Canadians - What to do - Cruise from US or All Inclusive?

[LuCruise]

16 minutes ago, jojal said:

I'm amazed that so many people feel comfortable on planes right now.  Last year, I made the mistake of checking the Canadian government site listing all flights with Covid cases, so possible exposures to other passengers.  It is scary.  Right now, there are 253 domestic flights listed with exposures for August 11 - 22.  International flights - 266 (August 11 - 23).  Wow!!! 

That was one of our reasons for leaning towards cruise out of NJ as we have the option to drive...but of course, only if land borders open.

[LuCruise]

2 hours ago, mabt said:

The risks around cruising right now are less about catching COVID itself, and more about your travel plans being disrupted because of shifting COVID protocols.

 

If you are uncomfortable with the idea that almost anything could change, without warning, possibly forcing you to cancel your cruise, then a land vacation might be a better bet for you.  Although it's worth pointing out that even with land vacations, nothing is certain.

 

We are leaving for our cruise tomorrow.  In the six weeks since I booked it, we have had to deal with one of us magically becoming "unvaccinated" (that is, I was vaccinated according to their policy at the time I booked, and then suddenly I wasn't), uncertainty around the border reopening (we also planned to drive to New Jersey "if the border reopened" - it didn't), and a significant change in on-board protocols (we booked with the understanding that the cruise would be mask-free; there is now an indoor mask mandate).

 

And then there's the paperwork.  I have an entire duotang filled with printed travel documents for my family: travel attestation forms for our flight to New York, vaccination records, negative test results, Bahamian Health Visas.  Not to mention the mild anxiety over test results; I was fully confident that none of us actually have COVID, but false positives on antigen tests have been known to happen, and the consequences for our cruise if it did were not good.  (Luckily, all negative.)

 

Point is, I am stubborn and determined enough to roll with the changes and find a way to make it work - although I'm not sure I'll really believe we're going until we're actually on the ship!  But for most people, the stress is probably not worth it.

 

Have a great cruise!  I hear you...you can plan and be excited and then it doesn't work out or things change. Or our fear is having issues returning. What if Royal stops giving PCR test on board.  Then we would need to figure out where to get one, etc  What our world has become..it's such a mess.

Anyways...glad you are al negative and on your way tomorrow.  Have a great time.

[loupana]

20 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

I'm vacationing within Canada.  The Canadian tourist companies need our help right now and I'm happy to support them.  With the Level 4 advisory against cruising, and the difficulty in getting insurance coverage, there is no way I would consider cruising until that is resolved.  Our next potential cruise is in one year and, as always, we'll evaluate whether we go as we approach final payment.

 

I'm going on the Rocky Mountaineer next week and, in early October, going to a place we've never been in Alberta but have always wanted to go.  Now is the time to do those types of things.  And we're supporting local (Canadian) businesses.

 

 

 

Us too, we canceled our Cruises and are going on Rocky Mountaineer on Sept 5 to Sept 17th. Grand Rail Circle (Vancouver > Kamloops > Banff > Lake Louise > Jasper > Quesnel > Whistler > Vancouver). So looking forward to it.

 

[jojal]

I was excited to do a road trip to Calgary to see family!  Just got back yesterday.  Not the same as a cruise, AI, or international land trip, but I'm so travel starved, any change of scene is great.

[Alberta Quilter]

1 hour ago, LouTheGlue said:

 

Us too, we canceled our Cruises and are going on Rocky Mountaineer on Sept 5 to Sept 17th. Grand Rail Circle (Vancouver > Kamloops > Banff > Lake Louise > Jasper > Quesnel > Whistler > Vancouver). So looking forward to it.

 

Well it would have been fun to meet you but our tour starts on the 31st in Jasper.  We're doing the latter half of your tour.  I would have liked to do the Grand Circle tour but, sadly, it was out of the budget.  Plus, we have had the good fortune to be able to go to Banff/Lake Louise many times so don't really need to go again.  I hope you have a wonderful time!  (And that it's not too smokey!)

[LouCoop]

We also had to cancel all of our 2021 cruises. 

