: 

• Pfizer BioNTech (2 doses)

• AstraZeneca (2 doses)

• Serum Institute of India (2 doses)

• Jansen/Johnson & Johnson (1 dose)

• Moderna (2 doses)

• Sinopharm/BIBP (2 doses)

• Sinovac (2 doses)

A full course of a vaccine means a COVID-19 vaccine administered according to the manufacturer’s recommendation or the recommendation of a stringent regulatory body recognised by the Ministry of Health, with at least 14 days from the date of the final dose of vaccination.

Travellers who have received a booster dose of a vaccine listed above, in addition to a full course of one of the vaccines above, are also deemed fully vaccinated. However, a booster dose is not required to visit Bermuda.

[bkrickles1]

39 minutes ago, mano2020 said:

 

 

Oh, and NCL sent out a letter a few days ago saying if we get off at the first port, Norfolk, then we will need to be tested again on board. If we stay on the ship, we don't need a re-test. 

 

 

Can you post the letter stating this? I have not heard that anywhere. 

Edited April 9, 2022 by bkrickles1

[mano2020]

10 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

Can you post the letter stating this? I have not heard that anywhere. 

Certainly...

Date: 04/08/2022 US Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has important information regarding your Bermuda itinerary. Travel partners should share the below information with guests who may be affected. As you prepare for your upcoming sailing, we want to ensure that your embarkation process runs smoothly and inform you of the following important requirements for your cruise. All guests must complete the Bermuda Travel Authorization (TA) form within 30 days of sailing. The cost of the Travel Authorization is $40 per guest. The form is available at www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation. - Once approved, a travel authorization number will be provided to you. - If you have any issues with the process, please contact: - Bermuda Tourism Authority: 1.833.570.2594 (toll-free) * TA rejections are typically due to (i) guests taking the wrong type of test; (ii) not booking the test far enough in advance; or (iii) uploading the wrong document for test result or vaccination card. All vaccinated guests: - Travel authorization requirements include that you upload your vaccination card and proof of a negative antigen test administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test within two days of embarkation. - Note: The upload of the antigen test results should occur at the same time as the upload of proof of vaccination. All unvaccinated guests (only applicable to guests under the age of twelve): - Travel authorization requirements include that you provide proof of a negative PCR test administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test within three days of embarkation. - All unvaccinated guests will also be required to take an additional antigen test at embarkation. This test will be paid for and administered by Norwegian Cruise Line. Where Bermuda is not the first port of call, or if the ship takes longer than four days to arrive in Bermuda, all guests, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to take an additional antigen or PCR test onboard no more than two days prior to disembarking in Bermuda. This test will be paid for and administered by our onboard medical team. To expedite this process, please kindly register prior to embarkation by visiting https://www.mia.eurofins-mylabport.com/account/continue-registration/NCL?E=45625. - Guests who opt not to disembark in Norfolk, Virginia Beach will be exempt from this requirement.     Failure to comply with the above requirements will unfortunately result in denial of embarkation. Guests who are denied embarkation or reboarding for failure to comply with Norwegian Cruise Line's COVID-19 Policies and Procedures shall not be entitled to a refund or compensation of any kind. For more information, please click https://www.ncl.com/refund-and-cancellation-policy-covid-19. Visit www.ncl.com/sail-safe for our full list of health and safety protocols. In addition to these latest updates, be sure to visit and check back often at www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country to stay up to date about cruise destination specific travel requirements for your upcoming cruise vacation. We also encourage you to sign up for travel notifications from your local government, as well as the government(s) of the port(s) you will be visiting as destinations may suddenly modify their protocols and travel requirements and restrictions. Please note that such modifications may also require us to revise our itineraries and potentially skip or substitute new ports for scheduled ports of call, as well as impact certain onboard services. Finally, we remind all guests to have all the necessary documentation including proof of vaccination and boosters if necessary for the countries they are visiting; negative COVID-19 test result; and passport readily available to present to the check-in staff upon arrival. For further information about required travel documentation, click https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents. Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to welcoming you aboard! Sincerely, Katty Byrd Senior Vice President, Guest Services

 

 

[mano2020]

I just tried calling Bermuda's Covid site and there were 90 people in the que ahead of me....after 10 minutes waiting it was down to 87 and I hung up.   *****?

 

They close in 30 minutes for the day!!

 

Not looking too good!  I will post if I get the approvals. But I am not a happy cruiser ATM!!

 

 

 

 

[Charles4515]

3 minutes ago, mano2020 said:

Not looking too good!  I will post if I get the approvals. But I am not a happy cruiser ATM!!

 

As long as they acknowledged reciept I would not worry. You will get approved. 

