Travel hopes 2021

[UnrealizedPotential]

I don't know, travel to Europe for me, which was supposed to happen last summer, looks pretty sad as far as the eye can see. No plans until things play out, not only in US, but also in Europe.

 

[Poopycat]

All of my travel plans have been canceled. Grand Canyon? Canceled. Hawaii? Canceled. Sweden? Canceled. Portugal? Canceled. Even Cincinnati was canceled (was going to a tennis tournament there, but that was canceled). So I’m just staying in my apartment with my adopted cat. I’ll be spending my vacation time over the holidays doing a mixture of watching TV, cooking/baking, catching up on reading, tennis (if the clubs aren’t shut down due to COVID), and walking in the local park on the days when the weather is warm enough.

I probably won’t take any trips until the second half of 2021 at the earliest, and maybe not until July 2021 when I leave this state and choose my retirement destination.

The good news is all the money I’m saving on travel expense.

 

[JustCurious]

Given the reluctance of ER-org folks to get on a cruise ship any time soon, this really surprised us.

I would love to go on a cruise again, but I refuse to go with the current restrictions that I have read... wearing masks is mandatory in all public areas, and you are not allowed to leave the ship while in port unless you pay for a cruise approved excursion. Not to mention the risk of getting quarantined. No thanks.

 

[Koolau]

Let me see if I can say this the way I want to: It's not so much that I'm NOT traveling as it is that I am being PREVENTED from traveling because of issues beyond my control. More of a theoretical than a reality situation. Probably doesn't make sense, but there it is, so YMMV.

 

[explanade]

CNN had an article about how the vaccine news might change travel.

Different opinions about how quickly travel might ramp back up.

Some were more bullish, saying that there's a lot of pent up demand. So people are booking but they're booking at an average of 20% higher than average in transaction value, meaning nicer accommodations.

Many countries are requiring quarantine on arrival and some want negative test results. So there may be requirements of documentation showing vaccination status.

 

[1242Vintage]

We have a few trips on the calendar for 2021 already; Cancun in January, Baltimore in April and again in May, Alaska roadtrip in June, Quebec in July for a FEQ music festival and Canada again in August.

The August trip to Canada is a roadtrip with a car full of bikes and gear for a multi-stage amateur bicycle race through the Canadian Rockies. Been training and cutting weight for a few months now in preparation and I’ll be crushed if that race is cancelled due to the virus.

 

[Montecfo]

It is perhaps counter intuitive, but right now can be a very nice time to travel relative to a few things, assuming you are willing to do car travel or domestic flights.

Crowds are very light, rather easy to distance. Warm locations have outdoor dining options. Great weather.

Perhaps not nirvana, but once vaccines become widely available travel will be a madhouse on pent-up demand.

I'm trying to not miss this unique season in time

 

[audreyh1]

I think I read in the last few days that some cruise ship had recently tried to do a cruise in the Caribbean but immediately had Covid problems and had to put passengers in quarantine. No way would I try a cruise now. Being quarantined to a tiny cabin would be like being in prison.

It’s just amazing how difficult it is. To embark passengers had two tests clear before boarding, then another afterwards. Ended up with 5 cases (of 53 passengers) almost immediately and now stuck in Barbados.

Now 7 cases. It appears that the 5 were traveling as a group.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/caribbean-cruise-seadream-1-covid/index.html
Apparently it’s a myth that you can create a bubble by testing a couple of times before boarding.

Sloan told CNN that initially no one was wearing face masks, not even the crew. Crew members told him they weren't necessary since the ship was a Covid-free "bubble."

 

[brett]

We really miss being able to travel. Land, air, cruises, whatever.

Having said that, we cannot even imagine our wanting to get on a cruise ship at the current time given that vaccines are not yet available.

 

[sengsational]

It’s just amazing how difficult it is. To embark passengers had two tests clear before boarding, then another afterwards.

I read the article to ascertain the time between the test and the results. I didn't see that reported. It simply can't be measured in "days" in order to be effective. If they were using mail-off PCR testing, it's not a surprise to me that it wasn't a covid-free bubble on board. What they need is daily testing with immediate results. I wonder if they could get a BinaxNow machine (giving immediate test results) running on their little cruise ship.

