Celebrity boarding rules change again for cruises from St Maarten - posted 05/31/2021

[ZiggyGA]

Celebrity testing requirements changed again - 05/31/2021    Celebrity is now requiring a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to arrival at the terminal.    To make matters worse they do not include the word WITHIN.   It appears that once again they have rushed out a new rule without making sure it was clear.

See Celebrities Healthy at Sea St. Maarten Requirements as of May 31, 2021 that I have copied from the page

 

St. Maarten Travel Requirements as of May 31, 2021

 

Important information on testing and screening requirements. For full travel requirements to St Maarten click here.

 

Vaccination Policy

• All guests ages 16 years and older must be fully vaccinated with all Covid-19 vaccine doses administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. Proof of vaccination is required in the form of the original vaccination card. No photocopies or photos accepted. .
  • As of August 1, 2021, all guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated.  
  • Crew members onboard will be vaccinated.

 

St Maarten Travel Requirements

• All guests arriving by air must complete the St Maarten required Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) . Complete this form as soon as you have you a negative RT-PCR test result. Processing can take up to 12 hours.  
  • Tip: Guests arriving and departing by air should select “Air Travel” for Travel Method.        
• Staying over in St Maarten before or after your cruise? You must purchase the St. Maarten Visitor Protection Plan through the EHAS form. The Protection Plan is not required for guests transiting the same day to and from the ship.
• Test requirements for entry into St. Maarten: US & Canadian visitors must present a negative naso-pharyngeal RT-PCR test results taken within 120 hours prior to departure, or an antigen test taken 48 hours prior to departure. This requirement differs from Celebrity boarding requirements which are 72 hours prior to arrival at the terminal. All other visitors must present negative naso-pharyngeal RT-PCR test results taken within 72 hours prior to departure. Be sure to bring a printed copy. Name on test results must match those on government issued identification. 
• Proof of negative RT PCR test and the EHAS pre-approval form are required at the airport. 

 

Celebrity Boarding Requirements:

• Celebrity Cruises requires all guests age 16 and above to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to sail date. As of August 1, 2021, all guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination is required in the form of the original vaccination card. No photocopies or photos accepted.
• All guests must present a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to arrival at the terminal. Name on test results must match those on government issued identification.
• Children between the ages of 2-15 who are not vaccinated must complete an RT-PCR at the terminal prior to boarding. 

Guests that do not meet our requirements may be denied boarding.

 

Travel Home

• An antigen test is required for re-entry into St Maarten. The test will be administered free of charge by our medical staff on board prior to debarkation. Additional home country test requirements will be administered onboard free of charge. Learn more once onboard.

[tallyho8]

Unbelievable! I am scheduled to get my test tomorrow for the June 5 cruise. I arrive at the terminal about 4 PM. Now I have to reschedule everything this week and hope I can get the results back in time.

 

How can they change this right at the last moment?

[seatrial]

This is total BS. Testing vaccinated passengers is anti-science at this point. Even St. Martin is planning to drop the testing requirement for entry in the coming weeks. Celebrity is stupid. I am stupid for considering playing along with this crap; it's just not worth the effort for what is really a crappy cruise with really expensive airfare.

 

Thank you Celebrity!!!

[sunsetme]

cruising isn't going to be an easy process for awhile.

[Fouremco]

Absolutely asinine! They should have made a decision on this weeks ago and stuck with it. Their dithering and last minute changes will have a very negative impact on passengers.

[chawkjewel]

54 minutes ago, seatrial said:

This is total BS. Testing vaccinated passengers is anti-science at this point. Even St. Martin is planning to drop the testing requirement for entry in the coming weeks. Celebrity is stupid. I am stupid for considering playing along with this crap; it's just not worth the effort for what is really a crappy cruise with really expensive airfare.

 

Thank you Celebrity!!!

i wonder how many people will cancel within the Cruise with Confidence program. I agree that these testing requirements are getting ridiculous. Too close to the cruises to be making changes now!

[tallyho8]

For what its worth, I phoned Celebrity and they said St Maarten still requires the test 120 hours before embarking and that Celebrity does not require one 72 hours before. They said the email they sent out this morning has the correct info.

[Fouremco]

22 minutes ago, tallyho8 said:

For what its worth, I phoned Celebrity and they said St Maarten still requires the test 120 hours before embarking and that Celebrity does not require one 72 hours before. They said the email they sent out this morning has the correct info.

So they updated their webpage today with erroneous information, then chose to send out an email to some people correcting the error, but have left the webpage up?

[Ken the cruiser]

And there may be even another change coming if this shortly becomes a reality.

 

Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Omar Ottley says in the coming weeks the ministry will allow fully vaccinated persons of two weeks or longer to enter St. Maarten without having to be tested for COVID-19.

 

The Daily Herald - Ottley: Fully vaccinated visitors may be exempted from testing

 

[Shorex]

If this "revised" "revised" "revised again"  policy is true, I am so DONE with Celebrity.

 

[BoundForSea]

I saw the email this morning with the same info as before and was confused why they sent it but assumed it was just to ensure everyone got it. 

