corona virus alerts - Latest cruising Information for vessels/locations/rules

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by hpeer

How would that work for cruisers I wonder.

Last summer we sailed 13 days from Dominica. Hard to get a test mid ocean.

Current requirements in USVI and PR is for testing to be done within two or three days of departure. In those two places you upload your PCR test result to a website and get a QR code back that gets you through inbound security at the airport. Coming by sea no one looks at the QR code but the marina files the PCR result for the government.

I did Annapolis to St Thomas last month and it all worked very well. I'm leaving this weekend for Hampton to San Juan.

CBP is involved in USVI and PR for those coming from outside the US so it is likely the new US requirements will actually be consistent. ROAM makes inbound processing very easy for cruisers.

[Montanan]

Well as anticipated here comes the start of the Vaccination Required for Travel.

Saga Cruises, a U.K.-based cruise operator, announced it was requiring all passengers to have received the COVID-19 vaccine before embarking on a trip.

Saga Cruises' vaccine requirement appears to be a first for major cruise operators. The company said it is moving the restart date for its cruises to May to allow time for more people to receive the vaccine. The company said it has already written to customers intending on traveling in 2021 informing them of the new vaccination policy, which requires them to be fully vaccinated against the virus at least 14 days before travel.

In addition to the vaccine requirement, Saga said it will require pre-departure COVID-19 testing, have reduced capacity of customers onboard, enhanced cleaning regimes and has doubled its medical staff, among other precautions.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Well as anticipated here comes the start of the Vaccination Required for Travel.

Saga Cruises, a U.K.-based cruise operator, announced it was requiring all passengers to have received the COVID-19 vaccine before embarking on a trip.

Saga Cruises' vaccine requirement appears to be a first for major cruise operators. The company said it is moving the restart date for its cruises to May to allow time for more people to receive the vaccine. The company said it has already written to customers intending on traveling in 2021 informing them of the new vaccination policy, which requires them to be fully vaccinated against the virus at least 14 days before travel.

In addition to the vaccine requirement, Saga said it will require pre-departure COVID-19 testing, have reduced capacity of customers onboard, enhanced cleaning regimes and has doubled its medical staff, among other precautions.

Have they also clearly articulated that they will have 100% vaccination of crew? Won't work if it is 100% of passengers and half of the crew.
I do think a cruise ship can be a herd or a bubble. So if they have 100% crew vaccination, it could work.
The other issue will be off boat excursions. Not to say that is a deal breaker, but it will be an issue. Most likely someone will bring the corona virus aboard at embarkation and/or bring aboard from an excursion - but if the ship's crew exercise reasonable care and monitor people's temperatures, with quarantine for positives, that will not result in much of an outbreak, if vaccination levels are at 100%.
In a way, cruise ships could be a gold mine of epidemiological data. You could really learn a lot from carefully monitoring these scenarios, given the control and monitoring ability they have for people coming and going. Much harder to do that on land.

[JPA Cate]

Kind of gives a new hit on the concept of hospital ships, eh?

You might like to start a separate thread on this subject, it's pretty complicated and involved, and this thread is dedicated to port and border openings and closings.

Ann
JPACate

[boatman61]

Well Brussels is proposing a Vaccine Passport for travel in the next couple of weeks..
Whether this will be limited to air travel or extended to trains, coaches etc is yet to be seen..
Would not be surprised if it then extends to cinemas, restaurants etc..

[JPA Cate]

Four off topic posts have been removed. Please keep this thread free for border and port openings and closings.

Thank you.

JPA Cate

[Montanan]

President Joe Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries [the Schengen group] that allow travel across open borders. He also added South Africa to the list.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said South Africa was added to the restricted list because of concerns about a variant of the virus that has spread beyond that nation. Dr. Fauci stated: “We have concern about the mutation that’s in South Africa,"" "We’re looking at it very actively. It is clearly a different and more ominous than the one in the U.K., and I think it’s very prudent to restrict travel of noncitizens.” The South Africa variant has not yet been discovered in the United States, but another variant — originating in the United Kingdom — has been detected in several states.

The new requirements go into effect on Tuesday.

FYI: The 26 European countries impacted by reinstatement of the ban are part of the border-free Schengen zone. They include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Well Brussels is proposing a Vaccine Passport for travel in the next couple of weeks..

