Visa for Thomson Dream Caribbean and Central America

We are thinking of going on a cruise with Thomson in January 2015 and joining two cruises together, Mayan Treasures / Pride Of Panama and wonder if anyone knows if we require visas for this trip. I am Irish and my wife is English.

Thanks for any help.

Patrick

We are doing these two, and don't know of any visas. It is the vaccinations that are needed here. We go 20 January, and have already paid up the £58 each for the yellow fever ones as you need the certificate for Jamaica. We will be needing Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Tetanus before we go too. Also recommended having anti malaria, and take plenty of deet.

no visas required at the moment for british passport holders ....best to keep an eye on it nearer the time just in case anything changes?

also best to consult your own health provider nearer the date for up to date advice on any health requirements that you may require on your itinerary

Hi gillhalfpint, when did the law come out that you need a certificate for yellow fever in Jamaica , I got married there 7years ago and never needed any vaccines , don't get me wrong the 1st time we went to the Caribbean we got all our jags and the booster 6 months later, that lasts us 10 years, but I never yet have had to prove or show anyone that my jags are up to date, I've. Been to Dominican, Mexico, Jamaica , various times and never shown any certificates yet ?, we are doing the Dream cruise on the 6th January for 2 weeks flying into. Jamaica . Let me know where you got your info from. Thanks. Muffinman :confused:

http://www.nathnac.org/ds/c_pages/country_page_JM.htm

Hope this works. The certificate appears to be a requirement as Pride of Panama goes to some of the countries with a transit risk. There has been a lot of discussion on here and we felt we would rather have the certificates than risk problems if we travelled without them.

we have booked this itinerary for march

at the moment all the poc on pride of panama are outside the yellow fever transmission areas...that could change tho....so best to checkout about 6 weeks prior to going

we have been on this same itinerary in 2010 and didnt get any vaccinations and were never asked for any certificates on any of the ports of call.... however things could change between now and march

yellow fever vaccination is not suitable for all patients or people over 60 its important to consult your health professional that has access to your notes beforehand as there is a danger of adverse reactions

We are doing these two, and don't know of any visas. It is the vaccinations that are needed here. We go 20 January, and have already paid up the £58 each for the yellow fever ones as you need the certificate for Jamaica. We will be needing Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Tetanus before we go too. Also recommended having anti malaria, and take plenty of deet.

Just to say we have stopped using deet, if you read all the stuff on the side of the bottle that it can mess up..sunglasses, some fabrics...Not doing this trip but I have researched online for non deet stuff and something called camouflage seems to come out quite well.

I am the one who always gets bitten by everything, hence why it is me looking.

Thanks for the deet advice. We have just seen our doctor again today, and she says we will be needing typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis A jabs. Said yellow fever was needed, but we have those.

The doctor was looking for yellow fever sites to check if we could have the other vaccinations so soon after our yellow fever one, and found that without the certificate we could face problems, so we are glad we have our certificates.

From an NHS site re Yellow Fever.

Certificate of proof

Under regulations set out by the World Health Organization (WHO), anyone travelling to a country or area where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is found must have an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP).

You can find a list of all the countries that require you to have an ICVP in the WHO International travel and health guide. You can also search the country information on NaTHNaC to find out whether the places you are visiting require an ICVP.

If you have been travelling in an "at-risk" area during the past month, it is a good idea to carry your certificate with you. This will help avoid potential problems with immigration. It is possible for travellers without a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to be vaccinated and held in isolation for up to 10 days. An ICVP is not required for entry into the UK.

typhoid/tetanus/hepatitis A, are all linked to drinking contaminated water, poverty and poor housing conditions (a bacteria entering an untreated open wound/serious injury in the case of tetanus)

by taking the usual travel precautions the risk of contracting an infection onboard a cruise ship is no greater than contracting infection here at home (apart from norovirus...which unfortunately there is no vaccine for)

From an NHS site re Yellow Fever.

 

Certificate of proof

Under regulations set out by the World Health Organization (WHO), anyone travelling to a country or area where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is found must have an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP).

 

You can find a list of all the countries that require you to have an ICVP in the WHO International travel and health guide. You can also search the country information on NaTHNaC to find out whether the places you are visiting require an ICVP.

 

If you have been travelling in an "at-risk" area during the past month, it is a good idea to carry your certificate with you. This will help avoid potential problems with immigration. It is possible for travellers without a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to be vaccinated and held in isolation for up to 10 days. An ICVP is not required for entry into the UK.

Mosquitoes only come out after dusk so you are quite safe on a cruise.

We haven't been asked for any certificates before either.

