Bermuda and Covid Testing, Is this Over?

[js]

Hi.

I just came back from a two-week Disney trip which took all my free time planning so have been away from these boards.

I was on FB today and someone mentioned that NCL ships going to Bermuda no longer need to test for Covid.

I immediately came on here and didn't see anything and did a search and I cannot see that this regulation has changed.

Has the Covid testing been removed to sail to Bermuda? I'm sailing Joy end of July and although I know things can change,

for me, this is a positive step.

Thank you.

 

[cruiserbear55]

12 minutes ago, js said:

Hi.

I just came back from a two-week Disney trip which took all my free time planning so have been away from these boards.

I was on FB today and someone mentioned that NCL ships going to Bermuda no longer need to test for Covid.

I immediately came on here and didn't see anything and did a search and I cannot see that this regulation has changed.

Has the Covid testing been removed to sail to Bermuda? I'm sailing Joy end of July and although I know things can change,

for me, this is a positive step.

Thank you.

 

 

  As of 10/25, or 10/22 depending on which Bermuda site you're viewing, testing is no longer required. You do, however, still have to apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorization. $40.00 fee. Proof of vaccination is still required. If not vaccinated, you'll have to provide proof of international health insurance, such as NCL Booksafe.

[BirdTravels]

46 minutes ago, js said:

Hi.

I just came back from a two-week Disney trip which took all my free time planning so have been away from these boards.

I was on FB today and someone mentioned that NCL ships going to Bermuda no longer need to test for Covid.

I immediately came on here and didn't see anything and did a search and I cannot see that this regulation has changed.

Has the Covid testing been removed to sail to Bermuda? I'm sailing Joy end of July and although I know things can change,

for me, this is a positive step.

Thank you.

 

Regardless of what you read on the internet, the only thing that is relevant is what NCL requires. If you fail to meet NCL's COVID protocols, you will be denied boarding. 

 

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

 

[js]

4 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

 

  As of 10/25, or 10/22 depending on which Bermuda site you're viewing, testing is no longer required. You do, however, still have to apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorization. $40.00 fee. Proof of vaccination is still required. If not vaccinated, you'll have to provide proof of international health insurance, such as NCL Booksafe.

Fabulous. Thank you!

 

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Regardless of what you read on the internet, the only thing that is relevant is what NCL requires. If you fail to meet NCL's COVID protocols, you will be denied boarding. 

 

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

 

Thank you!

[njhorseman]

5 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

As of 10/25, or 10/22 depending on which Bermuda site you're viewing, testing is no longer required.

It's NCL's website, not Bermuda's, that uses the 10/22 date because NCL's reference date is for NCL cruises departing on or after 10/22, while Bermuda's rule and its website refer to passengers arriving in Bermuda on or after 10/25.

The dates don't conflict because NCL's 10/22 departure arrives in Bermuda on 10/25 and therefore is not subject to a testing requirement.

[Catnip]

18 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Regardless of what you read on the internet, the only thing that is relevant is what NCL requires. If you fail to meet NCL's COVID protocols, you will be denied boarding. 

 

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

 

Interesting that their country list does not include any of the Caribbean island countries.  Should I assume that if a particular country (ie: DR/Haiti, BVI, etc) is not listed, there are no covid restrictions?  Or do I have to check out each island's official page?

[HuliHuli]

1 hour ago, Catnip said:

Interesting that their country list does not include any of the Caribbean island countries.  Should I assume that if a particular country (ie: DR/Haiti, BVI, etc) is not listed, there are no covid restrictions?  Or do I have to check out each island's official page?

Although NCL is likely to catch any changes at their ports of call, you are better off checking the national pages to confirm.

[uneamie]

15 hours ago, js said:

Fabulous. Thank you!

 

Thank you!

The link you posted mentions "proof" of travel health insurance. We bought travel insurance outside of NCL's recommended insurance. Mine does say "all medical expenses covered"  but not sure if that is sufficient. I sure hope I don't find out it's not upon boarding. 

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, uneamie said:

The link you posted mentions "proof" of travel health insurance. We bought travel insurance outside of NCL's recommended insurance. Mine does say "all medical expenses covered"  but not sure if that is sufficient. I sure hope I don't find out it's not upon boarding. 

