BVI 2021

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Burbman

Tell me I am wrong for wanting to cancel our upcoming trip.

Would love some input on this. We have our trip planned for July 2- 10. This was postponed from last year. Reading over the restrictions it really sounds like it is going to be a killjoy of a trip. The first 4 days you are on the boat only, no beach, no restaurant, no entertainment. Just on the boat. Then you have to sail back to Tortola to get tested again. Then you are free to go where you want. Well with a 8 day charter we have just blown half the trip IMO.

So if you have gone, what was your experience? Would you go again with the same restrictions?

I suggest you look into charter in Antigua. They are seriously trying to restart and maintain private cruising, tourism, Charters, resorts, B&B. We sailed our yacht from November to May this last season. There are many great shore hikes (search on line), restaurants especially in season. Snorkeling and diving is pretty good. Take dive trips from Jolly Harbor or Faulmouth to Cade’s Reef. Decent anchorages all around the island and weather permitting excursions to Barbuda. There are free moorings in several locations and anchoring is permitted almost everywhere.

Restrictions in BVI are a deal breaker for most of us. The officials in charge of private yacht entry and the procedures are impossible, unpredictable and punitively expensive and capricious. We intend to never return and are not alone among cruisers.

[Zanshin]

I am flying out to the BVI in 2 weeks and after 15 years of keeping various boats in the BVI I, like Nicholson58, plan on departing the BVI and not returning. Their approach to visitors and private yachts is ... disappointing. Conditions get worse, and more restrictive/expensive every year and while it is a pretty place there are numerous other pretty places in the Caribbean.

[sjrider]

We just returned from a charter to the BVI. We were all fully vaccinated and the trip was amazing

When we landed they escorted us to a separate facility to get our covid-19 test. We slept aboard the yacht for our first night under quarantine. We departed the marina the next morning and received our emails with our negative test results and our release from quarantine while sailing to Norman island to one of the quarantine anchorages. We then removed our yellow quarantine flag and changed course to the bight and Willy T's.

Spent a few days there and made our way to West end to find a police station to return the tracking device for the boat and to get our wrist bands removed.

The rest of the trip was amazing. The anchorages were pretty empty, no getting up early to race to a mooring ball, it felt like we had the place to ourselves with just the right amount of nightlife to be entertained.

Masks were required when in grocery stores, police station, and entering certain restaurants.

I was also told that starting June 15th that vaccinated people no longer need to test upon arrival.