This sounds promising! "Biden eyes relaxing travel restrictions."

[HBCcruiser]

Interesting article - Biden may relax travel restrictions with Canada, Mexico and the UK. 

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24591-cruising-in-the-u-s-in-may-biden-eyes-relaxing-travel-restrictions.html

[Laszlo]

But will Canada relax travel restrictions with the US? My friends in Montreal say Canada is in no hurry to left the travel restrictions. 

[BoozinCroozin]

I don't care about Canada in this situation. I think the US needs to move down the path of all passenger 16+ be vaccinated and those 16 and under have negative test and daily temp checks. Do that and there is nothing to worry about cruising from a passenger standpoint.

[HBCcruiser]

My guess - Mexico will be in play. 

https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/mexico-reopening-borders-tourism/

Edited March 18, 2021 by HBCcruiser

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, HBCcruiser said:

Current ports open to cruise ships. Mexico and many Caribbean isle ports are in play and open.

 

http://www.caribbeanforeveryone.com/welcome/port-status/

This information appears to be from 2017. All of the information on the site is from then, and the copyright at the bottom of the page is 2018. Not sure this information is up to date, much as I wish it were.

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

My guess - Mexico will be in play. 

https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/mexico-reopening-borders-tourism/

Mexico may be asking for some travel relief.  Those tourist dollars are particularly impactful since many of their citizens work in the leisure industry

[BoozinCroozin]

Mexico never really shutdown. Almost all tourist locations are open. People wearing masks, distancing, reduced occupancy which brings some reduced amenities. Pretty much all hotels and resorts in Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres are all open and have been for some time. From a US perspective, it is time to end the nonsense and reopen. If you are in fear of Covid, get the vaccine. If you are in fear of both, lock yourself in your home and don't leave until YOU are ok. Don't make the rest of us to suffer.

[HBCcruiser]

42 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Mexico never really shutdown. Almost all tourist locations are open. People wearing masks, distancing, reduced occupancy which brings some reduced amenities. Pretty much all hotels and resorts in Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres are all open and have been for some time. From a US perspective, it is time to end the nonsense and reopen. If you are in fear of Covid, get the vaccine. If you are in fear of both, lock yourself in your home and don't leave until YOU are ok. Don't make the rest of us to suffer.

 I am with you. Life is for living. We went to Cabo in February (going again in April - sold-out flights) and they have all of the safety procedures down pat! Many people in Cabo have/are getting vaccinated as well. 

[macandlucy]

This is really encouraging news. Here's hoping all goes as planned.

 

Don't worry too much about our hipster PM -- he seems very much aligned with the current U.S. admin and will probably agree with whatever they recommend. (Maybe add a week on our side so it looks like there's some serious considering going on.) That's my feeling anyway. (It's BC that could be the sticking point, but side issue.)

[bookbabe]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

Sorry, but not our problem. If our friendly neighbors to the North want to remain closed off, that's up to them. I think their PM is nothing but a shallow, woke, virtue signaling doofus, but again, not my problem. I'm a US citizen and I want to see our country open back up to international tourism.

 

There’s many of us trapped on the Canadian side of the border who totally agree with you about the PM, and we’d kind of like it if the US could use its size and weight to help get us out of lockdown up here, pretty please...

[Trimone]

Somehow I can’t see anyone wanting to open a travel corridor with Brazil...

Thats a extra deadly strain of covid 

[Back to school]

5 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Mexico never really shutdown. Almost all tourist locations are open. People wearing masks, distancing, reduced occupancy which brings some reduced amenities. Pretty much all hotels and resorts in Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres are all open and have been for some time. From a US perspective, it is time to end the nonsense and reopen. If you are in fear of Covid, get the vaccine. If you are in fear of both, lock yourself in your home and don't leave until YOU are ok. Don't make the rest of us to suffer.

Yes!

[gmbhardy]

5 hours ago, bookbabe said:

There’s many of us trapped on the Canadian side of the border who totally agree with you about the PM, and we’d kind of like it if the US could use its size and weight to help get us out of lockdown up here, pretty please...

Trapped? There’s nothing stopping you from flying down to the US anytime you want. 

[K_e_short]

10 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

Trapped? There’s nothing stopping you from flying down to the US anytime you want. 

 

Currently we need to get a covid test, then stay in a hotel, then self isolate at home for more days. 

 

It means a 1 week vacation turns into a 3 week 'vacation'. 

 

Not sure I want to take 3 weeks off work and only get 1 week of vacation somewhere hot and sunny.

 

[milolii]

5 hours ago, Trimone said:

Somehow I can’t see anyone wanting to open a travel corridor with Brazil...

Thats a extra deadly strain of covid 

This part does seem very odd.  

Would like to see the U.K. and EU travel open  We have a trip planned involving both.  Given the U.K.’s successful vaccine rollout, I could see UK-US transatlantic travel both ways. Also it appears the U.K. has a planned opening.. with mid May and mid June as important dates.   Please Correct me if I’m wrong, Trimone.  

 

But will the other countries (EU and Canada) allow US citizens to travel in?  Some EU countries are still suffering. Ireland(our EU destination) still has a mandatory quarantine for arrivals and slow vaccine rollout.  
 

Travel with Mexico already working as some have pointed out. 
 

I started watching vaccine roll outs due to the hope of our trip, and discovered I am very thankful we are doing so well in the US.  
 

Thanks HBCcruiser  for the tip. 

 

[nimiq]

8 hours ago, Laszlo said:

But will Canada relax travel restrictions with the US? My friends in Montreal say Canada is in no hurry to left the travel restrictions. 

Nope your correct we are in no shape to relax any of the traveling as the vaccine rollout has been terrible this side of the boarder.  If you guys start opening stuff and travel again trust me our Canadian Government will be in trouble for the next elections.

