I love all things Cruise and add that to my hobby Photography I’m in dreamland, I’m an exTravel agency owner with the inside contacts, so I will try to keep you updated in all things travel related with a side serving of images and other maritime stories.
Hong Kong has announced the introduction of new COVID-19 restrictions, which include bans on incoming flights from eight countries, weekend indoor dining, banning of all cruises and more.
The two big cruise lines that operate in Hong Kong have already reacted to the new regulations by cancelling their cruises.
Royal Caribbean Hong Kong has issued an update through their social media channels that said the Jan. 6, Jan. 9, Jan. 12, Jan. 14 and Jan. 17 cruises on the Spectrum of the Seas have all been cancelled due to the authorities’ update.
“We fully expect to welcome back our guests onboard Spectrum’s Jan. 21 cruise,” the cruise line said.
Guests affected by the cancellations are invited to either transfer to a later sailing or apply for a full refund.
Dream Cruises said it’s cancelling all itineraries between Jan. 9 and Jan. 19 due to the government directive.
Affected guests are invited to either transfer, receive a future cruise credit with additional onboard credit or cancel receiving a full monetary refund.
“This cancellation is due to the government’s directive and not as a result of any COVID-19 related incidents on board the ship,” the cruise line said.
The Port of Barbados sign with the Grandeur of the Seas and P&O Britannia in Port, Photo credit Spacejunkie2
The island of Barbados has announced new port entry protocols that are meant to simplify destination exploration in a safe and responsible way through tours and shore excursions beyond the cruise ship.
In keeping with updated guidelines put forth by Barbados’ Ministry of Health and Wellness, the following protocols have been established and shared, according to Barbados’ official tourism marketing organization, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc:
Embarkation: The Barbados Ministry of Health and Wellness requires each cruise line to conduct health assessments of travellers prior to embarkation, which includes questions to identify symptoms that indicate a traveller’s health status.
Transit Calls and Shore Excursions: Guests with a standard or rapid PCR test was taken within 48 hours of arrival will be permitted to disembark and take free shore leave, explore independently and engage in shore excursions and tours. Guests arriving without a standard or rapid PCR test taken within 48 hours will be permitted to take “bubble excursions” or supervised shore excursions through authorized vendors, including:
• Tours approved for sale by tour operators as authorized by cruise lines. • Tours approved for sale by independent tour operators and taxi operators as authorized by the government of Barbados following the appropriate health and security requirements.
Those wishing to engage in a tour must have a pre-booked tour confirmed by email from an approved tour operator for pick-up in the Bridgetown Port or take approved taxis dispatched from secure designated taxi facilities within the Bridgetown Port. Tours and excursions can be booked either on arrival at the port or directly with independent tour operators.
Transit calls refer to ports of call where passengers disembark to sightsee, then return to the ship, which then departs for its next destination.
Disembarkation (Island Stays): Guests disembarking and staying on-island for a post-cruise stay will be required to present a negative standard or rapid PCR test before unrestricted access to the destination is permitted. Post-cruise guests may be swabbed onboard their cruise ship or at the Bridgetown Port and may then proceed to their accommodations to await test results. If available, guests may proceed directly to their accommodations to be tested there and await the results.
Vaccination Status: Travellers will be considered fully vaccinated if they have completed a full regimen of vaccines for any of the Ministry of Health and Wellness approved COVID-19 vaccinations, at least 14 days prior to travel to Barbados. Approved vaccines are AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik V.
According to the press release, Barbados welcomes approximately 800,000 cruise visitors annually and welcomes more than 25 cruise lines including Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises.
Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc said that it was excited for the new, simplified process that will give travel advisors “yet another reason to recommend the island to their clients, providing yet another safe, unforgettable vacation destination that helps drive leads, bookings and revenue in the new year.”
Travel advisors are encouraged to brief clients on these protocols during the booking process.
Cruise line NCL has cancelled cruises on seven ships over the next few weeks, due to ongoing travel restrictions implemented to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.
The line said in a statement: “The health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our number one priority. Due to ongoing travel restrictions, a select number of sailings across the fleet have been affected.”
NCL has announced that cruises on the following ships will be cancelled:
Norwegian Pearl – cruise departures up to and including 14 January 2022 Norwegian Sky – cruises up to and including 25 February 2022 Pride of America – cruises up to and including 26 February 2022 Norwegian Jade – cruises up to and including 3 March 2022 Norwegian Star – cruises up to and including 19 March 2022 Norwegian Sun – cruises up to and including 19 April 2022 Norwegian Spirit – cruises up to and including 23 April 2022
The line said that affected passengers would automatically receive a refund of their cruise fare.
They will also be given a future cruise credit (FCC) offering a 10% discount to be used on new bookings. This will be added to guests’ accounts from Friday (7 January) and can be used for bookings made up to 7 January 2023 for sailings through 31 May 2023.
NCL added that cruises on its other ships were currently going ahead as planned but warned some itineraries may have to be modified due to new Covid-19 rules and restrictions.
“As the global public health environment continues to rapidly evolve and destinations around the world modify their travel requirements or implement new travel restrictions, it is possible that itineraries may need to be modified,” advised the line.