We have been to the Caribbean 3 times and never had any jabs. We never even thought about it. My only problem was that I was not allowed to donate blood for 6 months after visiting Jamaica.

yes in certain areas of panama and columbia y/f vaccination is 'recommended' because there is risk of contracting the disease, the cruise ship does not visit any of these areas on this itinerary (currently)

the risk of contracting a tropical disease on a cruise ship is v low

where yellow fever vaccination may be 'required' is on immigration into other countries?

immigration officials in some other countries (ie Jamaica) will look at the stamps in your passport to determine if a y/f certificate is required to immigrate (or not)

cruise ship passengers do not (usually) receive stamps in their passports when they visit other countries for one day, usually cruise ship passengers will recieve one set of stamps from the port of embarkation only

if you do have a stamp in your passport from an infected country (panama/columbia/west africa) then yes you will require a y/f certificate to immigrate into Jamaica and others

.

yes in certain areas of panama and columbia y/f vaccination is 'recommended' because there is risk of contracting the disease, the cruise ship does not visit any of these areas on this itinerary (currently)

 

the risk of contracting a tropical disease on a cruise ship is v low

 

where yellow fever vaccination may be 'required' is on immigration into other countries?

 

immigration officials in some other countries (ie Jamaica) will look at the stamps in your passport to determine if a y/f certificate is required to immigrate (or not)

 

cruise ship passengers do not (usually) receive stamps in their passports when they visit other countries for one day, usually cruise ship passengers will recieve one set of stamps from the port of embarkation only

 

if you do have a stamp in your passport from an infected country (panama/columbia/west africa) then yes you will require a y/f certificate to immigrate into Jamaica and others

 

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It's obviously a bit of a mine field. We were advised about yellow fever jabs and decided against it on balance (age-related contra indications) but as has been mentioned, it wasn't asked for or apparently required when we went to Jamaica last year. As geo said, no-one asked for it and our pasports hadn't been stamped. However, on that trip we hadn't previously been to the areas of concern.

If the itinerary means you have been to the places where say Jamaica might need the certificate it begs the question ...... would you have been fully informed of this possibility prior to booking ........and what if you are over 60 and discover post booking it's not advisable for you to have the jab............... does that mean you can't get off in affected areas, or even if you didn't would the Jamaican immigration accept that or just assume since the ship called there first you are 'a risk'?

Hmmm...... fraught with what if's!!! I'd want to know before I booked about the implications for me - and if I didn't read this forum would I know? :rolleyes:

On the positive side I do agree that the risk to cruise passengers is very low and if it was significant, I'm sure we would see the headlines in the press! :rolleyes:

However just a word of warnigng about Dengue Fever - the mosquito involved in its transmission is active in the day although more so at dusk and dawn when you would be on board ship. I remember a doctor who used to write on here mentioning that one - I've just Googled this as I wasn't sure I'd remembered correctly:-

What is my risk?

All travellers are at risk in areas where dengue occurs.

The risk is higher during the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset. Mosquitoes that can transmit dengue bite even in shady areas, when it is overcast, or if you are indoors.

The risk is lower for travellers who stay only a few days in air-conditioned hotels with well-kept grounds and who participate in outdoor activities during non-peak biting periods. The risk increases for those spending longer periods of time in areas where dengue occurs, including aid and humanitarian workers and/or those who stay in the home of friends and relatives.

A person who recovers from one of the four types of dengue will have lifelong immunity against that particular type but not against the others.

But as happy v says generally mosquitoes aren't active at night - also in areas most people go to from a cruise. Also Dengue is only an issue in some countries.

unfortunately there is no vaccination or medication that protects against dengue fever, the only protection is to use a repellent and cover up....you will be protecting yourself from malaria/yellow fever and other insect borne tropical diseases at the same time

the risk depends on what you will be doing? if you are sleeping in air conditioned rooms in a clean resort the risk is quite low, mosquitos cant fly far enough to make it out to sea either, most mosquitos (not all) are mostlly active at dusk/night

if you are spending a lot of time in rural/jungle/swampy areas especially after dark then you will be at increased risk

on the y/f certificate (if it is required) travellers over 65 or with health conditions (high blood pressure/diabetees etc) can obtain a 'not on medical advice' waiver certificate

i have researched this issue in depth because i have travelled to this area (jamaica/panama/columbia) twice since 2009 (with my family and we did not want to have any unnecessary vaccines)

we did not have any vaccinations and were never asked to produce a certificate at any time (because we do not have any stamps in our passports that indicate that we have travelled to an infected area….even tho we have actually travelled to infected areas?)

jamaica is not the only country that requires a y/f certificate from travellers coming from y/f infected areas

barbados/grenada/antigua/st lucia and many others require one too

trinidad and tobago are also in the y/f infected area on the who map (along with parts of panama/columbia & venezuela)

I have travelled from tobago/trinidad and venezuela to grenada/barbados/st lucia etc several times a year since 2009 (last time in march of this year on the dream) and have never! been asked to produce a yellow fever certificate on immigration, i have never received any stamps other than the ones from barbados at the end of the cruise (and i dont know of any cruise passenger who has?)

