Cruising in the Caribbean bubble (St. Lucia, SVG, Grenada)

[Knot Safety]

Now that we're seeing standard policies with COVID, do you feel much will change between now and march? Are the islands getting the vaccine at all?[/QUOTE]



Lots will change. That is how it has been this year. Every country react individually based on the circumstances at hand. There is no real bubble. Countries come and go from high risk to low risk and various stages in between.

Look at noonsite. Talk to your charter base. Both will give guidance.

[IndecentExposur]

Originally Posted by Shrew

What is the 'Bubble'?

There is a different quarantine and testing protocol between islands participating within their bubble.

https://www.stlucia.org/en/covid-19/bubble-arrivals/

[Knot Safety]

Prime example right there. That link is false. St Kitts and Nevis. Borders closed. Montserrat. Borders closed. Dominica. Borders closed. Bubble basically no longer exists. It is based on the risk calculation for the country you are in. As determined by the country you are going to.

[barnakiel]

There is no Caribbean Bubble.


There was supposed to be some kind of British Commonwealth Bubble but it seems broken. Friends sailed into St Lucia and onwards to SVG. At SVG they were placed on a quarantine buoy and tests were administered.


British bubble rules do not work in other islands. Martinique does not accept St Lucia clearance. You need to go thru the regular procedure as announced by Martinique.


b.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by Knot Safety

Now that we're seeing standard policies with COVID, do you feel much will change between now and march? Are the islands getting the vaccine at all?

The BVI is getting the vaccine in February, courtesy of the UK.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Looks like the entire Caribbean has pretty much killed its boat charter business and is hell bent to wipe out most shore-side tourism as well. Its surprising that these people are so tone deaf that they want to kill these industries. If they keep it up much longer they will have to rely solely on their off-shore financial businesses dealing with tax evaders, money launderers and international crooks.

Hawaii's destination resorts are converting to separated save zones with realistic and easy to comply with clearances and procedures. Too bad Hawaii is not really suited for the previously successful Caribbean type inter-island charter businesses with great destinations only and hour or two apart.

How can I gently say that in the BVI, we find it surprising that a wealthy (actually deeply indebted) first world country can't get its Covid response in order, but expects everyone else to bear the consequences of this entitled madness. We DO NOT want to kill these industries, nor the population.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by Shrew

While tourism dollars might be a large portion of the overall GDP, that revenue goes into the hands of a very, very small portion of the population. The economic disparity of wealth in the islands is staggering.

Not necessarily true! In the BVI, tourism is the largest private employer, and that is before the secondary level of provisioners, taxi drivers, etc. etc.

[IndecentExposur]

For the record, we put our initial deposit down prior to all the COVID measures. As we get closer to the go/nogo date, we are considering everything. Thanks for the reference at Noonsite, that has been a tremendous help. I doubt we'll go, and probably end up pushing, but we're trying to be optimistic.

[Rubicon King]

I fly all the time and understand the actual scientific data. I'm much more safe on that plane than going to the local grocery. but again I don't prescribe to wave my arms in the air and scream of impending death and mayhem..

That said, I agree that trying o cruise right now in the carib is tough. try the bahamas and chill

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Pretty hard to imagine this working out well for you. They must have given you a real deal on that boat.

Personally you could not drag me screaming and kicking on to an airplane.

[Stewie12]

I would abandon your charter for this year. You might come back with more than you planned for. Think SAFE.