Pre-cruise documentation

[Mocamps]

We’re due to go on a cruise on the Wind in less than 3 weeks. When can I expect full pre-cruise information from Silversea? I mean things like luggage labels, full instructions  and COVID testing requirements. I know the silver tin which we received before our first SS cruise is long gone but shouldn’t there be some online stuff??

Our cruise starts in Greenland but our ‘package’ starts in Iceland as the pre and post cruise hotels are included. But we’ve booked our own flights to Iceland so I assume we make our own way to the hotel? We do have details of the charter flight from Iceland to Greenland and back but no real details about the hotel other than the name. So I don’t know if any meals are included so not sure if we need much in the way of local currency. I’m also not sure what COVID testing I need to organise and if it will be ok to organise it here in the UK the day before we leave for Iceland. But that will be more than 48 hours before we board the ship. I’m very much hoping I don’t need to try to organise it for Iceland as we’re only there for some of the afternoon and evening.

 

So just wondering if people can share their experiences please and hopefully reassure me!!

[Kristal Blade]

I can’t tell you anything about paperwork, but I do know that in Iceland you can use your credit card for virtually any purchase. Tap and go is easy there. In Greenland you will find having Danish kroner useful. 

[fudge]

37 minutes ago, Mocamps said:

We’re due to go on a cruise on the Wind in less than 3 weeks. When can I expect full pre-cruise information from Silversea? I mean things like luggage labels, full instructions  and COVID testing requirements. I know the silver tin which we received before our first SS cruise is long gone but shouldn’t there be some online stuff??

Our cruise starts in Greenland but our ‘package’ starts in Iceland as the pre and post cruise hotels are included. But we’ve booked our own flights to Iceland so I assume we make our own way to the hotel? We do have details of the charter flight from Iceland to Greenland and back but no real details about the hotel other than the name. So I don’t know if any meals are included so not sure if we need much in the way of local currency. I’m also not sure what COVID testing I need to organise and if it will be ok to organise it here in the UK the day before we leave for Iceland. But that will be more than 48 hours before we board the ship. I’m very much hoping I don’t need to try to organise it for Iceland as we’re only there for some of the afternoon and evening.

 

So just wondering if people can share their experiences please and hopefully reassure me!!

We have just come off the Silver Spirit 2 weeks a go, we got no hard copies at all, we had to pester our travel agent to have it all sent on line, we finally received the information about 10 days before we cruised.  There are no luggage labels anymore. 

We had a PCR test in the UK on the Wednesday before boarding on the Friday it was fine. 

[Mocamps]

Just found a section on the main SS site and now I'm even more confused!

 

Apparently, for guests making independent travel arrangements you need to arrive for the chartered flight with a negative test. For others, SS will organise testing at the hotel the night before. We're a mix! We've booked our air independently but then have the hotel and onwards booked through SS. I GUESS we'll be able to have the test the night before with everyone else!! 

[mw8811]

Fudge where did you get your PCR test?    I am tearing my hair out trying to find somewhere to have it done 48 hours prior to boarding.     Our Boots only do them selected days and of course not the day we need.     Apparently there is no call for them as "they are not needed for travel".      

[Gk9]

We did a cruise on Silvermoon starting in Iceland at the end of May this year.

Initially we were told by Silversea  that we would need to provide negative tests within 48 hours before departure but then it changed to within 72  hours  which was much better for us as we were able to get our tests done in London before flying to Reykjavik.We had one night in a hotel there.

We were also informed that no pier side testing would be offered.

Silversea  are leaving it quite late in the day with final instructions as the rules are ever changing and differ between different countries of embarkation.

The best thing is to wait for the final email confirmation regarding Covid testing.

From memory we only received this information about 2 weeks before the start of the cruise.

Luggage labels were provided at the pier.

Embarkation was very straightforward and pretty quick.We had to fill out a health questionnaire and then went to a desk staffed by nurses who checked our negative antigen test certificates on our phones provided by a pharmacy in London.

You won’t need any local currency, cards are accepted everywhere.

You’ll be grateful to get on board and have your first drink.Iceland isn’t cheap.

Have fun.