Just want to know one thing, if we arrive in Jamacia on the day were flying back home to Britain , after visiting Columbia / Panama, will we have to stay in On the ship .

Thanks muffinman

unfortunately muffinman that question is the biggie?

these are just my thoughts...

a few years ago when I was researching this issue, thomsons were consistently a bit/very vague when I put the same question to them? they are saying likewise now

several caribbean high commissions did not even answer my emails? when i eventually called them they referred me back to the cruise line

I questioned several friends who had been on cruises in the same areas (some had had the jabs others hadn’t) apart from one friend (who had cruised down the amazon and had been informed beforehand by the cruise line that a y/f certificate was requirement and without it they would be denied boarding) all others said the same, that they ‘received no stamps in their passports’ (other than the ones at the port of embarkation) and were ‘never asked for an immunisation certificate’ (despite having travelled to infected countries on their cruise)

this slightly raised my suspicions that perhaps ‘blind eyes’ were being turned in some caribbean countries (that are popular with cruise lines)?

Tbh…I think this one is gonna be up to individuals to decide?...i don’t think anyone can give a definitive answer until guys start returning from the panama itinerary in january

We went to a clinic yesterday to get advice on yellow fever jabs as we're both over 60 and on balance decided to get an exemption certificate instead. We had the jab 22 years ago and apparently new regulations state that 35 years seem to apply for the injection now so it appears that we have some immunity still.

It was difficult though as the onus is on you to decide wether or not to have the jab rather than a doctor telling you that you should have it ( or not ) as the case may be.

 

immigration officials in some other countries (ie Jamaica) will look at the stamps in your passport to determine if a y/f certificate is required to immigrate (or not)

 

cruise ship passengers do not (usually) receive stamps in their passports when they visit other countries for one day, usually cruise ship passengers will recieve one set of stamps from the port of embarkation only

 

if you do have a stamp in your passport from an infected country (panama/columbia/west africa) then yes you will require a y/f certificate to immigrate into Jamaica and others

 

.

At last - you have unravelled the mystery of how Thomsons (and other cruise companies as well, probably) are sidestepping the Jamaican yellow fever requirements. Thank you! I've been looking into this for weeks and getting nowhere. We are going on this cruise in February and taking my 85yr old mum with us. When we booked, Thomsons didn't mention the y/f requirements and when we found out, I got very worried as mum obvioulsy can't have the vaccination. Contacting them got us nowhere and we were looking into getting exemption certificates. Now we know the ins and outs of how it works, we won't bother. Thanks for your help:)

Thomson's are not advising anyone to get a JF certificate?? With Thousands of passengers joining the Dream this winter would have thought they would say.:confused: If the Cruise Ship comes back from Panama etc. wouldn't the whole ship then be prevented from disembarking. With a probability of 20% of passengers not knowing or bothering with JF jabs could the Ship be impounded???:eek::eek:

Thomson's are not advising anyone to get a JF certificate?? With Thousands of passengers joining the Dream this winter would have thought they would say.:confused: If the Cruise Ship comes back from Panama etc. wouldn't the whole ship then be prevented from disembarking. With a probability of 20% of passengers not knowing or bothering with JF jabs could the Ship be impounded???:eek::eek:

I dunno why thoms cant just publish whether a yf certificate will or will not be required for immigration? (what are they worried about?)

and ...good point, if they cant clear the ship thru customs/immigration the whole ship will not be able to dock and will have to turn around and find somewhere else that will....the possibility of that happening would give them cause to worry surely??

I dunno why thoms cant just publish whether a yf certificate will or will not be required for immigration? (what are they worried about?)

 

and ...good point, if they cant clear the ship thru customs/immigration the whole ship will not be able to dock and will have to turn around and find somewhere else that will....the possibility of that happening would give them cause to worry surely??

Therefore it probably isn't required or it would have been highlighted.

We went to a clinic yesterday to get advice on yellow fever jabs as we're both over 60 and on balance decided to get an exemption certificate instead. We had the jab 22 years ago and apparently new regulations state that 35 years seem to apply for the injection now so it appears that we have some immunity still.

It was difficult though as the onus is on you to decide wether or not to have the jab rather than a doctor telling you that you should have it ( or not ) as the case may be.

Being an old EXPAT from Africa best defence from Mosquito bites is 'Citronella' an oil that you merely rub a little on you Bare skin areas

Yellow Fever and TAB injections stay with you and If you had Hep you cannot have that injection anyway and are exempt