Whether this will be limited to air travel or extended to trains, coaches etc is yet to be seen..

Would not be surprised if it then extends to cinemas, restaurants etc..

No it was floated by Greece. But does not any significant support from most EU countries. France is dead set against it for example

[GordMay]

Iceland Will Allow Residents to Skip Its Quarantine, Testing Requirements If They Show Proof of a COVID-19 Vaccine
➥ https://www.msn.com/en-ca/lifestyle/...dU8?li=AAggFp5

[Montanan]

FRANCE LOCKS DOWN ITS BORDERS

French PM Jean Castex has announced that France from Sunday January 31, apart from exceptional reasons, "any entry into France and any exit from our territory to or from a country outside the European Union will be prohibited".

This does NOT apply to hauliers, so trade will continue to flow smoothly.

The new border restrictions will affect the UK, now no longer in the EU.

A number of countries are exempted, as they are not considered at risk, they are Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore and Thailand.

In addition, arrivals from inside the EU, and several other states - Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Vatican and Switzerland - will have to present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

All arrivals, not just by air and sea, but by land too, must comply with the test rule.

There are exemptions, including cross-border workers and hauliers, and other groups such as students, health workers and diplomats, although the list is not yet fully defined.

The new Covid variants are, of course, the main motivating factor, and travel to the UK, which has been hit by the UK - or Kent - variant, is "strongly discouraged".

[Montanan]

Dang Europe is becoming Hotel California

"Relax, " said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! "

From Saturday, Germany has banned most travellers from countries hit hard by new Covid variants. The countries are the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Brazil, South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. The move is expected to last until 17 February.

Also from Saturday, the Czech Republic has banned non-essential entry into the country, again to try to curb the new variants.

Portugal on Thursday banned non-essential overseas travel by air, land or sea for its citizens for a fortnight.

Belgium on Wednesday banned non-essential trips out of the country until 1 March.

[hpeer]

I have passing acquaintance with a lady who arranges travel for folks in long term clinical trials. Like people from Iran who need to come to the USA or Balkans who need to travel to Poland. These are trials that pre-date covid. From what she tells me these arrangements are very difficult and can involve 5 modes of transport both to and from and sometimes include multiple folks within a family and each trip can take days. Train-bus-cab whatever.

This is obviously a difficult time for such trials.

[NPCampbell]

In Texas, we are seeing a significant decline in new cases. Around 8% of the state has tested positive for Covid, another 8% have tested positive in antibody surveys in Dallas and Houston and 6.4% of the state has received at least one vaccination.

60% of Texans, or 17 million have indicated they will take a Covid vaccination. At the current rate of 400,000 vaccinations per week, Texas, by October, will run out of citizens willing to take the vaccination.

[barnakiel]

Martinique, now:


In theory, if you spent two weeks at sea, no quarantine.


In practice, friends did and nonetheless ended on a quarantine buoy (7 days) plus tests (at their cost, I would guess).


Odd. But not fake news.


b.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Martinique, now:


In theory, if you spent two weeks at sea, no quarantine.


In practice, friends did and nonetheless ended on a quarantine buoy (7 days) plus tests (at their cost, I would guess).


Odd. But not fake news.


b.

That is just strictly the standard Covid protocol for Martinique. Nothing odd about it.

French government tightens travel restrictions for overseas territories (RFI, 19.01.2021)

International Restrictions:
*Entry to Martinique: All travellers over the age of 11 must undertake a test for COVID-19 within 72 hours before departure for Martinique. The test is obligatory and the traveller must show proof of a negative result before embarking. Travellers may also need to produce a self-certified document affirming that they have no COVID symptoms and that to their knowledge they have not been in contact with any person confirmed positive within the last 14 days. You should check with your travel operator and thelocal Prefecture’s advice ahead of travel. Airlines may refuse boarding to anyone who does not produce both proof of a negative result and the self-certified document. Travellers from most destinations will also be required to self-isolate for seven days on arrival in Martinique, before taking another PCR test. See the local Prefecture website for further information. These entry requirements are subject to change. For further information on the entry restrictions in place for French Overseas Territories, see the French government’s website before travelling. If travelling via France, you should also check the advise for France.