Yellow fever vaccination required for Namibia?

[RosieRuby]

I would appreciate any advice from previous Regent travellers who have cruised to Namibia. The Regent (US) office has notified us that proof of vaccination is required in order to enter the country but the UK Namibian High Commission, the CDC and other travel websites advise that it is NOT required unless entering from a country where yellow fever vaccination is mandatory (obviously excluding US/UK/Europe/Australia) This seems a strange decision as the cruise starts/ends in South Africa where YF vaccination is not required. I am not happy about having a vaccination that is not needed and fail to understand Regent's stance.

[mj_holiday]

As the letter also said, it is up to the local authorities what they will accept to allow you in country.  I looked at the letter as Regent is passing along the information regarding requirements from the ports that are planned.

[RosieRuby]

38 minutes ago, mj_holiday said:

As the letter also said, it is up to the local authorities what they will accept to allow you in country.  I looked at the letter as Regent is passing along the information regarding requirements from the ports that are planned.

The High Commission or Embassy represent any 'local authority' in country and they state clearly that the vaccination is not required- it would not seem appropriate for any said authority to overrule the publicised requirement and it suggests to any potential visitor that there might be a risk when it is affirmed that there is 'no risk'. As stated, vaccination is not required unless travelling from a country where yellow fever vaccination is mandatory. 

 

[wcsdkqh]

Appropriate or not, you best have what regent says is required, or be prepared to be left at the dock.

[Boatmans Lady]

I too have been scratching my head over this email and will be contacting my travel agent to get clarification as we too are flying into Cape Town to board Voyager and our first port of call is Namibia. 

I wondered if it was a blanket email as many nationalities sail with Regent and Regent won't be aware if people have travelled in risk areas previously. 

 

[RosieRuby]

36 minutes ago, Boatmans Lady said:

I too have been scratching my head over this email and will be contacting my travel agent to get clarification as we too are flying into Cape Town to board Voyager and our first port of call is Namibia. 

I wondered if it was a blanket email as many nationalities sail with Regent and Regent won't be aware if people have travelled in risk areas previously. 

 

Thank you BL. I also contacted my TA and asked them to discuss with Regent UK- they simply re-sent the same email as originally received which as you suggest appears to be just a 'blanket' email to cover them. I am going to contact the Namibian High Commission in London, who, as previously stated, confirm on the website that vaccination is NOT required.

[1982CruzStart]

We travelled to Namibia with Regent and my DH can not have the yellow fever vaccine so we had official waivers and there was no problem.  Now our cruise was different as we travelled to other countries before arriving in Namibia. We have always used the waiver for any country that required the vaccine and have never been refused entry. 

[Pcardad]

Either get the vaccination, get a waiver or accept the possibility that you will not be allowed to board. I've had this discussion with Regent...and at the time they were not interested in the potential fine they would get hit with for non-compliance. Maybe things have changed but the Yellow Fever vaccine is no big deal.

[Lonedaddy]

 

[1982CruzStart]

6 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

the Yellow Fever vaccine is no big deal.

That is not exactly true for some people. It is a live vaccine so can in fact give you YF which has no cure. Only your doctor can tell you if it is no big deal for you. 

9 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Either get the vaccination, get a waiver or accept the possibility that you will not be allowed to board.

I agree. It may not be what you have learned but Regent determines who they will accept onboard and who they won't based on the information you have been provided by them. 

[Pcardad]

18 minutes ago, 1982CruzStart said:

That is not exactly true for some people. It is a live vaccine so can in fact give you YF which has no cure. Only your doctor can tell you if it is no big deal for you. 

I agree. It may not be what you have learned but Regent determines who they will accept onboard and who they won't based on the information you have been provided by them. 

I CLEARLY included the doctor waiver in my statement...

[1982CruzStart]

11 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

I CLEARLY included the doctor waiver in my statement...

Yes i know you did, my comment was just about your final statement that it was no big deal. 

[Pcardad]

It is either no big deal (most people) or you get a waiver from the doctor. If your doctor won't give you a waiver, you get the shot or risk being denied boarding....or just stay home.

[Boatmans Lady]

6 hours ago, Pcardad said:

Either get the vaccination, get a waiver or accept the possibility that you will not be allowed to board. I've had this discussion with Regent...and at the time they were not interested in the potential fine they would get hit with for non-compliance. Maybe things have changed but the Yellow Fever vaccine is no big deal.

 

Regent haven't stated that we won't be allowed to board, only if we haven't got documentation of vaccination IF required we would have to remain on the ship whilst in port. They also say that a waiver letter may not be accepted. 

See excerpt below. 

