NCL updated travel requirements letter?

[Sand and Seas]

Not sure why I got this letter today?  Did anyone else receive? 

 

It is for a December 2022 cruise that originates in US and ends in US.  (Plus I live in US).  I have two other cruises that depart before that date but didn't receive for those.

 

For just a moment I thought they were  cancelling pre-cruise Covid testing requirement🤔

 

 

 

June 16, 2022

 

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners:

 

On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), we thank you for your loyalty and for making us your vacation of choice. We have important information regarding updated U.S. travel requirements for guests entering the country. Travel partners should share the below information with guests who may be affected.

 

Beginning June 12, 2022, travelers entering the U.S. will no longer be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test. This latest update demonstrates a positive direction in the evolution of the public health environment, and the opportunity for more of our guests to start exploring and connecting with the people and places they’ve missed most over the last couple of years.

 

For additional information on local travel requirements by country, please visit www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country. To learn more about our health and safety protocols and to prepare for your upcoming voyage, please visit www.ncl.com/sail-safe and www.ncl.com/prepare-for-your-cruise.

 

Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to welcoming you aboard!

 

Sincerely, Katty Byrd Senior Vice President, Guest Services

[SplashOfWater]

I received it too for a Nov 2022 cruise on the Dawn r/t Tampa. 

[mking8288]

Plan to see and expect more changes this Fall and early Winter as the protocols are definitely going to continue to evolve, adapt and issued.

[Treasure Hunter]

Totally confused. We have a New England/ Canada cruise that is round trip New York. Do we need to have an antigen test 48 hours before embark and do we need to  fill out an arrive Canada form  72 hours before embark even tho Canada is the last two ports? The info is so general. Thanks

[BirdTravels]

29 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Totally confused. We have a New England/ Canada cruise that is round trip New York. Do we need to have an antigen test 48 hours before embark and do we need to  fill out an arrive Canada form  72 hours before embark even tho Canada is the last two ports? The info is so general. Thanks

@Sand and Seas, We got the same letter for our August cruise today. NCL can't really tell where you will be coming from, so it is being sent out to everyone. Haven't got one for our October cruise yet. 

 

@Treasure HunterIt will be very, very important that you read the material that NCL is sending you for your specific cruise. At the moment, about 50% of the answers provided on Cruise Critic are incorrect and may cause you to be denied boarding. At this instant in time, you must complete a COVID test (antigen is o.k.) 48 hours before your embark. At this instant in time, you must complete your ArriveCAN 72 hours before you embark (if NCL does this right, they should not allow you onboard without a ArriveCAN QR code). You can do a lot on the ArriveCAN in advance (loading your passport and vaccination records). You will need to follow the direction from NCL wrt how you identify your Canadian port of entry (since you have two stops and the app only allows you to enter one port) at 72 hours before embarkation. 

Edited June 17, 2022 by BirdTravels

[Treasure Hunter]

Thank you. That’s very helpful

[BirdTravels]

25 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Thank you. That’s very helpful

And you still need to fill out a Canadian customs declaration onboard before arriving in Canada. 

 

What they require on your cruise may be different. Again, following NCL's direction for your cruise. I am just giving you my experience sailing to Alaska a couple of weeks ago where we called at Victoria on the last night of the 7-day cruise. 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I received this for our London to Reyjakvik cruise inAugust.   I was so thrilled when I first opened it because I thought it might be that NCL was dropping their testing requirement, but no.

 

my guess is they are sending it to all cruisers just to make sure everyone is aware.

[WickedRed]

Yeah, I got one for both my July cruise Iceland & Greenland along with my Nov. cruise out of Miami back to Miami.  Figure they are just sending it to everyone. 

[schmoopie17]

I know that this news broke a few days ago, but assumed it only referred to air travel. Strange that this letter is going to cruisers on US-US cruises. We're booked on the Nov 1st TA from Rome to New York...but have not received the letter. I suppose it's great news that tests are no longer required for cruises from Europe to the US, but puzzled why we didn't get the letter.

Edited June 17, 2022 by schmoopie17

[Diane67B]

11 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Totally confused. We have a New England/ Canada cruise that is round trip New York. Do we need to have an antigen test 48 hours before embark and do we need to  fill out an arrive Canada form  72 hours before embark even tho Canada is the last two ports? The info is so general. Thanks

I just got the letter as well and I’m on the same cruise. From what I just read from NCL, it only states that the US that doesn’t require a covid test. I am assuming that the cruise line is preparing to drop covid tested from their requirements as well.

[CrazyTrain2]

Good thing email is "Free" because the letter only pertains to a small percentage of US based cruisers.  But now EVERYONE is aware.

 

BREAKING NEWS - This just in - "Japan is in the Pacific"

 

I initially got very excited, only to have my hopes dashed.

 

Cruise Well my friends.

[Jason82]

I think they did a "send-all" email. Very confusing, but NCL loves the send-all approach to marketing and communications. It should be easy for them to run a query in their database to identify who this policy change could possibly apply to and only send the email to those people, but they did not. 

 

I say this as someone who builds and sends these types of communication in my profession. I perceive they put the lowest level of effort possible into how they target communications. 