[fudge]

17 minutes ago, mw8811 said:

Fudge where did you get your PCR test?    I am tearing my hair out trying to find somewhere to have it done 48 hours prior to boarding.     Our Boots only do them selected days and of course not the day we need.     Apparently there is no call for them as "they are not needed for travel".      

It was called Dam health, I think its Dam health.com  very efficient, no hassle quick results, they have a few places in the UK, we had ours done in Warrington, Cheshire. 49 sterling.

Edited July 17, 2022 by fudge

[eastwoodboy]

For Spirit a couple of weeks ago we used projectscreen.co.uk fit to fly test for £17 each.

Do it yourself at home and send results to them by on line and certificate comes back by return.

[jollyjones]

The info you need re testing is on the SS website under the 'Healthy Sailing' tab. This is the section for Northern Europe sailings:

 

https://www.silversea.com/lp-silversea-hrts-consumer-6.html

 

'Fully vax' is a full primary course of vax, 'up to date' means that plus whatever boosters you are eligible for. If you are 'up to date', you don't need a PCR, an antigen test (ie lateral flow) 72 hours ahead of embarkation is OK.

 

And SS is sending out pre-cruise docs at 15 days now but they go to your TA, not to you directly so make sure your TA is on the ball.

[mw8811]

Thank you.    My problem is my booster is over 270 days so thought I should get the PCR just to be safe knowing our luck we will be turned away for not having the right one.

No DAM health near here sadly!

[jollyjones]

19 minutes ago, mw8811 said:

Thank you.    My problem is my booster is over 270 days so thought I should get the PCR just to be safe knowing our luck we will be turned away for not having the right one.

No DAM health near here sadly!

 

 

I understand wanting to be on the safe side, but reading it very carefully you can see that the 270 days only applies to the primary vax course. There is no stated limit after a booster. If you have had whatever booster(s) you are eligible for in your jurisdiction, you are considered according the the SS website to be "up to date".

 

The relevant paragraph is:

Most Northern European countries’ regulations specify that a vaccination certificate is considered valid when no more than 270 days have passed from the last dose of the primary vaccine series, OR if the individual has received a booster dose.

Take note of the " OR "

 

If you can only get an antigen test, that ought to suffice. Every mention of testing requirements states "antigen or PCR" so getting a PCR in preference to an antigen test does not confer any more 'safety' on you. 

 

The paragraph:

If you are up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines, you must hold proof of a valid Antigen or PCR negative test result performed within 72 hours of embarkation.

The test may be administered by a verified third party, either a laboratory or pharmacy OR

A self-test at home, verified by a third party.

The Certificate must contain the guest’s name (as shown on the cruise ticket), as well as the date of test, and result. You must provide a digital or printed proof upon embarkation.

 

 

 

 

[Lois R]

You said you leave in 3 weeks? That would be 21 days. Most frequently, Silversea has been emailing paperwork 14 days before sailing. I would keep checking your email and spam folders.  I was just on the Dawn and the final documents with information was emailed to me at the 14 day point. 

As for luggage tags? You will not be receiving any. You can get them at the pier or if you are staying at a SS hotel pre cruise they will be included in a "welcome pack".

[Mocamps]

Thank you all so much!

 

Really helpful information and I feel much better now that I know that most people don't have full information until 2 weeks out. I'll wait with anticipation!!

[Cliffegrange]

2 hours ago, mw8811 said:

Thank you.    My problem is my booster is over 270 days so thought I should get the PCR just to be safe knowing our luck we will be turned away for not having the right one.

No DAM health near here sadly!

There is one in Newcastle-under-Lyme

[ggo85]

Just off Moon.   One week before our cruise and we had no documents. Pestered our TA who pestered SS and we got them the next day. 
 

No luggage tags. Everyone else seemed to have them and the dock guy seemed surprised we didn’t have them. Nonetheless, he made sure our bags got to our cabin. 
 

Consider bringing a “monitored” test kit from home. You can test right in your hotel anywhere at any time and they send you a report that works just fine.  SS provides a link to one such company, although we used a different one.  
 

We found that every business in Denmark  uses credit cards and I would expect Greenland to be the same.  We got cash and struggled to use it. If you have Euros, those work for tips to a bellman, etc,  Or even dollars. 

[mw8811]

Thank you everyone for your info and, Jolly, thank you for interpreting things for me.