Azura cruise disappointment

[Lou30]

 I'm booked on a cruise  from Malta on the Azura,21st April this year and have just found out that Italy are not allowing us to leave the ship independently and that we'll need a covid test on each of the 3 stops . I'm annoyed that I wasn't informed of this until after  I'd booked and paid in full. Going on a cruise for us usually means exploring, getting buses and trains to different places so really not looking forward to being managed and timed on a tour. Is anybody else on this cruise who are not aware of this? 

[Gettingwarmer]

The information is all on the P&O website and is updated regularly. 
https://www.pocruises.com/content/dam/po/pdfs/A-Z-destination-entry-requirements-guide-2-March-2022.pdf

 

[wowzz]

I am a little surprised at the P&O information.

You can enter Italy without testing if you are fully vaccinated.

Is the need for testing a P&O requirement, or an Italian government requirement purely for cruise ships ?

 

[Lou30]

It's an Italian government decision, according to P&O . I did raise the fact that I can fly into Italy without a test but they weren't very interested in that. I think what makes it worse is that we have to be tested at each Italian port ,even though we are going to be in Italy 3 days on the trot! 

[Enjoyacruise]

Thanks for posting this Lou 30.

 

I am on the 31st March sailing and haven't been told anything officially by my travel agent.

 

The P&O destination guide has now been updated to reflect this change which  I think is initially operative from 1st March at least to 31st March. No doubt the Italian authorities as with any Covid guidance will review regularly.

 

Wowzz if I read the Foreign Office advice correctly the Italian Government are insisting on PCR or least lateral flow tests before arrival even if you are fully vaccinated. The question for my 14 night cruise is do I need three to cover Livorno, Civitavecchia and Trieste. No doubt we will be advised onboard. 

 

I was going to "do my own thing" in the three Italian ports but will have to book excursions now.

[Lou30]

28 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

The information is all on the P&O website and is updated regularly. 
https://www.pocruises.com/content/dam/po/pdfs/A-Z-destination-entry-requirements-guide-2-March-2022.pdf

 

I know it's my mistake for not checking the website before I booked but I did check Italy's covid policy when flying in,which says you don't need a test as long as you're up to date with vaccines which we are. I stupidly assumed that if I could arrive at an airport without a test, then I could arrive at a shipping port! 

[Lou30]

28 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

The information is all on the P&O website and is updated regularly. 
https://www.pocruises.com/content/dam/po/pdfs/A-Z-destination-entry-requirements-guide-2-March-2022.pdf

 

I know it's my mistake for not checking the website before I booked but I did check Italy's covid policy when flying in,which says you don't need a test as long as you're up to date with vaccines which we are. I stupidly assumed that if I could arrive at an airport without a test, then I could arrive at a shipping port! 

[Lou30]

3 minutes ago, Enjoyacruise said:

Thanks for posting this Lou 30.

 

I am on the 31st March sailing and haven't been told anything officially by my travel agent.

 

The P&O destination guide has now been updated to reflect this change which  I think is initially operative from 1st March at least to 31st March. No doubt the Italian authorities as with any Covid guidance will review regularly.

 

Wowzz if I read the Foreign Office advice correctly the Italian Government are insisting on PCR or least lateral flow tests before arrival even if you are fully vaccinated. The question for my 14 night cruise is do I need three to cover Livorno, Civitavecchia and Trieste. No doubt we will be advised onboard. 

 

I was going to "do my own thing" in the three Italian ports but will have to book excursions now.

You will need 3 separate tests,I asked that question this morning. I find that ridiculous and expensive. We too like doing our own thing,and thought that should have been mentioned at the time of booking because I wouldn't have booked it knowing that information.

[Enjoyacruise]

Thanks again for the update. If the FO advice is correct the Italian Government only approved this change on 22 February. You never know they may change it again before you depart.

 

My son lives in Florence and was to meet me in Livorno. I will have to trust that the Florence on your Own trip falls within their rules otherwise I will have a lot of UK tea bags to use up!

 

 

[wowzz]

39 minutes ago, Enjoyacruise said:

Wowzz if I read the Foreign Office advice correctly the Italian Government are insisting on PCR or least lateral flow tests before arrival even if you are fully vaccinated

With respect, I think you are wrong. The latest guidance states that no tests are required if you are fully vaccinated. From the government website : 

From 1 March, all travellers, aged 6 and over, must show either:

• proof of vaccination OR
• evidence of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before entering Italy or a negative rapid lateral flow test taken within the 48 hours before entering Italy OR
• a COVID-19 recovery certificate, certifying that you have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 6 months

Edited March 3, 2022 by wowzz

[Megabear2]

I'm flying into Rome on 15 June, spending 3 nights and then boarding Celebrity Edge at Civitavechia for 7 nights.  We are visiting Portofino and La Spezia on days 3 and 4 as day 2 is spent in Corsica.  I was already speaking with my T/A about testing requirements before reading this.  Celebrity have a very strict testing regime before boarding the ship and I am required to take 2 tests before departure.  One of these is a PCR at my own expense inside the 48 hours of departure - this is not a legal requirement but rather a Celebrity one. The second at the port is an antigen test provided by Celebrity..

