Changes to Bermuda rules for cruise ship passengers, effective August 22, 2022

[schmoopie17]

5 hours ago, Andros said:

I found this PDF of frequently asked questions via Bermudas website.  I found # 10 to be especially helpful information for the cruisers. 

 

https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/files/Bermuda Travel Authorisation FAQs_5.pdf

 

Of course we should all know by now things can change again before future sailings. 

 

I should note it is dated May 2022...

That's not much of a help, since you still have to test before getting on the ship...in our case, after flying all the way to Rome. Bermuda sucks. I wish there was someone everyone on our TA could write to at NCL to tell them to bypass Bermuda and we wouldn't be subject to their tyrannical BS.

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

15 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

That's not much of a help, since you still have to test before getting on the ship...in our case, after flying all the way to Rome. Bermuda sucks. I wish there was someone everyone on our TA could write to at NCL to tell them to bypass Bermuda and we wouldn't be subject to their tyrannical BS.

 

 

Thank you for the laugh! 

 

Now, take a breath and try to enjoy your upcoming cruise.

[AK Dreaming]

Just to make sure, Tuesday is ok for the PCR test if you are boarding on Saturday?

[Travelling2Some]

23 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

That's not much of a help, since you still have to test before getting on the ship...in our case, after flying all the way to Rome. Bermuda sucks. I wish there was someone everyone on our TA could write to at NCL to tell them to bypass Bermuda and we wouldn't be subject to their tyrannical BS.

 

 

No shortage of tyrannical BS lately, lol.  You've coined a good phrase there!  I do wish that NCL would just drop Bermuda from our upcoming transatlantic since they are the only reason we have to go through this extra stuff.  I think a lot of people would prefer it be dropped.  In our case, Bermuda's requirements are putting a month long European vacation in jeopardy that a lot of planning and expense went into.  Stop somewhere more accommodating or just have another sea day.

[cruiseny4life]

37 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

No shortage of tyrannical BS lately, lol.  You've coined a good phrase there!  I do wish that NCL would just drop Bermuda from our upcoming transatlantic since they are the only reason we have to go through this extra stuff.  I think a lot of people would prefer it be dropped.  In our case, Bermuda's requirements are putting a month long European vacation in jeopardy that a lot of planning and expense went into.  Stop somewhere more accommodating or just have another sea day.

I'm really wondering... so bermuda is putting a vacation in jeopardy. The only way is if you test positive. 

 

Maybe I'm like super weird, but I kind of don't want to be positive on a cruise ship. Would it suck to not cruise? Sure would, but being away from advanced medical care would suck even harder. And the true suck would be if I gave COVID to someone that died due to COVID - people are still dying you know.

 

Of course I want an end to testing (or do it at the pier where it makes more sense), but I'm not going to throw a temper tantrum about it. Lordy folks, it ain't the end of the world. Get travel insurance and call it a day.

[thetaro]

I have a 11/26 cruise. 11/24 is Thanksgiving. I don't know how I can get a test result that fast. 

[kylenyc]

5 hours ago, thetaro said:

I have a 11/26 cruise. 11/24 is Thanksgiving. I don't know how I can get a test result that fast. 

Google search "virtual rapid antigen test".

It costs around $20.

You bring your own sealed at-home Covid rapid antigen test. You take the test while being supervised (watched) via telehealth (a video meeting like Zoom, Webex), you show them the results of the test and they email you the paperwork.

Call them ahead of time to find out which one is open.

Make sure the test results they send you meet NCL and Bermuda's requirement.

 

If you're in the USA and haven't gotten your "free" at-home test kits.

https://www.covid.gov/tests

You can order up to three times.

 

From the Bermuda Travel Authority

13. What is considered a Supervised Antigen test?

A Supervised Antigen test is either administered at a

pharmacy or clinic, or self-administered with observation

via a telehealth service. The results must include

everything we require on the molecular test results.