 

We are very disappointed on how things got handle in Canada.

[DaCruiseBug]

9 hours ago, Laszlo said:

But will Canada relax travel restrictions with the US? My friends in Montreal say Canada is in no hurry to left the travel restrictions. 

 

The United States is administering 2.5-3 million doses per day. Canada is at around 110,000 per day. For whatever reason, their vaccine rollout has been abysmal.

[milolii]

Just saw this article  posted On the Princess Boards....Calling for Cruises for vaccinated passengers. 

 

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/FMC-commissioner-urges-cruising-restart

[bookbabe]

9 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

Trapped? There’s nothing stopping you from flying down to the US anytime you want. 

 

9 hours ago, K_e_short said:

 

Currently we need to get a covid test, then stay in a hotel, then self isolate at home for more days. 

 

It means a 1 week vacation turns into a 3 week 'vacation'. 

 

Not sure I want to take 3 weeks off work and only get 1 week of vacation somewhere hot and sunny.

 

Add to that the fact that there’s also a federally-imposed ban on non-essential travel, most international flights are cancelled, you need a covid test (at your own expense) 72 hours before travel in each direction, plus an additional covid test at the airport on return, and the three-day hotel quarantine at the start of your 2-week return quarantine costs upwards $2k per person and has some very scary reviews about conditions.

 

But sure, technically they’re not going to throw me in jail for hopping a plane to Vegas for the weekend...but the logistics and expense make that completely unfeasible.  So, yeah, some of us are feeling kind of trapped.

[gmbhardy]

1 hour ago, bookbabe said:

 

Add to that the fact that there’s also a federally-imposed ban on non-essential travel, most international flights are cancelled, you need a covid test (at your own expense) 72 hours before travel in each direction, plus an additional covid test at the airport on return, and the three-day hotel quarantine at the start of your 2-week return quarantine costs upwards $2k per person and has some very scary reviews about conditions.

 

But sure, technically they’re not going to throw me in jail for hopping a plane to Vegas for the weekend...but the logistics and expense make that completely unfeasible.  So, yeah, some of us are feeling kind of trapped.

Why return? In your mind, it’s kind of like breaking into prison, isn’t it?

[gmbhardy]

11 hours ago, K_e_short said:

 

Currently we need to get a covid test, then stay in a hotel, then self isolate at home for more days. 

 

It means a 1 week vacation turns into a 3 week 'vacation'. 

 

Not sure I want to take 3 weeks off work and only get 1 week of vacation somewhere hot and sunny.

 

It’s the cost of being Canadian. Stay home, stay safe.

[bookbabe]

23 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

It’s the cost of being Canadian. Stay home, stay safe.

 

30 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

Why return? In your mind, it’s kind of like breaking into prison, isn’t it?

I can see we’ll never agree.  It’s possible to follow all the restrictions while not liking them and believing they’re too extreme, especially when they fail to take vaccination status into account.  And especially if you are able to do math, and you (and no one you are in close contact with) has even the remotest high risk factor and/or is vaccinated.  It’s also possible to want to vacation outside of Canada while having family and work responsibilities that would force you to return.

 

But you keep on with the dramatic snide comments if it makes you feel better about how Canada’s pandemic/vaccination response stacks up against other countries.  The fact that the US has to donate vaccines to us since our own government can’t seem to acquire and distribute enough of them in anything resembling a timely fashion should be one indication that Canada isn’t as perfect as you make out.

Edited March 19, 2021 by bookbabe

[logan25]

12 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

 

The United States is administering 2.5-3 million doses per day. Canada is at around 110,000 per day. For whatever reason, their vaccine rollout has been abysmal.

While straight numbers are important, context matters also.

 

USA population:        330+ million

Canada population:  37+ million

 

 

[steveknj]

1 hour ago, logan25 said:

While straight numbers are important, context matters also.

 

USA population:        330+ million

Canada population:  37+ million

 

 

 

To be fair,  Canada is about 10% of the US population but those rates are much worse than 10%.   So I would have to agree that Canada, for some reason is lagging behind.

 

With that said, want to get things opened up?  Encourage your friends and neighbors, as soon as they are eligible and the supply is there, to get vaccinated.  I see too many people whining about these restrictions, yet have stated they will refuse to get vaccinated.  Can't have it both ways.  Not unless you want to spike Covid cases again.  Of course if you are the type that don't believe this is even happening, I can't help you.

[gmbhardy]

3 hours ago, bookbabe said:

 

I can see we’ll never agree.  It’s possible to follow all the restrictions while not liking them and believing they’re too extreme, especially when they fail to take vaccination status into account.  And especially if you are able to do math, and you (and no one you are in close contact with) has even the remotest high risk factor and/or is vaccinated.  It’s also possible to want to vacation outside of Canada while having family and work responsibilities that would force you to return.

 

But you keep on with the dramatic snide comments if it makes you feel better about how Canada’s pandemic/vaccination response stacks up against other countries.  The fact that the US has to donate vaccines to us since our own government can’t seem to acquire and distribute enough of them in anything resembling a timely fashion should be one indication that Canada isn’t as perfect as you make out.

I understand where you’re coming from and I also am frustrated with our vaccination program to date, especially when our PM kept insisting, earlier on, that Canadians would be at the front of the line. Having said that,  I believe the Canadian response to the pandemic, though far from perfect,  was just a tad more strategic than the US and frankly the casualty statistics clearly demonstrate that. We are now in a third wave in Ontario and possibly facing another lock down. Am I happy about it - no of course not and I empathize with small business owners who are bearing the brunt of an economy turned on its head. Some people seem to think that public health officials are on a vendetta to implement draconian rules.just to make everyone’s life miserable. I want to get back cruising just like everyone else but if it takes short term pain for long term gain, count me in.