 

So we scheduled a PCR on Wed at 1215. Our check in time is noon Sat. Im keeping the appointment even if this is somehow false and bringing the result with me when we get it Friday. Who knows if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. 

 

The island is dropping the test rewuirement, just not sure when as they said “coming weeks” on the 26th. 

 

I work for the Fed and I thought we were stereotypically disjointed!! Celeb has us beat! 

[FlyerTalker]

Why does this Jimmy Breslin title ring a bell right now?

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, tallyho8 said:

For what its worth, I phoned Celebrity and they said St Maarten still requires the test 120 hours before embarking and that Celebrity does not require one 72 hours before. They said the email they sent out this morning has the correct info.

 

And for what it's worth, I just got off the phone with Celebrity and the agent said that "yes, the policy changed today and a negative test is required within 72 hours of boarding".

 

Obviously, the right hand and the left hand and all the fingers in between have NO idea what the others are thinking.  Or doing.  Or saying.

 

And as for the morning e-mail:  Received nothing about my sailing, but they are busy pitching with emails for me to buy another cruise.  I don't think so.

[wrk2cruise]

With the impact these changes have on peoples plans they should be using their existing technology to email people with the details with a link to confirm you have received it.   Then they should make an effort to reach others via emergency phone number using a Robo call system and recorded message if required.

 

I've been contacted via this method when there was a boarding time or location change on at least 2 occasions.

 

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by wrk2cruise

[Covepointcruiser]

Expect changes until you board.   Keep checking your emails, and Celebrity and St. Martin websites.   We have a cruise from Greece and things are constantly changing so far for the better.   We are keeping our PCR appointment at the airport until just before we leave so we have the option of a U.S. lab test within 72 hours of boarding.

[CalTexCruiser]

I feel for all of you on these early cruises.

celebrity should hand out generous OBCs for all the anxiety being caused while they are ironing out the kinks in these early sailings 

[lhsail]

This is so frustrating and I feel for those cruising this week. We sail in August. I should keep track of how many times this changes between now and then. Totally agree with the need to communicate directly and explain why. 

[Seany527]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

And for what it's worth, I just got off the phone with Celebrity and the agent said that "yes, the policy changed today and a negative test is required within 72 hours of boarding".

I called at 430 this afternoon and was told the testing information only applies to unvaccinated. 
I got my covid test yesterday as I’m arriving on Friday but now it looks like it’s better to be safe and get another test on Wednesday to comply with the 72 hours for Celebrity. 

[FlyerTalker]

17 minutes ago, Seany527 said:

I called at 430 this afternoon and was told the testing information only applies to unvaccinated.

 

Which makes ZERO sense, considering that the very FIRST line on the website says:

 

All guests ages 16 years and older must be fully vaccinated with all Covid-19 vaccine doses administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. Proof of vaccination is required in the form of the original vaccination card. No photocopies or photos accepted.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/st-maarten-travel-requirements

 

So, which is incorrect...you must be vaccinated OR the testing is for those who aren't vaccinated, but we're still going to let on the ship.

 

They keep digging the hole deeper.

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by FlyerTalker

[cluso]

I am sorry for all the negative issues this is creating, but it is to be expected for the the initial restart of cruising.  And, probably for another 6 months or so.  It's not just Celebrity's fault, so many factors, countries, and ports involved.  Y'all that want to go on a cruise soon are kind of the "guinea pigs" so you will just have to go with the flow... ( I meant this in a nice way).

[imtired1959]

1 hour ago, Seany527 said:

I called at 430 this afternoon and was told the testing information only applies to unvaccinated. 
I got my covid test yesterday as I’m arriving on Friday but now it looks like it’s better to be safe and get another test on Wednesday to comply with the 72 hours for Celebrity. 

We are on the July 31st cruise.  We were going to do a park-sleep-fly on the 28th, fly into St. Martin on the 29th and stay that night and on the 30th prior to boarding on the 31st.  With the 72 hour covid test now in place, we are not going to make it.  I sent the fine folks at Celebrity an email asking them if I should cancel this cruise.  Things worked out great when they were going to do the antigen test prior to boarding.

 

I think that room of 100 chimpanzees with typewriters (instead of writing Shakespeare) are now generating Celebrity's boarding policies.🤭

[imtired1959]

10 minutes ago, cluso said:

I am sorry for all the negative issues this is creating, but it is to be expected for the the initial restart of cruising.  And, probably for another 6 months or so.  It's not just Celebrity's fault, so many factors, countries, and ports involved.  Y'all that want to go on a cruise soon are kind of the "guinea pigs" so you will just have to go with the flow... ( I meant this in a nice way).

 

[wrk2cruise]

That's sure what it feels like!

[FastandFurious]

I am President of CDL ( Chimpanzee Defense League). Please desist from comparing them to Celebrity. It is an unacceptable insult.

[imtired1959]

8 minutes ago, FastandFurious said:

I am President of CDL ( Chimpanzee Defense League). Please desist from comparing them to Celebrity. It is an unacceptable insult.

Looks like not everybody is in the CDL Mr. President...