We do need to get out and get some travelling done so we decided on a road trip to Niagara on the Lake. A few wine tastings will probably make us forget about all this covid mess.🍷🤩

[jean163]

21 hours ago, Evilmuffin said:

I have trips planned about every six months until 2023:

5 - 15 Dec 2021 - 10 day Panama Canal on Eurodam (originally Dec 2020 but cancelled)

15 - 22 Dec 2021 - 7 Day Tropical Caribbean on Eurodam (booked last week)

21 Jun - 17 Jul 2022 - 14 days to Kenya (Giraffe Hotel) and then two weeks in Germany

20 Jan - 9 Feb 2023 - Ocean Endeavour - Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia

13 - 25 Jul 203 - Ocean Endeavour - Iceland to Greenland (originally Jul 2020 but rescheduled)

 

It will be interesting to see which trips I will actually get to go on.   The first two trips on the Eurodam, HAL has a great program for cruises before 31 December.   If not, I don’t think I would go.   I hope by the time June comes around, things are more settled.    What I like about having the trips booked so far ahead, I figure once things get back to kinda normal (if ever), there will be a high demand for them and prices will be jacked up.   Plus now if a trip gets cancelled, I only have to wait around 6 months for the next one.

Have you been able to find cancellation and interruption insurance for your December cruises?  We are booked for one on the 21st and keep hitting brick walls as to cancellation insurance though medical seems to be slowly being offered again.  This will probably decide whether we go or not...

 

[MrsTravelBug]

I heard that Canadian travel insurance companies no longer will cover you if you get covid on a ship.  Yesterday, to find out if it was true, I phoned Manulife.  They said as long as the Canadian government has a warning about cruise travel, they won't cover any covid related expenses contracted on a ship. Of course, they will sell me out of country travel insurance and even covid insurance but it excludes cruise ships.

 

If anyone knows of a company that will cover covid on a cruise ship, I would love to know.

[Liverpoolfan181]

We are scheduled to spend a week in Orlando followed by cruise this January. All of us are either fully Pfizer or Moderna vaccinated. Final Payment comes due in October and for now I think we will take the risk and make payment and worst off take the FCC's as we don't have any at the moment (we fully cancelled our earlier cruises in 2021)

 

With just over 4 months to go, there is so much (cautious) hope and will have fingers, eyes and toes crossed. While the cruise itself is not the main source of our anxiety, it's the travel to the U.S and then being in the U.S prior to embarkation. Who know what will come by then (higher vaccination rates, vaccine mandates, booster shots, etc), but I think we will make the call in November, when we have more of an idea as to what the CDC guidelines are, Canadian travel advisory, etc. 

 

In the interim, it's off to the Canadian Westcoast for now! 🙂

 

[lots-of-km2]

On 8/25/2021 at 9:10 AM, LuCruise said:

We have a Royal cruise out of NJ in December and torn of what to do. Our final payment is coming up in September so need to make a decision soon.

 

The point of vacations for (most) people is to relax and enjoy themselves.

 

These days, it's all gotten so complicated, fluid and uncertain.   

 

Which of the three options gives you the least stress and the most confidence when you think about it? 

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, Liverpoolfan181 said:

We are scheduled to spend a week in Orlando followed by cruise this January. All of us are either fully Pfizer or Moderna vaccinated. Final Payment comes due in October and for now I think we will take the risk and make payment and worst off take the FCC's as we don't have any at the moment (we fully cancelled our earlier cruises in 2021)

 

With just over 4 months to go, there is so much (cautious) hope and will have fingers, eyes and toes crossed. While the cruise itself is not the main source of our anxiety, it's the travel to the U.S and then being in the U.S prior to embarkation. Who know what will come by then (higher vaccination rates, vaccine mandates, booster shots, etc), but I think we will make the call in November, when we have more of an idea as to what the CDC guidelines are, Canadian travel advisory, etc. 

 

In the interim, it's off to the Canadian Westcoast for now! 🙂

 

That's why we're also contemplating of just paying off our Dec cruise and then seeing closer to the date.  Most of it can be paid by FCC anyways.  But then if we cancel Dec, our FCC will be more then our March cost...so we would lose about $500.

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, lots-of-km2 said:

 

The point of vacations for (most) people is to relax and enjoy themselves.

 

These days, it's all gotten so complicated, fluid and uncertain.   

 

Which of the three options gives you the least stress and the most confidence when you think about it? 