[mano2020]

5 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

As long as they acknowledged reciept I would not worry. You will get approved. 

 

Yeah maybe but I am worried.   

 

Cant even get on the ship without it, and we embark tomorrow!!  And I am 3 hours away.

 

Pretty poor way to do business!!!  That goes for NCL AND Bermuda!

[Charles4515]

14 minutes ago, mano2020 said:

 

Yeah maybe but I am worried.   

 

Cant even get on the ship without it, and we embark tomorrow!!  And I am 3 hours away.

 

Pretty poor way to do business!!!  That goes for NCL AND Bermuda!

I don’t disagree with you. They don’t need the added bureaucracy. The cruise line could easily verify the documents required for Bermuda instead of uploading them to the Bermuda government for approval. 
 

 Reading  what had happened on previous sailings is that passengers who had issues were those who arrived at the terminal who did not submit the form. If you don’t receive anything before getting the approval it will be resolved at the terminal. NCL has actually done better than Celebrity and Royal Caribbean in providing information.

 

[kjpn44]

57 minutes ago, mano2020 said:

I just tried calling Bermuda's Covid site and there were 90 people in the que ahead of me....after 10 minutes waiting it was down to 87 and I hung up.   *****?

 

They close in 30 minutes for the day!!

 

Not looking too good!  I will post if I get the approvals. But I am not a happy cruiser ATM!!

 

 

 

 

If it makes you feel any better, I spent over 4 hours on hold, got to #3 and then disconnected.   I don’t have my approval either.  Definitely not a happy cruiser either.  NCL gives conflicting answers.  Not even sure what to do at this point as they are closed. 

[mano2020]

38 minutes ago, kjpn44 said:

If it makes you feel any better, I spent over 4 hours on hold, got to #3 and then disconnected.   I don’t have my approval either.  Definitely not a happy cruiser either.  NCL gives conflicting answers.  Not even sure what to do at this point as they are closed. 

 

 

I'm sorry....that really sucks!  4 hours...I'd need a sedative. I need one myself!

 

I think probably there are a LOT of us in this same "boat".  It is absolutely wrong. 

 

I am printing off all my documentation and taking it with us to the pier tomorrow. 

 

Think how much money Bermuda is making on this.....Lets see, 6 ships a week, at least,  at lets say 3,000 passengers per ship...Thats 18,000 people, at $40 a pop, is $720,000 per week on EXTRA revenue....and I'll bet it's closer to a million dollars a week.  For nothing.  For vacationing in a place with one of the highest Covid rates in the WORLD.  

 

Glad I didn't book any excursions....and if I could get a refund, I would in a heartbeat!

 

Hopefully Charles 4515 is correct that it will be corrected at the pier...Thank you for the info.

 

I am a new cruiser, only my 2nd cruise...And NCL does NOT impress me, not one little bit!!

 

 

 

 

[kjpn44]

35 minutes ago, mano2020 said:

 

 

I'm sorry....that really sucks!  4 hours...I'd need a sedative. I need one myself!

 

I think probably there are a LOT of us in this same "boat".  It is absolutely wrong. 

 

I am printing off all my documentation and taking it with us to the pier tomorrow. 

 

Think how much money Bermuda is making on this.....Lets see, 6 ships a week, at least,  at lets say 3,000 passengers per ship...Thats 18,000 people, at $40 a pop, is $720,000 per week on EXTRA revenue....and I'll bet it's closer to a million dollars a week.  For nothing.  For vacationing in a place with one of the highest Covid rates in the WORLD.  

 

Glad I didn't book any excursions....and if I could get a refund, I would in a heartbeat!

 

Hopefully Charles 4515 is correct that it will be corrected at the pier...Thank you for the info.

 

I am a new cruiser, only my 2nd cruise...And NCL does NOT impress me, not one little bit!!

 

 

 

 

Just to give you a heads up they’re still answering the phone.  They approved it for us and we have our authorization.  Only waited an hour this time

[Charles4515]

54 minutes ago, mano2020 said:

.  For nothing.  For vacationing in a place with one of the highest Covid rates in the WORLD.  

Lower affected population than the US and lower deaths per thousand than the US.
 

I have done over 60 cruises and neither Carnival or NCL impress me but all the mainstream lines are flawed in one way or another but I don’t book NCL at all anymore. If you are not in the Haven on NCL or similar category on the other cruise lines you will be at the bottom of their totem pole these days. Did you book in the Haven?

 

Bermuda needs all the revenue it can get for sure. Their economy has been hurting for years. The Travel Authorization is not singling out cruise passengers. All travelers including their own residents returning from abroad do the TA and pay the fee. Bermuda is a small island of 67,000 people with one hospital. They don’t have a US, Canadian or UK health system. That is the reason for the TA.  Bermuda has been a safer place to travel too than many places including the US. 