 

As at yesterday my T/A told me a new Italian regulation hit her inbox and she is going to discuss this with Celebrity today.  As at yesterday I can confirm no test is required to enter Italy by air - we have triple checked this with BA, Celebrity and Italian airport.

 

If the test each day requirement is correct I'm going to be very poor!  Celebrity apparently charge $99 each for an onboard test according to their website and the ship's excursions they are offering range from £70 to £300pp.

 

Perhaps I should have stuck with Azura after all!!!

[Interestedcruisefan]

Seems OTT for these rules

 

Hopefully they will change before you guys travel

 

Hopefully these rules aren't being implemented for financial gain for anyone involved either in Italy or on the cruise ships

[purplesea]

At the beginning February, prior to booking my trip on Azura, I was looking the itinerary that you are talking about, as we have relations in Pisa, but I did see when checking P&O's A-Z guide that you had to do a tour in those ports so I changed my mind and am now touring the Adriatic.

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I'm flying into Rome on 15 June, spending 3 nights and then boarding Celebrity Edge at Civitavechia for 7 nights.  We are visiting Portofino and La Spezia on days 3 and 4 as day 2 is spent in Corsica.  I was already speaking with my T/A about testing requirements before reading this.  Celebrity have a very strict testing regime before boarding the ship and I am required to take 2 tests before departure.  One of these is a PCR at my own expense inside the 48 hours of departure - this is not a legal requirement but rather a Celebrity one. The second at the port is an antigen test provided by Celebrity..

 

As at yesterday my T/A told me a new Italian regulation hit her inbox and she is going to discuss this with Celebrity today.  As at yesterday I can confirm no test is required to enter Italy by air - we have triple checked this with BA, Celebrity and Italian airport.

 

If the test each day requirement is correct I'm going to be very poor!  Celebrity apparently charge $99 each for an onboard test according to their website and the ship's excursions they are offering range from £70 to £300pp.

 

Perhaps I should have stuck with Azura after all!!!

We are on Princess in May and visit four Italian ports. 

No information yet from Princess as to how they will deal with this new requirement.

 

[bee-ess]

We are on Azura in July but luckily Trieste is our only Italian port so if the rules don't change we will stay on board and avoid the testing. Hopefully by July testing will not be a requirement. 

 

Also according to the document, going ashore independently is not certain in Malta either.

 

[purplesea]

2 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

We are on Azura in July but luckily Trieste is our only Italian port so if the rules don't change we will stay on board and avoid the testing. Hopefully by July testing will not be a requirement. 

 

Also according to the document, going ashore independently is not certain in Malta either.

 

Has that changed then? I last saw to be advised! We arrive lunchtime and was hoping to have a wander in the afternoon, before we sail. 

[bee-ess]

1 minute ago, purplesea said:

Has that changed then? I last saw to be advised! We arrive lunchtime and was hoping to have a wander in the afternoon, before we sail. 

I take TBA to mean it could go either way.

[Son of Anarchy]

Was thinking of making a late booking for one of this Aprilish Azura cruises.  Don't think I'll bother now if you have to test at each Italian port.

[purplesea]

2 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Was thinking of making a late booking for one of this Aprilish Azura cruises.  Don't think I'll bother now if you have to test at each Italian port.

That is why I changed my mind about three ports of call in Italy. We now have three ports of call in Coratia and Trieste, if we stay on the ship it will only be on the one day.

[snaefell]

Exactly why we won't book anything just yet,anything could happen,I really can't understand why anybody would be surprised.

[bee-ess]

1 hour ago, purplesea said:

Has that changed then? I last saw to be advised! We arrive lunchtime and was hoping to have a wander in the afternoon, before we sail. 

Where are you flying in from - ours is Gatwick and arriving into Malta quite late.

[Enjoyacruise]

Wowzz thanks-much better than my reading of it

[Kizzysmom]

we're on a cruise in October this year, with luckily only one Italian port, a good while away I know and hopefully things will change but you never know. If, by the time we go, we still need to do a test to go ashore does anyone know how much are P & O charging?

[Gettingwarmer]

6 minutes ago, Kizzysmom said:

we're on a cruise in October this year, with luckily only one Italian port, a good while away I know and hopefully things will change but you never know. If, by the time we go, we still need to do a test to go ashore does anyone know how much are P & O charging?

Price at top of page.

 

https://www.pocruises.com/content/dam/po/pdfs/A-Z-destination-entry-requirements-guide-2-March-2022.pdf

[Kizzysmom]

Thank you 🙂