Any Guesses on how NCL is Going to Manage Bermuda Cruises calling on Norfolk?

[suz1607]

I was  told by NCL that we would be tested aboard ship prior to Bermuda arrival but to get the Covid-19 NAAT test and the travel authorization before leaving home as well as the test NCL requires. Is this correct?

[poohdreaming]

14 minutes ago, suz1607 said:

I was  told by NCL that we would be tested aboard ship prior to Bermuda arrival but to get the Covid-19 NAAT test and the travel authorization before leaving home as well as the test NCL requires. Is this correct?

You need to do the covid-19 test on your own or at the port (cost is unknown). If leaving Saturday, NCL said to do the test on Thursday. Then you need to fill out the travel form on Bermuda's website as well as to pay the $40 using your visa or mc credit card and to upload the result of this covid-19 test. Then once on board, another covid-19 test (this time by NCL medical team).

[suz1607]

3 minutes ago, poohdreaming said:

You need to do the covid-19 test on your own or at the port (cost is unknown). If leaving Saturday, NCL said to do the test on Thursday. Then you need to fill out the travel form on Bermuda's website as well as to pay the $40 using your visa or mc credit card and to upload the result of this covid-19 test. Then once on board, another covid-19 test (this time by NCL medical team).

 

[suz1607]

Which test do I get on Thursday? Sorry to be so dumb! 

[njhorseman]

19 minutes ago, suz1607 said:

I was  told by NCL that we would be tested aboard ship prior to Bermuda arrival but to get the Covid-19 NAAT test and the travel authorization before leaving home as well as the test NCL requires. Is this correct?

 

1 minute ago, poohdreaming said:

You need to do the covid-19 test on your own or at the port (cost is unknown). If leaving Saturday, NCL said to do the test on Thursday. Then you need to fill out the travel form on Bermuda's website as well as to pay the $40 using your visa or mc credit card and to upload the result of this covid-19 test. Then once on board, another covid-19 test (this time by NCL medical team).

Just to clarify, the test needed to obtain the travel authorization can be an antigen test. It doesn't need to be an NAAT. However if it's an antigen test it must be done no earlier than 2 days before embarkation while an NAAT  may be done up to four days before embarkation.

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, suz1607 said:

Which test do I get on Thursday? Sorry to be so dumb! 

You could do either an NAAT or antigen test two days before embarkation but that may be too late to get the result from an NAAT so that close to the cruise you should do the antigen test.

[poohdreaming]

1 minute ago, njhorseman said:

You could do either an NAAT or antigen test two days before embarkation but that may be too late to get the result from an NAAT so that close to the cruise you should do the antigen test.

 

3 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 

Just to clarify, the test needed to obtain the travel authorization can be an antigen test. It doesn't need to be an NAAT. However if it's an antigen test it must be done no earlier than 2 days before embarkation while an NAAT  may be done up to four days before embarkation.

 

Yes. Thanks for the detail / information.

Depending on the lab (peak/how many they have to do), results can delayed.

So to each cruisers, you decide what test you want to do (NAAT/PCR/Antigen).

[poohdreaming]

If you are booked on this cruise, go with the flow (ignore this extra covid-19 test).

 

If you are booked and wanted to cancel because of this extra covid-19 test  - perhaps you can cancel the cruise only if there is still the Peace of Mind or through the Covid-19 Refund/Cancellation - You need to read/do your own research if you meet the requirement. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cruisers should really look at websites on NCL to know more:

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

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

 

Bermuda Cruise Protocols

Country Requirements

All guests must complete Bermuda Travel Authorization (TA) within 10 days of sailing. The cost of the Travel Authorization is $40 per guest. Link to form: https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

All vaccinated guests (any age):

• Travel Authorization requirements include uploading vaccination card and proof of negative antigen test, administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test, within 48 hours of embarkation.
• Note: The upload of the antigen test results should occur at same time as the upload of proof of vaccination. Do not upload one without the other, as the application will be rejected.

All unvaccinated guests (only applicable to guests under the age of 12):

• Travel Authorization requirements include proof of a negative PCR test, administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test, within 96 hours of embarkation.
• All unvaccinated guests (only applicable to guests under the age of 12) will also be required to take an additional antigen test at embarkation. This test will be paid for and administered by Norwegian Cruise Line.

Where Bermuda is not the first port of call, or if the ship takes longer than 4 days to arrive in Bermuda, all guests, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to take an additional antigen or PCR test onboard no more than 2 days prior to disembarking in Bermuda. This test will be paid for and administered by our onboard medical team.

All guests must have an approved Travel Authorization before embarkation.

• A travel authorization number will be issued by Bermuda once approved
• If you have any issues with the process, please contact:
• Bermuda Tourism Authority: 1.833.570.2594 (toll-free)
• Norwegian Cruise Line: 1.800.327.7030

 

 

 

[egurbi]

I may be misreading it, but the option to take a PCR test 4 days in advance of embarkation under the Bermuda Travel Authorization seems to only apply to unvaccinated guests under 12.  All others must take a supervised antigen test no more than 2 days in advance of embarkation, and for those of us stopping in Norfolk, take another one onboard before disembarking in Bermuda.

 

Am I reading that right?  NJHorseman was suggesting PCR 4 days before embarkation was an option for all but it doesn't seem to read that way.

[OrangeCatRamblers]

I apologize if this is a terribly obvious question.  

 

Is it 48 hours from the testing appointment (at a place like Walgreens), or 48 hours from when you've received the results? 

 

For those planning to test on a Friday for a Sunday sailing, are you timing your test for when NCL staff might be checking you in? 

