Spain/Portugal - New Covid entry requirements

[devonuk]

Had an email from P&O this morning outlining changes to Covid entry requirements into Spain and Portugal. Basically jabs one and two need to be done within 270 days of the last day of the cruise/or with the addition of a booster injection so many days prior to the cruise departure. 
There are changes to children aged 12 and over for which I’m okay on an Iona in February but not an April trip later this year. 
Just when I thought we’d turned a corner 😡

[devonuk]

20 minutes ago, devonuk said:

Had an email from P&O this morning outlining changes to Covid entry requirements into Spain and Portugal. Basically jabs one and two need to be done within 270 days of the last day of the cruise/or with the addition of a booster injection so many days prior to the cruise departure. 
There are changes to children aged 12 and over for which I’m okay on an Iona in February but not an April trip later this year. 
Just when I thought we’d turned a corner 😡

[NoFlyGuy]

Saw this on FB yesterday, seems like it's EU wide. Soon we wont be able to go anywhere since there are no plans to give 4th or subsequent jabs in the UK. Also I think it's 180 days for Italy.

We had our boosters in November and our May cruise goes to Italy! 

[devonuk]

1 minute ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Saw this on FB yesterday, seems like it's EU wide. Soon we wont be able to go anywhere since there are no plans to give 4th or subsequent jabs in the UK. Also I think it's 180 days for Italy.

We had our boosters in November and our May cruise goes to Italy! 

I’ve now had an sms telling me to check my emails so obviously P&O are taking the matter very seriously. 
I only mentioned Spain and Portugal as my email only refers to those Countries, so wow I didn’t realise the greater implications. 

[cublet]

Hello,

 

Simon Calder was on TV this morning and said the EU was going to issue a unified EU-wide requirement next month.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[devonuk]

1 minute ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

Simon Calder was on TV this morning and said the EU was going to issue a unified EU-wide requirement next month.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

My brother just mentioned to me a go live date of the 1st February so this may well be the case. I’ve not seen anything about 4th jabs ( not that I’ve looked too far yet).

 

So guys, my jabs were on the 27/2/21 and 19/5/21 with a booster on the 27/11/21. Am I okay to travel on the 19/2/22 onboard the Iona to Spain and Portugal or do I need a 4th jab as mentioned above 🤷‍♂️
I think I’m okay….

[Gettingwarmer]

41 minutes ago, devonuk said:

The wording is ambiguous. I read it that the second/last vaccine relates to the main vaccines (one or two shot variations). If 270 days have passed since that you will need to have had a booster vaccine so I reckon most people will be ok. Needs clarification.

[Jennizor]

5 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

The wording is ambiguous. I read it that the second/last vaccine relates to the main vaccines (one or two shot variations). If 270 days have passed since that you will need to have had a booster vaccine so I reckon most people will be ok. Needs clarification.

I read it the same as you. It will be interesting to see the EU guidance when it comes. They will want to balance the need to take precautions and getting the economy back on track, we are still in difficult times.

[devonuk]

9 minutes ago, Jennizor said:

I read it the same as you. It will be interesting to see the EU guidance when it comes. They will want to balance the need to take precautions and getting the economy back on track, we are still in difficult times.

That’s how I read it too which is why I should be okay. Yes indeed, difficult times still 😬

[NoFlyGuy]

Important Notice:  Validity of vaccine certificate issued by the Maltese Authorities – effective 17th January 2022

A valid vaccine certificate issued by the Maltese Authorities is defined as follows: 
For Adults aged 18 years and over:

 - primary schedule with last dose administered not more than 3 months previously 

    OR

 - primary schedule and booster with last dose of booster administered not more than 9 months previously
 

For under 18 years:

 - primary schedule

 

Reading this for Malta it would imply that you would need to be boosted at least every 9 months.

[Annabel50]

Will await clarification with interest to see what the cruise lines do in response to those of us that were boosted in October and have future sailings booked that will not be within 270 days of being boosted. Lets see a lot can change quickly at the moment.

[Gettingwarmer]

22 minutes ago, Annabel50 said:

. Lets see a lot can change quickly at the moment.

A few weeks can make a lot of difference. 

[jake 26]

1 hour ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Important Notice:  Validity of vaccine certificate issued by the Maltese Authorities – effective 17th January 2022

A valid vaccine certificate issued by the Maltese Authorities is defined as follows: 
For Adults aged 18 years and over:

 - primary schedule with last dose administered not more than 3 months previously 

    OR

 - primary schedule and booster with last dose of booster administered not more than 9 months previously
 

For under 18 years:

 - primary schedule

 

Reading this for Malta it would imply that you would need to be boosted at least every 9 months.

That could have a big impact on Azura's summer program fly cruises from Malta.

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Saw this on FB yesterday, seems like it's EU wide. Soon we wont be able to go anywhere since there are no plans to give 4th or subsequent jabs in the UK. Also I think it's 180 days for Italy.