Edited August 25, 2022 by kylenyc

[shipmate13]

I think the cruise lines need to stop going to Bermuda until they change this stupid rule.  Its just about getting money from each passenger. If cruise lines quit going there, they would  be getting NOTHING!! We are on a cruise that stops there in October. Am I correct in reading that we are paying 40.00 for each passenger to fill out the authorization form to go to that port and if it is not done, we can not get on the ship at embarkation? All other cruise lines are dropping COVID testings prior to sailing but I have read nothing about that with Celebrity. 

If this is the case,  I have no choice but to comply but I do have a choice not to get off the ship and give them one more cent of my money.  Why would cruise lines want to put passengers through this?  Am I missing something here?  I could be totally wrong.  Their government needs to wake up 

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, shipmate13 said:

I think the cruise lines need to stop going to Bermuda until they change this stupid rule.  Its just about getting money from each passenger. If cruise lines quit going there, they would  be getting NOTHING!! We are on a cruise that stops there in October. Am I correct in reading that we are paying 40.00 for each passenger to fill out the authorization form to go to that port and if it is not done, we can not get on the ship at embarkation?

 

You are correct that you will be denied embarkation if you do not comply with Bermuda's protocols. 

 

The cruise lines won't quit going to Bermuda, on the contrary they fall over themselves for the right to stop in Bermuda. It is a desirable port for passengers and for the cruise lines. Bermuda is an island paradise and cruise lines are able to charge more for Bermuda cruises. It is also located in the right place for the cruise lines northeast US homeports. Both Royal Caribbean and NCL have contracts to call on Bermuda a certain number of times and they are not going to give up those berth rights to a competitor because of a few narscisists and whiners.  

[Turtles06]

6 hours ago, shipmate13 said:

Its just about getting money from each passenger.

 

Or perhaps, as a small island, they are still trying to take steps to help protect their citizens from covid while at the same time balancing the importance of tourism.   In fact, a year ago, when cruising to Bermuda re-started, the fee for the Bermuda Travel Authorization was $75 pp (yes, $75 per person) AND everyone had to get and pay for a (pricey) PCR test no later than 4 days before sailing, as well as the embarkation-day tests required by the cruise lines AND a second PCR test at embarkation.  

 

[cruiseny4life]

8 hours ago, shipmate13 said:

I think the cruise lines need to stop going to Bermuda until they change this stupid rule.  Its just about getting money from each passenger. If cruise lines quit going there, they would  be getting NOTHING!! We are on a cruise that stops there in October. Am I correct in reading that we are paying 40.00 for each passenger to fill out the authorization form to go to that port and if it is not done, we can not get on the ship at embarkation? All other cruise lines are dropping COVID testings prior to sailing but I have read nothing about that with Celebrity. 

If this is the case,  I have no choice but to comply but I do have a choice not to get off the ship and give them one more cent of my money.  Why would cruise lines want to put passengers through this?  Am I missing something here?  I could be totally wrong.  Their government needs to wake up 

Just because you think it's a stupid rule, doesn't mean there aren't passengers that want to go. I want to go. I went in April and I'm going again in a few days. Several thousand others want to go as well - just look at the bookings to Bermuda on any cruise site. Most seem to be asking a fairly decent fare for the privilege of stopping in Bermuda.

 

Bermuda needed to protect their island from the devastating affects of COVID. They counted on these fees to help them do so, by ensuring everyone is vaccinated/now just tested since unvaccinated can go. If $40 is too much for you, then I truly wonder why you are cruising. You should be saving your money so that $40 doesn't force you to have a temper tantrum online. 

 

Cruise lines are dropping their vaccination and testing mandates (for most), but certain destinations are not, including Bermuda, Canada, Greece, Spain, and probably a few others. If you don't like it, then just simply don't go. If you were concerned with the fees, or mandates, you should never have booked a cruise until you were certain all COVID protocols were over. 

 

You truly need to take your head out of the sand, show some empathy, and understand the earth does not revolve around any one of us. I hope you do stay on the ship when it docks in Bermuda. The locals don't need to have another visitor like you on their shores. 