 

I'm just afraid of making a 10am Walgreens appointment on a Friday and NCL staff checking in at, say, 3pm on Sunday, which would put us over 48 hours, a bit. 

 

Thank you for your kind reply. 

[njhorseman]

43 minutes ago, OrangeCatRamblers said:

I apologize if this is a terribly obvious question.  

 

Is it 48 hours from the testing appointment (at a place like Walgreens), or 48 hours from when you've received the results? 

 

For those planning to test on a Friday for a Sunday sailing, are you timing your test for when NCL staff might be checking you in? 

 

I'm just afraid of making a 10am Walgreens appointment on a Friday and NCL staff checking in at, say, 3pm on Sunday, which would put us over 48 hours, a bit. 

 

Thank you for your kind reply. 

It's two days, not 48 hours...and it's measured from when the test is taken not from when you get the results from the lab. Where NCL says "48 hours" they're wrong.

A test taken any time on Friday will be good for embarkation on Sunday, which you can see in the table published by the government of Bermuda:

Summary table of travel requirements for cruise ship passengers landing in Bermuda:

 

Passenger Category	Cruise voyage where Bermuda is the first port of call	Cruise voyage where Bermuda is not the first port of call or ship takes longer than 4 days to arrive to Bermuda from embarkation port
Fully Vaccinated Cruise Ship Passengers	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test (PCR, LAMP or TMA) up to 4 days before embarkation  OR Supervised antigen up to 2 days before embarkation	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test up to 4 days before embarkation  OR Supervised antigen up to 2 days before embarkation AND COVID-19 NAAT or supervised antigen test up to 2 days before disembarking in Bermuda
Unvaccinated Cruise Ship Passengers 11 years old and under	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test up to 4 days before embarkation AND Supervised antigen test at embarkation in the terminal or on the cruise ship Unvaccinated children 11 years and under travelling with fully vaccinated parents will be allowed off the ship.	Travel Authorisation required. Application fee $40. COVID-19 NAAT test up to 4 days before embarkation AND Supervised antigen test at embarkation in the terminal or on the cruise ship AND Supervised PCR or supervised antigen test up to 2 days before arriving in Bermuda. Unvaccinated children 11 years and under travelling with fully vaccinated parents will be allowed off the ship subject to COVID-19 NAAT or supervised antigen test up to 2 days before disembarking in Bermuda
Passenger Children under 2	No travel Authorisation and no testing required	No travel Authorisation and no testing required

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, poohdreaming said:

Travel Authorization requirements include uploading vaccination card and proof of negative antigen test, administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test, within 48 hours of embarkation.

Except that NCL is wrong when it says 48 hours. Bermuda's requirement is two days.

[OrangeCatRamblers]

Thank you njhorseman!!

 

Two DAYS will make things easier for those of us who planned to travel to NY on Friday. 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, egurbi said:

I may be misreading it, but the option to take a PCR test 4 days in advance of embarkation under the Bermuda Travel Authorization seems to only apply to unvaccinated guests under 12.  All others must take a supervised antigen test no more than 2 days in advance of embarkation, and for those of us stopping in Norfolk, take another one onboard before disembarking in Bermuda.

 

Am I reading that right?  NJHorseman was suggesting PCR 4 days before embarkation was an option for all but it doesn't seem to read that way.

Yes, you're misreading it. The NAAT test four days before embarkation is a valid option for any vaccinated passenger applying for the travel authorization, as is an antigen test taken no more than 2 days before embarkation. However, if the ship is making a port call prior to arriving  in Bermuda or the ship takes longer than four days to reach Bermuda after embarkation then there's an additional test, either NAAT or antigen, required to be taken up to two days before disembarkation in Bermuda. Those requirements are clearly stated in the table I posted two posts before this one.

NCL will be conducting that second test on board while the ship is en route from Norfolk to Bermuda.

[worktocruise610]

Wondering though, if we take the antigen 2 days before will we get the authorization back from Bermuda in time for the cruise? If most people do the 2 days it seems they’ll have a lot to process and may take longer

[shof515]

3 minutes ago, worktocruise610 said:

Wondering though, if we take the antigen 2 days before will we get the authorization back from Bermuda in time for the cruise? If most people do the 2 days it seems they’ll have a lot to process and may take longer

Bermuda been doing this authorization process since September , they already have a system in place to approve quickly. On my two Bermuda cruises last year in October and December it only taken a few hours to get the approval email that i needed to get onboard the ship 

[worktocruise610]

19 minutes ago, shof515 said:

Bermuda been doing this authorization process since September , they already have a system in place to approve quickly. On my two Bermuda cruises last year in October and December it only taken a few hours to get the approval email that i needed to get onboard the ship 

That’s great to hear, thank you! My cruise in October took a while, had to email them, so 2as worried, but so much easier to get antigen test so definitely going that way.

 Thanks again

[mizLORInj]

Maybe I'll stay onboard for the one whole day we're in Bermuda.  Probably too cold for beach in April. 

 

Can't wait till all this testing business is behind us.  

 

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, mizLORInj said:

Maybe I'll stay onboard for the one whole day we're in Bermuda.  Probably too cold for beach in April. 

 

Can't wait till all this testing business is behind us.  

 

Staying onboard doesn't exempt you from Bermuda's requirements. You must have the Bermuda travel authorization in order to board the ship and if you're on a cruise that requires an additional test you must take it . You're in Bermuda when your ship enters the country's territorial waters regardless of whether you intend to set foot on land while in Bermuda.

But yes...don't expect it to be warm enough for the beach in April.

Edited March 18, 2022 by njhorseman

[OrangeCatRamblers]

As a Bostonian, I'd say any weather is beach weather! Nothing wrong with a winter beach day IMO!