[AmbitionatBay]

1 hour ago, mano2020 said:

 

 

I'm sorry....that really sucks!  4 hours...I'd need a sedative. I need one myself!

 

I think probably there are a LOT of us in this same "boat".  It is absolutely wrong. 

 

I am printing off all my documentation and taking it with us to the pier tomorrow. 

 

Think how much money Bermuda is making on this.....Lets see, 6 ships a week, at least,  at lets say 3,000 passengers per ship...Thats 18,000 people, at $40 a pop, is $720,000 per week on EXTRA revenue....and I'll bet it's closer to a million dollars a week.  For nothing.  For vacationing in a place with one of the highest Covid rates in the WORLD.  

 

Glad I didn't book any excursions....and if I could get a refund, I would in a heartbeat!

 

Hopefully Charles 4515 is correct that it will be corrected at the pier...Thank you for the info.

 

I am a new cruiser, only my 2nd cruise...And NCL does NOT impress me, not one little bit!!

 

 

 

 

I just found this on the Bermuda gov Twitter page

[mano2020]

57 minutes ago, AmbitionatBay said:

I just found this on the Bermuda gov Twitter page

 

 

Thank you so much for posting this.  One would think they would/could  let us know, but CruiseCritic comes through.  I have all my documentation printed off...I did everything on my end. 

 

Maybe I can get a few hours sleep now before heading to the port.  I sure hope it's not a huge hassle!

 

Thanks again!!

 

 

[AmbitionatBay]

6 minutes ago, mano2020 said:

 

 

Thank you so much for posting this.  One would think they would/could  let us know, but CruiseCritic comes through.  I have all my documentation printed off...I did everything on my end. 

 

Maybe I can get a few hours sleep now before heading to the port.  I sure hope it's not a huge hassle!

 

Thanks again!!

 

 

Good luck and enjoy your cruise!  We are sailing on May 1st to Bermuda. 

[mano2020]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

Lower affected population than the US and lower deaths per thousand than the US.
 

I have done over 60 cruises and neither Carnival or NCL impress me but all the mainstream lines are flawed in one way or another but I don’t book NCL at all anymore. If you are not in the Haven on NCL or similar category on the other cruise lines you will be at the bottom of their totem pole these days. Did you book in the Haven?

 

Bermuda needs all the revenue it can get for sure. Their economy has been hurting for years. The Travel Authorization is not singling out cruise passengers. All travelers including their own residents returning from abroad do the TA and pay the fee. Bermuda is a small island of 67,000 people with one hospital. They don’t have a US, Canadian or UK health system. That is the reason for the TA.  Bermuda has been a safer place to travel too than many places including the US. 

 

I was thinking Bermuda would be safer too, but not according to the CDC. They have Bermuda listed as High risk. The Bahamas are listed as a moderate risk, which I was surprised at. My own city is listed as moderate risk.

 

I don't mind paying them $40....I really don't. But it could have been handled better. NCL should have sent out an email explaining the situation, if Bermuda couldn't, and what to do. I'll bet there are thousands of people not sleeping tonight because of this.

 

Like ME!  

[JGmf]

17 hours ago, mano2020 said:

Pretty poor way to do business!!!  That goes for NCL AND Bermuda!

 

Sorry for your frustration and hope you are boarding without any complications and have a wonderful cruise, but blaming NCL for Bermuda's requirements is misguided and way off-base.

 

Totally agree, however, with the larger sentiment that Bermuda is causing their own duplicative administrative busy-work for themselves and cruise travelers like many of us who are already boarding a ship with a 2-days prior negative test.  I'd rather they fold the $40 into higher port fees for certain ships and call it a day.  Uggh.

 

 

 

[JGmf]

On the notion that the Bermuda travel authorization is duplicative bureaucratic busywork...

 

https://www.royalgazette.com/transport/news/article/20220410/web-outage-and-e-mail-issue-causes-delay-in-ta-applications/

 

[Charles4515]

14 minutes ago, JGmf said:

On the notion that the Bermuda travel authorization is duplicative bureaucratic busywork...

 

https://www.royalgazette.com/transport/news/article/20220410/web-outage-and-e-mail-issue-causes-delay-in-ta-applications/

 

 

That article expresses the viewpoint of the minority party in the Bermuda government which in their last election lost in a landslide. They have 6 seats out of 36. I do agree with their opinion of the TA but the ruling party there can pretty much do what it wants. It is a UK type government. Any change will have to come from their ruling party.