If you’re one of the 200 million Americans who lives where winters are dark and cold, you’re probably ready for some warmth. But then you turn on the TV, and are bombarded with news about covid travel restrictions, and you wonder whether you should just ride it out, for yet another winter.
I feel your pain, and everyone must determine their own comfort level for dealing with the implications of travelling during a pandemic. By definition, news is reported on exceptional (or “newsworthy”) circumstances, so we are always looking for feedback from our clients who have been travelling for a more accurate report.
Here are two accounts of travel in the past few days.
The first story is a personal report from me and Bob. We travelled to Southern California for an industry event and found the implications of domestic travel to be minor. We had to wear masks in the airports and on the plane, as well as in hotels and restaurants. Restaurants and other indoor spaces in California (and many other states) require proof of vaccination to go inside. I’ve become used to this now, and it doesn’t really bother me.
From California, we carried on to Mexico, which does not have a vaccine requirement for entry. We were again subject to masks on the plane, and Mexican authorities were screening for people showing signs of fever upon entry. Remarkably, this did not slow down the customs and immigration process.
Much like the US, pandemic restrictions vary from state to state in Mexico. We are in Jalisco, and there is a mask mandate in place, and they check for proof of vaccination when entering restaurants and indoor entertainment venues.
We have been very cautious throughout the pandemic, and I can say that I felt safe in both California and in Puerto Vallarta. In both places, there were a reasonable number of tourists, although not as busy as sun destinations usually are at this time of year.
What about cruise ships?
The smaller cruise ships have fared better than the larger ones for cancellations and redeployments. This, undoubtedly, is a “numbers game” as the law of averages kicks in – if you have several thousand people on board a ship, there WILL be covid. Contrary to some media reports, the numbers found on even the big ships is statistically lower than in the general population – so apparently, the containment measures are working.
Here is our second story, some observations from Don and Catrina – clients of ours that just completed an Oceania cruise out of Florida:
“We arrived at the Miami port and passed our luggage to the porter and we were directed to a tent outside the terminal for Covid testing. We had to register on line prior to arriving and got a QR code which we had to present at the testing. From start to finish it took no more than about 25 minutes and after receiving a negative result we entered the terminal, checked in, got our key cards and embarked after 5 minutes. Our cabin was ready.
Only one port on our itinerary was changed. Martinique was dropped and St. Kitts was added.
Masks are required unless actively eating or at the pool with social distancing. The compliance has been 100% by everyone.
Our 1250 passenger ship has only 470 on board and it feels like a private yacht cruise! We are able to go to the specialty restaurants as many times as we wish.
Service levels onboard have been exceptional by everyone. The ship is spotless, clean and well maintained”
From those comfortable travelling now, we have heard similar stories of reduced capacities being an added bonus of travelling at this time – and it is nice to see the sun again.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
Viking Ocean Cruises Free Air Promotion – Panama Canal and Central American
- 2 weeks round trip Fort Lauderdale
- Visit Key West, Cozumel, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Jamaica.
- Departures October 2022 through March 2023 from $4499 per person for a veranda cabin
- Includes round-trip flights, airport transfers, all taxes and fees, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and wifi on the ship.
Galapagos Islands with Celebrity Cruises
You might not normally associate Celebrity (a big-ship cruise line) with expedition cruising, but they have 3 vessels dedicated to the Galapagos that are quite different from each other… and nothing at all like their big ships (in fact one of the Galapagos ships only carries 16 passengers!). This is a great way to see this spectacular part of the world. Here is one example from each Celebrity ship:
- Celebrity Flora – this all-suite ship is brand new and holds 100 guests. 7-night departure in July 2022 starting at $7039 per person.
- Celebrity Xpedition – this ship carries 48-passengers. 7-night departure in June 2022 from $5599 per person.
- Celebrity Xploration – this catamaran holds just 16-passengers. 7-night departure in July 2022 from $5838 per person.
Celebrity runs their Galapagos trips year-round and there are also 10- and 11-night itineraries as well.
Peru, Amazon & Machu Picchu with Uniworld
Uniworld is offering $5000 off this trip for departures in October, November, and December 2022. Here’s an example:
- 14-nights departing October 19, 2022 with sale prices starting at $12,499 per person.
- Visit Lima for 2 nights, then board the ship for 7-nights, then fly to Cusco for 4-nights for Machu Picchu, and fly back to Lima
- Includes internal flights, all meals, gratuities, and an open bar on the ship.
Uniworld is really good at fulfilling bucket list trips, and this is a great example of being able to knock both Machu Picchu and the Amazon off your bucket list.
Have something to say about this?
Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/3206370356312123
If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