[Karaboudjan]

47 minutes ago, Jason82 said:

I think they did a "send-all" email. Very confusing, but NCL loves the send-all approach to marketing and communications. It should be easy for them to run a query in their database to identify who this policy change could possibly apply to and only send the email to those people, but they did not. 

 

I say this as someone who builds and sends these types of communication in my profession. I perceive they put the lowest level of effort possible into how they target communications. 

 

People book additional cruises all the time.  This could be useful information to anyone on their mailing list who is thinking of a future cruise regardless of where their upcoming cruise is from and to.

[casofilia]

I got FOUR copies of the same email one for each cruise on the Jade November to January from Athens (Greece not USA) to Cape Town (South Africa)!!!   Not going anywhere near America.

 

(If you want to find information about the Israeli ports using the NCL website don't look for them in the Mediterranean section.   Look for them in Asia!!)

[jkrislc]

NCL's messaging has not been very clear. Upon first reading, I'm guessing many thought that testing would not be required to board the ship. We also received luggage tags from NCL for some reason. Inside, there was a letting stating that you needing to be vaccinated at least two weeks prior to board the vessel, yet there was no mention of the testing requirement. As a result, a friend on the same sailing assumed that they had dropped the testing requirement since it wasn't mentioned.

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, Jason82 said:

I think they did a "send-all" email. Very confusing, but NCL loves the send-all approach to marketing and communications. It should be easy for them to run a query in their database to identify who this policy change could possibly apply to and only send the email to those people, but they did not. 

 

I say this as someone who builds and sends these types of communication in my profession. I perceive they put the lowest level of effort possible into how they target communications. 

It is actually the safest way to communicate. You make the very broad assumption that everyone will be traveling to their cruise from their home address. When my kids join us on a cruise (that we pay for), they are flying in from all over, including internationally, to join us on a "free cruise". 

[casofilia]

@BirdTravels

 

I agree that too many is better than too few when it comes to notifications.   Pity though that they don't have IT people who can sort out the situation .

 

However I am far more concerned at the opposite.   We have a cruise booked that disappeared from the NCL website about 3 weeks ago; no information.   It reappeared early this past week BUT yesterday it disappeared again; still no information.

[phillygwm]

21 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Totally confused. We have a New England/ Canada cruise that is round trip New York. Do we need to have an antigen test 48 hours before embark and do we need to  fill out an arrive Canada form  72 hours before embark even tho Canada is the last two ports? The info is so general. Thanks

I'm on the Joy NE/Canada cruise as well in October.  My understanding (and, as others have stated, everything is subject to change) is you have to show the ArriveCAN barcode at check-in.  I don't recall ever showing travel documents, aside from my keycard, at any of the ports.  Presumably, NCL collects everything needed and gives the information to the appropriate authorities.  But hey, it's on my phone and my docs are on it already; I'll do the questionnaire as often as needed.

 

On 6/16/2022 at 5:46 PM, Sand and Seas said:

Not sure why I got this letter today?  Did anyone else receive? 

 

Yep.  

[Travelling2Some]

I got the same letter and it is regarding a transatlantic that leaves from New York and ends in Europe.  This cruise does not involve entering the United States at all so they are definitely just sending it to everyone and anyone. 

[KeithJenner]

18 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

I got the same letter and it is regarding a transatlantic that leaves from New York and ends in Europe.  This cruise does not involve entering the United States at all so they are definitely just sending it to everyone and anyone. 

Aren't you flying back to the US afterwards?

 

They are certainly just sending them out to everyone though. We got it today for our Amsterdam to Southampton cruise. 🙂

[laudergayle]

It’s likely this email announcement was sent to all present and future reservations as a marketing tactic.  Basically, if you were concerned about being denied entry to the US to take a cruise, or return from an international cruise…worry no more.  Book your next international cruise now!!

[NayRN]

I received my email this morning. I read it - then I filed it! My next cruise is a closed-loop and really has no impact on my sailing at all - I’m just grateful that I get to cruise again and that NCL is being proactive with their notifications!

[graphicguy]

Got it this a.m., too!  I’m sailing to the Eastern Caribbean next month.

 

I took it to be just a reiteration of the U.S. requirement to have a negative COVID test to fly into the country.  That requirement had been lifted weeks ago.

 

Yes, it’s redundant.  But, I don’t mind.

 

NCL still requires a negative COVID test to embark.

 

But, coming up on 1.5 years of testing requirements, I think they’re seeing the same stats we see.  I haven’t looked in a while, but adults in the U.S. have a vaccination rate of  90%+.  The older the person, the higher the rate.  Even the 18-24 age range is near 80% vaccinated.  Maybe infants will continue to need a negative test, until they’re vaccinated.

 

This didn’t happen overnite.  It took nearly two years, but we’re getting there.  I’m sure Norwegian sees those numbers, too.  I’d say the vaccination requirements stay, but the testing will eventually be optional.

 

 

[ttnc4me]

The notice is beyond extremely confusing.  It states no negative test to enter US, but seeing as how we are departing from the US and returning to the US, then that would seemingly imply that no test is necessary whatsoever.  Katty Byrd needs to be demoted.