 

 

It is ultimately the decision of the local authorities regarding what documentation they choose to review and accept. In the event you do not have proof of a Yellow Fever Vaccination or a medical waiver letter is not accepted you will be required to remain onboard while the ship is in that specific port.

[Boatmans Lady]

7 hours ago, RosieRuby said:

Thank you BL. I also contacted my TA and asked them to discuss with Regent UK- they simply re-sent the same email as originally received which as you suggest appears to be just a 'blanket' email to cover them. I am going to contact the Namibian High Commission in London, who, as previously stated, confirm on the website that vaccination is NOT required.

 

Could you please post anything you find out. 

Thank you

[cwn]

Looks like the same letter we have received from Regent when we were in Nambia on a WC and in SA on a Grand Voyage. We needed a YF shot. Regent is covering themselves. Foreign port authorities are unpredictable to say the least. If port authorities want the shot they can refuse to let you go ashore if you don’t have proof. They can/May accept the waiver but there is no guarantee. If you don’t get the shot you may not be able to get off the ship that day. If you don’t have the shot, don’t want to get it, can’t get it, at least get a waiver they are easy to get. If you don’t have the paperwork that the officer wants that day you can’t get off. Remember this is Africa not the US or UK.

 

[SWFLAOK]

We did a SilverSea cruise from Barbados to Manaus and back in 2018. At the time, Brazil required those entering the country to have a Yellow Fever vaccine, or a doctor's note explaining why you did not have a vaccine. We were required to provide this to board our cruise ship. It was required by Brazil because a number of tourists had entered Brazil and needed treatment for yellow fever. I found information on one of them who was a sailboater from Canada who probably brought it with him from Central America. But Brazil didn't want it to spread, and required everyone else entering the country to be vaccinated. Not long after our cruise, they discontinued the requirement. We're in our 60's and had the vaccine a several months before our cruise with no after effects at all.

If Namibia is currently requiring the yellow fever vaccine, then I would not expect you to be allowed to board the cruise that goes there. Previous tourists may have brought yellow fever to Namibia, as was the case with Brazil. Staying on the ship will not be an option since you could have already passed it on to others on the cruise.

[cwn]

1 hour ago, Boatmans Lady said:

 

Regent haven't stated that we won't be allowed to board, only if we haven't got documentation of vaccination IF required we would have to remain on the ship whilst in port. They also say that a waiver letter may not be accepted. 

See excerpt below. 

 

 

It is ultimately the decision of the local authorities regarding what documentation they choose to review and accept. In the event you do not have proof of a Yellow Fever Vaccination or a medical waiver letter is not accepted you will be required to remain onboard while the ship is in that specific port.

According to the Regent statement passengers with just the YF waiver may just have to stay in the ship.

[Lonedaddy]

I wish ther would just drop Namibia as a port and add one in Madagascar or Zanzibar.  Just my opinion as sand dunes aren’t that interesting to me.

[cwn]

We have been there twice , one visit was an over night. Loved the sand dunes…did a private 4 wheel-drive trip to them. Also found the safari into the Nat Park very interesting.

[RosieRuby]

On 9/11/2022 at 12:20 AM, Boatmans Lady said:

 

Could you please post anything you find out. 

Thank you

I have contact the HC in London asking them to clarify the position and am waiting for a response. 

For your information, info@namibiahc.org.uk 

[wristband]

Conflicting claims WHEN to get YF vaccination. 

 

Some say now (Sept) for a Jan sailing, pharmacists say wait  til December.  What say you?

[Pcardad]

I would do what my doctor suggested.

 

[Boatmans Lady]

12 hours ago, RosieRuby said:

I have contact the HC in London asking them to clarify the position and am waiting for a response. 

For your information, info@namibiahc.org.uk 

 

Thank you. 

After speaking with my doctors surgery today, they are recommending that we don't have the vaccination but have directed us to the nearest YF centre and they will guide us further. 

So it looks like an exemption certificate for us and if it isn't accepted, we won't be getting off in Namibia. 

[RosieRuby]

9 hours ago, Boatmans Lady said:

 

Thank you. 

After speaking with my doctors surgery today, they are recommending that we don't have the vaccination but have directed us to the nearest YF centre and they will guide us further. 

So it looks like an exemption certificate for us and if it isn't accepted, we won't be getting off in Namibia. 

Thank you BL. Good advice- I have checked our nearest centre online and shocked to be quoted £90pp, with an advisory that YF vaccinations are 'in short supply'. Not exactly sure what the criteria might be for exemption, I am over 65 but my wife is not. Just wish Regent was more transparent about this when we booked not long ago.