Options for Crew Changes in Curacao

9th September 2020

As per latest information received from local authorities, lockdown has been eased and it is now permitted to carry out crew changes OPL Curacao under the following restrictions:

1. KLM Airlines and TUI Airways resumed their international flights from/to Curacao for passengers since July 1st, 2020.
2. If vessel does not reach before embarking crew members, then they can be accommodated in a hotel for quarantine while they wait. They are not allowed to leave the hotel during this time, and they will be treated as usual guests in a special designated area prepared for waiting vessels while they arrive to Curacao; as soon as the vessel is drifting off port they will be allowed to go onboard and they will not need to stay for 14 days in quarantine waiting to get permissions. Same for disembarking crew members if they need to go for accommodation waiting for their departure flight. A period of 14 days in quarantine will count for crew that goes to the city or crew members entering to Curacao as normal tourists.
3. All crew changes (On/Off Signers details / flight itinerary) must be notified 05 working days prior to the crew change in order to obtain greenlight from Authorities’ Government Office. All approvals are subject to local authorities prior to crew change.
4. Regarding Superintendent and Technicians, Government Office needs to give their approval to travel to Curacao from Amsterdam. This approval takes a minimum of five (05) working days, hence flights schedule needs to be sent at minimum five (05) days in advance to receive permission for visiting vessel or Damen Shipyard; Superintendents need a Covid-19 Test at Curacao and must wait for the results before getting green light from the Government to enter Willemstad or for entering Damen to visit vessel at Shipyard or enter the Shipyard territories.
5. Authorities could detain any crew on shore if they consider them suspicious for COVID-19. Any extra expenses will be under owners account.
6. It is important to take into account, to avoid as much as possible, changes of itineraries as it could complicate the process of approval with the local authorities.
7. Crew Change is ONLY allowed via OPL and not while the vessel is alongside.
8. It is very important to highlight that COVID-19 has changed the process to attend personnel to embark and disembark personnel in all ports. We have seen that local and national authorities suddenly change their regulations without notice and this could generate delays or issues on husbandry services.