Certainly a setback for the cruise industry when such a small ship with what they thought was a good testing protocol ended up with a failure.

 

[P.S.]

I cancelled the spring Danube trip for my mom and I. Doubt vaccines will be fully implemented by that time, and am guessing the trip probably would have been cancelled by Viking with full refund. Nevertheless, I’d rather cancel with penalty and have it off my mental burner now.

 

[audreyh1]

I read the article to ascertain the time between the test and the results. I didn't see that reported. It simply can't be measured in "days" in order to be effective. If they were using mail-off PCR testing, it's not a surprise to me that it wasn't a covid-free bubble on board. What they need is daily testing with immediate results. I wonder if they could get a BinaxNow machine (giving immediate test results) running on their little cruise ship.

Certainly a setback for the cruise industry when such a small ship with what they thought was a good testing protocol ended up with a failure.

There are a bunch of articles about it since last Wednesday when the first infection was discovered. I just linked to one that seemed to be pretty comprehensive.

My understanding from other articles is that the first test had to have been done about 4 days before embarking with the passengers providing the results, and the second as a rapid test administered (by the ship?) just before embarking. Then they were testing during the cruise.

They felt that they had a bubble, thus they felt like it was safe without masks. But, they were still doing rapid testing (I think) about every 4 days? So that's inconsistent right there.

The biggest problem is that testing doesn't catch an infection that occurred in the last 1-4 days, AFAIK. So someone can be recently infected but pass a test. You can also be exposed after a test that was administered a few days ago unless you self isolate right after the test.

 

[TrvlBug]

We have an Alaska land/cruise trip booked for next fall. My spidy sense tells me it will be a no go for us. We chose the refundable deposit rather than a smaller non-refundable deposit when we rebooked our fall 2020 to fall 2021.

We will do some short road trips in 2021 as cabin fever is getting worse.

 

[gamboolman]

I retire effective 1-Feb-21 but with vacation will depart the week before Christmas

For 2021 here are some Must Attends for ms gamboolgal and I

We are looking forward to Road Trips and no schedule or dates to have be back in time to go to work

Some East Texas Events:

Jacksonville, Tx Tomato Festival

Marshall, Tx Fire Ant Festival

Not in East Texas, but a Bucket List Festival to attend regardless

The Buford Pusser Festival in Adamsville, Tennesse

But if you can only make one Festival.....

Feral Hog Festival Ben Wheeler, Tx

Who will be Crowned as Hog Queen in 2021 ?

Lifes A Dance And You Learn As You Go.....

gamboolman.....

 

[Montecfo]

Good ideas!

And Marshall, Jacksonville and Ben Wheeler are not far from each other, can eliminate any motel stays en route.

Maybe add a stay in Paris and Athens for. International flair?

 

[goingtotravel]

Hopeful thinking?

We've changed our minds about travel in 2021. If we had to make a guess it seems, from what we've read, that the UK, Europe, and Japan (along with the US) have 'pre-purchased' the largest amounts of the COVID vaccines that are in development. Assuming that we really do start mass vaccinations to the general population in the 2nd and 3rd quarter we are starting to feel hopeful that some international destinations may open up by the late summer or Fall.

So we are probably going to go ahead and buy tickets to somewhere in Europe or maybe back to Japan for next Fall. The airlines are still offering no change fees if you purchase before December 31. Worst case is we put another trip off but best case is we can finally start our retirement travel. Maybe Australia for 2022? Still waiting to re-plan our African trip, that one will probably be several years in the future.

 

[explanade]

If they had clear refund policies, I would be booking right now.

 

[Koolau]

Just hoping to get back to the mainland homestead this summer. From there, the car is our magic carpet. YMMV

 

[braumeister]

We have just about come to the conclusion that we don't want to do any more group travel.
It's a shame because we have two trips scheduled (and deposits paid) for next summer/fall. Both will most likely be canceled (at hardly any cost), and that's a shame because I really wanted to go on both of them.

