The island of Barbados has announced updated guidelines, streamlining the port entry protocols to enable visitors experience the destination in a safe and responsible manner. Announced by the Barbados Ministry of Health and Wellness, the new protocols require each cruise line to conduct pre-embarkation health assessments of travelers, which include questions to identify symptoms that indicate a traveler’s health status.
Travelers arriving on transit calls must have embarked at the respective homeport with a valid negative standard, rapid PCR or antigen test taken within three days. Guests will only be permitted to disembark and take “bubble excursions” for tours approved for sale by tour operators as authorized by cruise lines; and 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.
Guests using the second option are required to take approved taxis dispatched from secure designated taxi facilities within the Bridgetown Port or must have a pre-booked tour confirmed by e-mail from an approved tour operator for pick up in the Bridgetown Port.
Fully vaccinated guests arriving into Barbados with a negative antigen test taken within three days of arrival will be permitted free shore leave.
Guests disembarking and staying on-island for a post-cruise stay must present a negative standard or rapid PCR before unrestricted access to the destination is permitted. Post-cruise guests may be swabbed on-board their cruise ship or at the Bridgetown Port and can 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.
Travelers are 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 include AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac and Sputnik V.
A popular port of call in the Eastern Caribbean, The Port of Bridgetown is at the heart of the island’s cruise tourism. Barbados welcomes approximately 800,000 cruise passengers every year, besides more than 25 cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises. From discovering the heritage behind crafting fine rum to sampling island cuisine off the beaten path, cruise travelers visiting Barbados can enjoy the island’s thrilling attractions and experience the warmth of the locals, making Barbados an unforgettable adventure on any cruise itinerary.
For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org or www.barbadostravelprotocols.com.
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