[vacation44]

10 hours ago, shipmate13 said:

Their government needs to wake up 

Their government is doing what they think is best for them.   We are happily complying on our sailing next week as when we booked, we knew the requirements.   

 

[cruiserbear55]

14 hours ago, shipmate13 said:

 All other cruise lines are dropping COVID testings prior to sailing but I have read nothing about that with Celebrity. 

 

    Did you mean to post this on the Celebrity boards? These are the NCL boards.

[dcipjr]

Sheesh. If NCL had raised port charges by $40 per person, you likely wouldn't have even have noticed it, and would have kept paying it in perpetuity. It's more likely this way that the TA charge will eventually get dropped.

 

Bermuda has one hospital on the island. I'm glad that they're letting us come at all, and happy to comply with their regulations. Sure, I don't love the hassle of testing or paying the TA fee, but I do love Bermuda and feel it's worth it.

 

If you don't feel it's worth it, you could always, oh...I dunno....take a cruise that doesn't stop there?

[JGmf]

I agree with all the sentiments about Bermuda creating their own rules; and we should comply to visit this special place.  I'll be there 3 times in over 10 months, each time going through the process, which is less expensive and less cumbersome now than back in December.

 

That said, it is indeed administrative busywork.  They need the $40 to fill their budget hole.  Easiest way is to just have the cruise ships take the $40, pass it on, and also verify the vax card just like they are doing (now) with the test results.  It seemingly would be easier for all parties.

 

Whatever.  Hopefully in early 2023, once they adopt their new budget, covid fees/process are in the rear view mirror... 

[schmoopie17]

35 minutes ago, dcipjr said:

 

If you don't feel it's worth it, you could always, oh...I dunno....take a cruise that doesn't stop there?

We have always wanted to do a Transatlantic and finally decided to do one this November. We were excited to go to Italy, Spain, France, Portugal...and Bermuda was an afterthought, actually. Just a stop to break up the sea days. We'd be fine with bypassing Bermuda and avoiding all the hassle, since it was never a bucket list destination for us like the European stops.

[midnightbuffet]

I just got back from the August 14-23 Joy ride. It was a blast, but the testing for Bermuda was handled so poorly. They had everyone packed into a cordoned zig-zag line in Cagney's and my fiancé joked "if we don't have COVID now, we will have it after this test."

We tested negative (they barely entered the nostril with the swab for any of the 4 of us) and enjoyed Bermuda. The tests really give a false sense of security and we would probably have been better off if we weren't all squeezed together waiting to be tested for about 90 minutes (how long the line took). 

Anyway, yeah, we caught the bug. LOL. We've been dealing with mild symptoms since we arrived back on Tuesday morning. We hope that it was not more widespread! I think that ending testing will actually reduce spreads like this. It was really a big shock when we felt that Norwegian really had everything else handled so well. The testing was handled rather poorly and probably did more harm than good. 

Edited August 26, 2022 by midnightbuffet

[Travelling2Some]

6 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

We have always wanted to do a Transatlantic and finally decided to do one this November. We were excited to go to Italy, Spain, France, Portugal...and Bermuda was an afterthought, actually. Just a stop to break up the sea days. We'd be fine with bypassing Bermuda and avoiding all the hassle, since it was never a bucket list destination for us like the European stops.

I think this post explains the difference in attitude between those cruising to Bermuda as a destination v. those of us who are headed for Europe and consider the Bermuda stop just a nuisance and wish NCL would simplify things and drop it.  Of course, if Bermuda is your actual destination then you would feel differently.  I like Bermuda but (like most east coast US cruisers?) have already been there many times. Bermuda is a wealthy banking center (like Cayman) and does not have the desperate need for tourist dollars that many Caribbean islands do.  Nobody else has felt the need to "charge admission" and folks generally don't like being forced to pay for something they don't even want.  People  have widely divergent opinions on all the Covid stuff so I am NOT going down that rabbit hole, lol.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Travelling2Some