The required proof of travel insurance is for unvaccinated passengers only. Vaccinated passengers have to upload their vaccination records, but not proof of insurance.

 

In either case, the proof of vaccination or proof of travel insurance has to be uploaded with your Travel Authorization application and you'll find out before your cruise whether your vaccinations or your travel insurance meet Bermuda's requirements. It's not going to be a surprise rejection on embarkation day.

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

On 10/20/2022 at 2:35 PM, cruiserbear55 said:

You do, however, still have to apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorization. $40.00 fee.

IIRC, this was speculated as the reason Bermuda didn't back off earlier -- they've built this fee into their budget for this fiscal year.  Now it's just an outright money grab, not just a "health concern."

[lovemycruisetoo]

Received my BTA for Joy sailing to Bermuda 10/29 today. It states a negative covid test is required to board the ship. NCL sent email that no test required. Is it possible that this is old info on Bermuda email?

 

[njhorseman]

42 minutes ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

Received my BTA for Joy sailing to Bermuda 10/29 today. It states a negative covid test is required to board the ship. NCL sent email that no test required. Is it possible that this is old info on Bermuda email?

 

Yes, Bermuda's statement on the form about requiring  a test is incorrect.  They haven't gotten around to updating the travel authorization form. Hopefully they will do that soon. 

 

 

[cruiserbear55]

43 minutes ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

Received my BTA for Joy sailing to Bermuda 10/29 today. It states a negative covid test is required to board the ship. NCL sent email that no test required. Is it possible that this is old info on Bermuda email?

 

 

    It is current info through the 24th. There are still 4 ships due to dock before the 25th. Enchantment of the Seas and Celebrity Beyond arrive on the 22nd: Disney Magic on the 23rd; and  Adventure of the Seas on the 24th. If you arrive on or after the 25th, no testing is required. Why they don't have separate forms, one for those arriving before the 25th, and one for those arriving after the 25th is beyond me.

[JCMass.]

Thanks for this update, we are leaving for Bermuda on the 28 but got our TA today and sure enough it says you need to be tested.  Very confusing, and left us wondering whether to get a test "just in case" 

 

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, JCMass. said:

Thanks for this update, we are leaving for Bermuda on the 28 but got our TA today and sure enough it says you need to be tested.  Very confusing, and left us wondering whether to get a test "just in case" 

 

So, we just sailed to Bermuda on NCL. NCL is very good about ensuring people have all of the documentation they need for a cruise. For the week-and-a-half prior to departure, we got notified every other day about travel requirements for Bermuda. Read the NCL by-country web site for Bermuda. Watch for communications from the cruise line (not the internet, not Cruise Critic) on the requirements for your cruise. 

 

[njhorseman]

5 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

So, we just sailed to Bermuda on NCL. NCL is very good about ensuring people have all of the documentation they need for a cruise. For the week-and-a-half prior to departure, we got notified every other day about travel requirements for Bermuda. Read the NCL by-country web site for Bermuda. Watch for communications from the cruise line (not the internet, not Cruise Critic) on the requirements for your cruise. 

 

The requirements table you've included in your post are those for passengers arriving in Bermuda prior to October 25. They were correct for your cruise, but today marks the first NCL cruise departure that arrives in Bermuda on or after October 25 so what you've quoted is no longer correct as the testing requirement has been eliminated. 

If you look at the current SailSafe protocols by country on ncl.com you'll see that what you've cited is no longer correct.

Protocols change. You can't assume that what was correct for your cruise last week is correct today, and in this case it isn't. 

[njhorseman]

19 hours ago, JCMass. said:

Thanks for this update, we are leaving for Bermuda on the 28 but got our TA today and sure enough it says you need to be tested.  Very confusing, and left us wondering whether to get a test "just in case" 

 

As has already been explained they simply haven't gotten around to revising the wording on the TA form.

Please read the SailSafe requirements by country on ncl.com and you'll see that effective with today's NCL departure(s)   which correspond to arrivals on Bermuda on or after October 25, the testing requirement has been eliminated.