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Zanshin · 27-10-2020, 00:10

The BVI announced the official re-opening protocols yesterday, October 26th. With big fanfare about how they are going to be welcoming visitors back the government has specified the following protocol (Phase One reopening

1. A negative PCR test (up to 5 days before arrival)
2. Register with a website and get clearance to travel
3. Staggered arrival of planes at Beef Island airport, no more than 90 pax
4. 2nd COVID test at airport
5. Install tracking app on phone or get GPS tracker
6. Must have travel insurance that covers COVID
7. Quarantine for 4 days at your own expense at an approved place
8. 3rd COVID test at the end of 4 days
9. If negative, movement is limited to designated areas
10. All restaurants and shops are required to take your temp and document with your name and date/time
11. 4th COVID test on the 8th day
12. If all 4 previous test are negative, you are now free to move around the islands

So far I've been told that each test is going to be about $250. The government accommodation for quarantine is estimated to be $2500. Without food. Charter guests cannot quarantine on the boat.

One can draw one's own conclusion about how busy it is going to be, considering the majority of visitors are from the USA and only have a week of vacation time available to them.

Joli · 27-10-2020, 02:17

Ouch! No charter season this year unless the restrictions are eased

denverd0n · 27-10-2020, 07:10

I was hoping to be able to do a charter pretty much as soon as possible. But with those restrictions... Nope. Going to have to wait.

Bali43Cat · 27-10-2020, 07:29

We pulled our boat out of DYC Charter as soon as we could get it out of there (early June) after only 4 months in business and breathing a huge sigh of relief that we did.

With this announcement the BVI government has basically affirmed that any meaningful tourism will not be in place for this season. The devastation to the charter boat industry will be incalculable. I know we will NEVER consider investing in that market again - literally what WAS the #1 revenue producing market in the world. The way we were treated on the way out (basically having to bribe/smuggle our own boat out of there at literally 10x the market rate) is indicative of how disorganized and incapable the officials in control really are.

The thought of all of those boats setting there at the docks with no movement or operation is truly depressing. I cannot even imagine the mechanical toll being taken on so much idleness. Imagine the number of batteries, pumps, a/c units, and gunked up fuel tanks and engines that will need to be addressed over time. I understand The Moorings has some pretty deep pockets but how the smaller companies (and even DYC) can continue as an ongoing operation really comes into question at this point. DYC had already confiscated all of the first quarter revenues from owners and unilaterally applied it to cover summer/off-season costs. Without that they will come begging (demanding) for future costs to be covered long into an uncertain future.

However, what is truly sad is the treatment of their own BVI citizens - some of the nicest/friendliest people that we got to hang around during our time at the base. This has been and will be a sad grand experiment on whether the side effects of panic-stricken, power-wielding government officials on a population is truly worse than the sickness itself...

Stewie12 · 27-10-2020, 08:22

The BVI government has had it too good for too long. Unfortunately they do not seem to understand that things have changed, but with their new rules in place, they are about to find out.

roland stockham · 27-10-2020, 08:49

For most people the arrival rules are not the issue. I would not be allowed to leave the country for non-essential travel and if I left on essential business would have to quarantine for 14 days where I landed then a further 14 days once back in the local community, effectively making any foreign holiday impractical. We are very happy with this and have less cases/deaths in total than most states currently report PER DAY. Tourism is not worth risking your life over.

SeeMonstrEd · 27-10-2020, 08:51

Many of the charter boats have moved to other places like here in the USVI where we welcome visitors and don't charge unreasonable fees or anything to travel here. Oh and our booze is cheap.

tml · 27-10-2020, 09:11

How does this apply to cruisers arriving by boat? if this represents the Caribbean model and applies to cruisers as well cant imagine taking a boat south.
Tom

Zanshin · 27-10-2020, 09:24

At the moment, I don't think that entry to the BVI via private vessel is going to be allowed until December 8th and the protocols for that have not been set. But I'd assume that the conditions are going to be similar to those listed above and doing the quarantine aboard the boat won't be allowed.

Paul Kelly · 27-10-2020, 09:25

Punitive, for visiting yachtsmen, local businesses and the BVI economy.

jmschmidt · 27-10-2020, 09:27

Really sounds like a lot of fun huh?

jmschmidt · 27-10-2020, 09:28

They forgot to tell you that you pay for all the testing like Hawaii.

Zanshin · 27-10-2020, 09:56

Here's some more gristle for the mill:

GPS tracking & multiple COVID-19 tests for VI tourists | Virgin Islands News Online
https://bvinews.com/visitors-wont-be...er-quarantine/

While the articles contain nothing new, I love all the comments!

ob44 · 27-10-2020, 10:06

I was looking forward to returning this winter and chartering from The Moorings but, obviously, won't do that now. I suspect that the BVI medical infrastructure is poor in the best of times and woefully incapable of handling COVID cases, which is driving this draconian approach. But there has to be a balancing of the needs of the vast majority of the population against the needs of the few, statistically speaking. And it has very little to do with pleasing tourists; it has much more to do with desperately needed jobs and revenue. Getting control of the virus is essential to protecting people, but I question why that can't be accomplished with masks, social distancing, and contact tracing. Imposing what is, in reality, a complete lockdown of a vital segment of the economy appears to be a damaging overreach. One can only trust that the bureaucrats factored that into their decision.