It's still possible that we'll do a little group travel in the future when things are back to normal. But it just doesn't appeal to us right now, for a variety of reasons.

I honestly feel bad for the tour operators, who have really been kicked in the butt by the current situation (like many other industries), but why should we do what isn't comfortable for us?

All the offers we keep getting for cruises, land travels, etc. are so tempting, but with only a few exceptions we have come home from those excursions thinking mainly about how much we would have enjoyed doing our own itinerary instead of what the tour operator offered. In some cases, there is no choice but to go with a group (examples would be Galapagos or Antarctica) but in most cases it's simply a matter of convenience.

Giving up the convenience of letting them take care of the details gives you the advantage of going exactly where and when you like, which I think is probably well worth it in most cases.

 

[rt-texas]

We have just about come to the conclusion that we don't want to do any more group travel.
It's a shame because we have two trips scheduled (and deposits paid) for next summer/fall. Both will most likely be canceled (at hardly any cost), and that's a shame because I really wanted to go on both of them.

It's still possible that we'll do a little group travel in the future when things are back to normal. But it just doesn't appeal to us right now, for a variety of reasons.

I honestly feel bad for the tour operators, who have really been kicked in the butt by the current situation (like many other industries), but why should we do what isn't comfortable for us?

All the offers we keep getting for cruises, land travels, etc. are so tempting, but with only a few exceptions we have come home from those excursions thinking mainly about how much we would have enjoyed doing our own itinerary instead of what the tour operator offered. In some cases, there is no choice but to go with a group (examples would be Galapagos or Antarctica) but in most cases it's simply a matter of convenience.

Giving up the convenience of letting them take care of the details gives you the advantage of going exactly where and when you like, which I think is probably well worth it in most cases.

Did the Galapagos some years ago (15ish) with a local tour operator that was just the wife and I and a private guide for two weeks. Not cheap, but some of the best money we have ever spent on travel.


Message me if you want the info.

 

[braumeister]

Thanks, but we were there a couple of years ago with National Geographic/Lindblad and it was one of the two greatest trips of our lives.

The other was Antarctica last year. So we've touched those bases.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Hiking tour through Mac’s Adventures planned for next July. Will be doing a 14 day hike on the Tour du Mount Blanc. Passing through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Following that up with a week traveling through Switzerland and Germany on our way to Salzburg for a few days. Stops likely in Munich, Zurich, and Innsbruck. Probably tour Berchtesgaden while in Salzburg, as well as the Sound of Music house to keep DW happy. Returning to fly out of Geneva. DW and I, plus my brother and his DW. Very excited, hope it comes to pass. Counting on vaccine to open things up by then. Even without vaccine, if countries are open we will likely be going.

 

[Chuckanut]

Speaking of a vaccine and travel. I hear talk that some sort of vaccine passport may be needed in many countries. At the risk of sounding like an overly optimistic idiot, has anybody heard of any USA government entity that is looking into that?

As far as European travel goes, I am monitoring what Rick Steves is up to. I figure he has some very close connections all over Europe, that will tell us when a trip can be near enough to normal so as not to be a waste of time and money. There is no point in visiting Lower Slobovia if all you can do is get take out at the local café, and walk in the local park. So far, while he has a big list of planned tours, he won't take a reservation and/or deposit.

 

[ElizabethT]

Bought a new travel trailer (#3 for us, we are clearly in this for the long haul) and we’ll be spending 11 weeks RVing through the Pacific NW next June-August. Will bring our passports in the hope we can get to Canada as well. Very excited!

Edit: Hoping to get to Europe in the fall to visit our daughter and family. Time will tell.

 

[Mango1956]

We will continue to camp for a week to 10 days once a month. We go to the desert in the FallWinter (Death Valley, Anza Borrego and Mojave Preserve) and Mountains in the Summer/Fall. We have a pop up camper on the back of our Tacoma. A great investment in a bug out rig! We can go anywhere up a dirt road to a quiet campsite and have it all to ourselves. We’re grateful to have this lifestyle, especially given the state of affairs in the world right now.