Written by Katie Zachary
EDIT: After this last announcement, the BVI once again said that Day Charters are not allowed in. It’s Complicated…..
Last Friday the BVI announced they were changing some of their opening protocols to make it easier for travel into the territory and extremely quickly revised their executive order to INCLUDE day charters. This is fantastic news and I know some of you have been waiting for this for a long time; however this isn’t a simple procedure and we need to work out some of the details to confirm how it will work but the basics are below.
In Order to Do A Day Charter In The BVI:
-
- All travelers into the territory on a day charter MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED
- Show a negative PCR or Antigen test that is no older than 5 days
- Pre-register for a rapid test to be taken at West End Customs upon arrival into the territory via their online portal
- You must also have travel insurance which covers COVID 19 medical costs, doctors visits and prescriptions, medical repatriation, and quarantine accomodation cost
- Upon arrival at West End Customs you will be required to take a rapid test and if negative then you’re free to enjoy the day. This is an additional cost per person on top of the normal customs fees.
- Minors under the age of 17 need to present a negative PCR or Antigen test that is no older than 5 days and be accompanied by vaccinated parents or guardians
The Details
We are working the details out and will be doing a dry run in the coming days to make sure we can do this with guests on board. One of our biggest concerns is what happens if someone tests positive at West End Customs; we aren’t sure exactly what that protocol is.
Another side of this is that our captains are going to have to test every day and possibly get an an additional test every five days unless the BVI allows them to use their tests from West End for entry. This makes the schedule of when we can go to the BVI more limited so there are a lot of loose ends and right now this is mostly a trial period where we need to work the kinks out before high season. And speaking of high season, another concern is what will happen on a super busy day at West End when there are hundreds of people there…..
The cost is also going to be pretty substantial and we are going to have to schedule BVI trips around testing timeframes so when booking, make sure you’re getting your test in the right timeframe for entry. There is also free testing in the Gravel Lot on St. John every wednesday and the results come back pretty quickly, so that is an option while you are visiting as well.
All that being said, this is great and we are really excited to be able to offer this to all of you again, stay in touch and keep a look out for more information in the coming weeks as this evolves.
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