We had our boosters in November and our May cruise goes to Italy! 

The Italian position regarding vaccinations is as follows:

"From 1 February you must have had your final vaccine within 180 days for your vaccination certificate to be valid when visiting Italy. "

Even if the final vaccination can be construed as the booster,  so many people will fall outside the 180 day period, that the Italian tourist sesson this summer, let alone cruising, will be decimated.

[NoFlyGuy]

7 minutes ago, jake 26 said:

That could have a big impact on Azura's summer program fly cruises from Malta.

If it's to be EU wide then it will affect all travel in the EU.

At least the Maltese spelt it out as I agree it was not clear otherwise.

[Annabel50]

In respect of Spain the wording is ambiguos and im wondering if its meant to mean if you have passed 270 days since your second jab then you must be boosted, that would seem more logical...........lets see hopefully for me and many others that will be the case, Spain relies heavlily on tourism.

[devonuk]

1 hour ago, Annabel50 said:

In respect of Spain the wording is ambiguos and im wondering if its meant to mean if you have passed 270 days since your second jab then you must be boosted, that would seem more logical...........lets see hopefully for me and many others that will be the case, Spain relies heavlily on tourism.

Why oh why can’t these things be written so it’s easy to understand and therefore easier to comply with the changes etc. 

[Denarius]

3 hours ago, jake 26 said:

That could have a big impact on Azura's summer program fly cruises from Malta.

Very much so. I had my first, second and booster jabs on 30 Jan, 14 April and 15 Oct 2021 respectively. I am due to fly out to Malta on 29 September 2022 to join Azura, which will be nearly a year since my booster jab. So as things stand I would not be admitted to Malta. I suspect that most other passengers will be in a similar situation.

[Harters]

5 hours ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Reading this for Malta it would imply that you would need to be boosted at least every 9 months.

I didnt read it as that restrictive.

 

This is a Maltese regulation applying now and for the near future. My booster was in October so I would be clear for travel up to July. As we all know, regulations change regularly so I would not yet be at all fussed if I was travelling in, say, August, as I would expect the situation to have changed significantly by then. Is any country actually giving out second booster jabs yet (except for the medically very vulnerable)? In this specific issue, is Malta even planning to second booster jab its own population?

Edited January 25, 2022 by Harters

[Denarius]

1 hour ago, Denarius said:

Very much so. I had my first, second and booster jabs on 30 Jan, 14 April and 15 Oct 2021 respectively. I am due to fly out to Malta on 29 September 2022 to join Azura, which will be nearly a year since my booster jab. So as things stand I would not be admitted to Malta. I suspect that most other passengers will be in a similar situation.

The water gets muddier and muddier. I have just read the UK FCOs foreign travel advice concerning Malta and tried to make sense of the gobbledgook

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malta/entry-requirements#entry-rules-in-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19

As far as I can tell after reading it several times, the 9 month limitation applies (only?) to those relying on a "Malese issued certificate of vaccination" and that Malta will accept the "UKs covid vaccine certification" for UK residents. There is no indication that the 9 months limit applies to this but then again, neither is there not.

Rather than getting simpler, things just seem to be getting messier and messier. Hopefully the issue will be clarified before I am due to pay my final balance.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Denarius

[gumshoe958]

I am in no doubt that, should a fourth dose be required to travel and/or cruise this summer and beyond, it won’t be a problem getting one.

 

Even if it’s no longer free for all on the NHS, pharmacies are bound to sell it as they already do flu jabs and other travel-related vaccinations.

 

I honestly can’t see any reason to worry.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

I am in no doubt that, should a fourth dose be required to travel and/or cruise this summer and beyond, it won’t be a problem getting one.

 

Even if it’s no longer free for all on the NHS, pharmacies are bound to sell it as they already do flu jabs and other travel-related vaccinations.

 

I honestly can’t see any reason to worry.

I think you are totally wrong.  The official position is that a fourth vaccination will not be offered to the population at large in the immediate future.  

[Denarius]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

I think you are totally wrong.  The official position is that a fourth vaccination will not be offered to the population at large in the immediate future.  

This is my understanding too. Indeed, as far as I am aware (I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong) Israel is the only country recommending a second booster at present.

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, Denarius said:

This is my understanding too. Indeed, as far as I am aware (I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong) Israel is the only country recommending a second booster at present.

Unless Italy changes its' 180 day policy, I can't see many tourists going there this year.

It is going to play  havoc with cruise ship schedules. 

[Denarius]

15 hours ago, wowzz said:

Unless Italy changes its' 180 day policy, I can't see many tourists going there this year.

It is going to play  havoc with cruise ship schedules. 

It wii play havoc with mine. I am due to fly to Rome in June to join Royal Clipper sailing around the coast and islands of Italy. As only Italian ports are visited I expected this to be simple ........