Bahamas Travel, COVID

[Freeebird]

Anybody know the scoop on delivery Captains being required to have the 5 day or newer COVID test to enter the islands?

I'm trying to clarify things on their site, but I'm not getting any answers from their live chat at this point. Commercial pilots and crew are not required to have such documentation when staying overnight, so it would be logical to think a delivery Captain wouldn't need it either. It would be airport to boat and outta there.

[Pascal]

Anybody know the scoop on delivery Captains being required to have the 5 day or newer COVID test to enter the islands?

I'm trying to clarify things on their site, but I'm not getting any answers from their live chat at this point. Commercial pilots and crew are not required to have such documentation when staying overnight, so it would be logical to think a delivery Captain wouldn't need it either. It would be airport to boat and outta there.

You won’t get on a flight as a passenger without the test and your health visa. And while sometimes you may get onboard without a return ticket if you have a copy of the boat cruising permit, most airline employees want to see a return ticket. Save yourself the agravation and buy a return flight on Expedia on the mornjng of your flight and refund it within 24 hours

And don’t forget that since last year you have to clear customs when leaving the Bahamas.

[Freeebird]

You won’t get on a flight as a passenger without the test and your health visa. And while sometimes you may get onboard without a return ticket if you have a copy of the boat cruising permit, most airline employees want to see a return ticket. Save yourself the agravation and buy a return flight on Expedia on the mornjng of your flight and refund it within 24 hours

And don’t forget that since last year you have to clear customs when leaving the Bahamas.

Thanks for the info, but this sounds a tad complicated. The COVID test is simple enough, at least in theory, but I have no idea how long it takes to get one along with results here. A March 1 departure may be tricky at best. Seems to me that circumventing any return trip requirement by not showing up/canceling the return flight could result is someone looking for yours truly thinking i was still in the islands.

[Pascal]

It s easy. We ve done it a few times since it started last July. You may have to call around to see where you can get the test done with 24 hours result. Don’t know if you have MDNow up there, it s a chain of walk in clinic, that a where we ve taking ours before traveling.

The online health visa application is a breeze. You get the visa within hours. Print both the visa and the test result.

As to the return ticket, the official rules are that if you are flying to meet a vessel you don’t need a return ticket. A copy of the cruising permit is enough. In the real world, most airline staff don’t know this and it can take a bit of time to get a supervisor familiar with the rules. I ve too many cases where crew almost missed their flights and had to call me stuck at the airport... now I buy them a ticket in the morning, email the record locator and refund it after they land. Been doing it for years... nobody came looking for them. It s stupid but saves time and agravation

[Freeebird]

Thanks again, Pascal. I have a PCP who is also a customer. I'll call him and see what kind of timeframe we're looking at.

[Pascal]

Remember it has to be an RT-PCR not a rapid test

[pmurphy]

To expand a bit on this topic, for those boaters staying a while in the Bahamas, do you still have to be retested every 5 days while there? I’m trying to plan a trip from mid April until the end of May and going to many of the less travelled islands.

[Freeebird]

To expand a bit on this topic, for those boaters staying a while in the Bahamas, do you still have to be retested every 5 days while there? I’m trying to plan a trip from mid April until the end of May and going to many of the less travelled islands.

This should answer your questions. COVID-19 Status - The Bahamas

[Pascal]

To expand a bit on this topic, for those boaters staying a while in the Bahamas, do you still have to be retested every 5 days while there? I’m trying to plan a trip from mid April until the end of May and going to many of the less travelled islands.

It has NEVER been every five days. It s only once on the fifth day in country.

[pmurphy]

Thanks for the clarification on the 5 day test requirement and thanks for the the link to the covid info page.
If you have to be tested on the 5th day there, that could be a problem if you are not near a testing site. Has anyone experienced this situation yet? I’m wondering how much trouble you might get in if you didn’t make it to a testing center until say day 6 or 7. If you are on your boat and not on land I can’t imagine that would be a problem.