We are booked on a Viking river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam in September. Viking is testing guests every morning and some ships have reported positive Covid cases and guests sent on shore to quarantine. I am not sure if they are allowed to rejoin the cruise after their 5 day quarantine with a negative test. Covid cases are on the rise again in Europe and people reported that masks are required on buses and lounges now. Policy may change day to day. I have been to all the major cities(land tours) on the cruise but I am looking forward to cruising again.
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Because I’d like things to remain “sort of normal” AND becoming even “more normal” I continue to mask in most stores and public venues where I’ll be within 6 ft or so of others more than just walking by.
We can all probably name spots we’ve been where “no one” (a blanket statement often used to actually mean “most were not”) was wearing a mask.
You can be a follower or you can be a leader or you can be a model/example or you can just simply do what you want! I choose to do what I want with a slant towards continuing to be cautious and making the small effort to mask. If anyone wants to judge someone looking out for themselves or others, HAVE AT IT.
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I was just in Norway - as soon as we landed in Oslo and got off the plane - not a mask in sight for our entire trip. Completely forgot about Covid until it was time to jump through the hoops to get back in the US.
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Hawaii is crazy.
I told my son to book Mama’s fish house in Maui for September weeks ago.
He just booked today and got 4:00, one day that he’s there. Other than that it would have been 3:15 or 8:00.
Who knew 5 months out wouldn’t be early enough for a dinner reservation! (I did, and I told him to book already, but he finally did it today).
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My goodness, this is crazy, I’m glad I’m not in Maui, we frequent this place.
The actor playing Fauci on the SNL opening last night said it all, I paraphrase, “don’t worry I’m not giving you any COVID advice, I’m not dumb enough to think you would listen” or words to that effect.
We are tired of COVID, but it’s certainly not tired of us. There’s a Shingrix commercial that keeps replying to people “that’s great–but shingles don’t care!!!” In my head I have a version that keeps repeating “but COVID don’t care!”
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Let’s keep this thread about travel.
I got an email from Rick Steves tours offering a $100 discount. I suspect that bookings are still down due to the negative test requirement to re-enter the US. Extra hotel expenses, missed work, etc. etc. is a worry for most people.
I’ve not heard the reentry test as a reason people are not booking travel. I know a lot of people who have travel booked to Europe for the fall. For people not booking I’ve heard reasons for hesitation are concern about the war in Ukraine and concern about new variants emerging and having to cancel. Several friends who have had cancellations over the last few years are weary of rebooking and having to cancel again. They say they are waiting and if things look good will book last minute.
I know I’m hesitant about booking non refundable reservations for an October trip. I’ve got business class tickets booked but so far nothing else.
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The travel industry has been pushing the administration to drop that requirement for a few months now. So it must be impacting travel bookings abroad.
I have definitely heard of the re-entry requirements as a reason some people have chosen to travel domestically this year.
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I went to France with kid and had a great time. However the Covid testing requirement definitely stopped many people I know from traveling internationally. Only those who’d had Covid over Christmas break felt confident in travel.
The CDC website on overseas testing requirements, so that you can fly back, is just awful. Two years into a pandemic and those bureaucrats still write this nonsense. And TSA and airlines all link to their gobbledygook.
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The Attestation form is a useless nightmare. So I need to show a fit to fly form that proves I tested negative and proof of vaccination. So why are you making me check two boxes on a 7 page form? A form that according to an attendant at the airport is put into storage for 2 years.
Such is life. Hopefully the vaccines and boosters help.
We just finished talking about our upcoming train trip with FIL. He’s really, really looking forward to it, so we’re still going. It’ll be his 94th birthday, so waiting is rather pointless.
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The question is what this really means. I sorta get some of the reasoning. But when I travel Thursday will it then be up to the airines? If someone refuses at that point, can the airline do anything?
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I’m flying for the first time of the pandemic on May 5 to visit son for Mother’s Day. I know he was already concerned there would not be a mask mandate by then. I promised him I would double mask throughout the airport and flight although I haven’t tried that yet. I’m getting my second booster tomorrow. We still have all eight of our free at home COVID tests so I will likely check a week ahead. He is ultra cautious and a worrywart.
Hopefully he won’t make me mask during my visit! We have almost all our plans outdoors except for a couple of dinners, and those are in large high ceiling venues. Seattle is not quite as geared to outdoor dining as San Diego!
Airlines are private businesses and can make and enforce rules—whether they will or not is another story entirely.
How many of you are unwilling to fly if the mask mandate is lifted?
I was ready to book a trip to Germany – now I am wondering if that is wise.
I suppose if the mandate is lifted, it will never be reimposed, so one will have to recalculate one’s risk tolerance with the lack of masked passengers in mind.
Mask mandate is lifted. Just announced
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