Caribbean cruises: FCDO issues warning for cruise passengers & St Kitts opens up

Caribbean cruises are back in action now as the world opens back up - and Britons will be able to fully make the most of the region come next week when the US allows UK travellers into the country.

However, it's always important to be aware of the latest travel advice when jetting off abroad.

Yesterday the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued a warning for those travelling to the British Virgin Islands (otherwise known as BVI) - a collection of 60 gorgeous islands in the West Indies.

The update relates to coronavirus plus the vaccine and testing.

BVI FCDO travel advice

Visitors to the British Virgin Islands will only be able to move around the archipelago (of which about 16 are inhabited) if they are double jabbed and have proof of a negative test.

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"If the BVI is the first port of entry, fully vaccinated passengers with a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test or a negative rapid antigen test are permitted to move freely throughout the Territory," detailed the Foreign Office.

"Where the BVI is not the first port of entry, fully vaccinated passengers on Cruise Lines that offer a rapid COVID-19 test within 24 hours of arrival will be permitted to move freely within the Territory after receiving a negative test result."

St Kitts

The advice for the Caribbean destination comes as fellow West Indies islands St Kitts welcomes cruise passengers.

The island's tourist board announced yesterday: "This month, St. Kitts will receive an increased number of cruise ships calls, including four cruise ship arrivals during the first week of November."

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This marks "the island’s first four-ship-week since before the pandemic, and the only marquee port in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to receive four ships."

St Kitts Tourism added: "During November, St. Kitts will receive 28 cruise calls with an estimated total of 72,163 passengers."

Cruise ships will call at the island’s Port Zante at Basseterre, with AIDA Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, and Viking all stopping at St Kitts this week.

Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America Line, Princess, Silversea, and Royal Caribbean are all due to cruise to the Caribbean islands this month, too.

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Travellers can also now fly daily from Miami to St. Kitts on American Airlines as of yesterday.

The island does have strict Covid rules in place, however. The Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis welcomes only fully vaccinated visitors.

FCDO travel advice

Yesterday the FCDO also announced a general update to British travellers going abroad.

The authority cautioned that those with printed proof of vaccine status need to make sure the date on the document is correct.

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"If you are travelling with a printed PDF proof of vaccination status, it must date from 1 November to ensure that the certificate can be scanned successfully," said the FCDO.

"Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate your vaccine status."