I thought once our family of four was fully vaccinated that I would relax.  But honestly, I'm also just as nervous mostly because of this Delta variant and still hearing of fully vaccinated testing positive (about 20% each day here where I live)

[lots-of-km2]

10 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

I thought once our family of four was fully vaccinated that I would relax.  But honestly, I'm also just as nervous mostly because of this Delta variant and still hearing of fully vaccinated testing positive (about 20% each day here where I live)

 

I appreciate what you're saying and feeling.  After I got fully vaxxed, I booked a Caribbean AI for this fall, just to test the waters. I think that the next couple of years are going to be like a roller-coaster in terms of public health concerns, and I want to see if I can find a way to try to have a little fun safely.  I'm a bit nervous given the current Covid stats, but will pack anyway with the hope that my N95 mask and cautious nature prevails over my jitters. 

[Fouremco]

5 hours ago, MrsTravelBug said:

I heard that Canadian travel insurance companies no longer will cover you if you get covid on a ship.  Yesterday, to find out if it was true, I phoned Manulife.  They said as long as the Canadian government has a warning about cruise travel, they won't cover any covid related expenses contracted on a ship. Of course, they will sell me out of country travel insurance and even covid insurance but it excludes cruise ships.

 

If anyone knows of a company that will cover covid on a cruise ship, I would love to know.

There are several that will provide coverage for COVID-related medical expenses. They will not cover trip cancellation or trip interruption due to COVID, however. Look through some of the more recent threads for names.

[john2003]

We are also doing the Rocky Mountaineer next month. Very happy it will now require vaccinations due to new BC requirements.

[Robjame]

Not sure what I’m missing but how is sitting on a train where people get on and off regularly, take excursions and sit closer than 2 metres,  COVID-safer than a cruise ship? Are masks required for the dome car? Or do you sit and take your meals in your compartment?

[xcell]

1 hour ago, Robjame said:

Not sure what I’m missing but how is sitting on a train where people get on and off regularly, take excursions and sit closer than 2 metres,  COVID-safer than a cruise ship? Are masks required for the dome car? Or do you sit and take your meals in your compartment?

I think it is not to have to deal with the USA/Canada border Covid protocols...

[LuCruise]

11 hours ago, lots-of-km2 said:

 

I appreciate what you're saying and feeling.  After I got fully vaxxed, I booked a Caribbean AI for this fall, just to test the waters. I think that the next couple of years are going to be like a roller-coaster in terms of public health concerns, and I want to see if I can find a way to try to have a little fun safely.  I'm a bit nervous given the current Covid stats, but will pack anyway with the hope that my N95 mask and cautious nature prevails over my jitters. 

Agree.  This will most likely go on for a few years,  You said it very well.  Aside from one trip an hour up north for two days last summer, we've pretty much stayed in our house since March 2020. We're very cautious...no get togethers, restaurants, or really going anywhere. We're getting to a point where we just want to live our lives (but still stay safe).  Also, my older one is in second last year of high school and then these family trips may end ...so hate losing these years and family opportunities together.  So really trying to figure out a vacation away that can be done safely.  I'm still not even sure if the cruise is safer (as they have such strict protocols to get on) or an AI where it is outside and easier to get to.

[Robjame]

2 hours ago, xcell said:

I think it is not to have to deal with the USA/Canada border Covid protocols...

Ahhh. Thanks. That part makes sense if you are not fully vaccinated or mixed vax.

[Evilmuffin]

@jean163   I have not found one with trip cancellation/interruption.   At least not for this trip.   Manulife apparently does sell it, but the trip has to be longer than 31 days and even then I am not sure if it covers a cancellation due to COVID.   However, given the coverage HAL is providing for cruises that sail before 31 Dec, I am not concerned.   At least I know that if I test positive at the last minute, I will still get 100% FCC.   I don’t really care that it’s FCC.   If I get the $ back, I’ll spend it on something else and then in three months decide to book a cruise and have to come up with the $ again.   With regards to having to quarantine prior to returning to Canada, since HAL will pick up the tab and I’m retired, not really a concern.   It will suck to spend time in a room in a hotel for two weeks, but I’ve had to do worse things in my life.    As for having to quarantine on the ship, I’m in the Pinnacle Suite on the Eurodam,  it won’t be a big deal either.  They have not released details for any cruises in 2022 so I cannot say I would not be hesitant to make the final payments on for them.     I’m not one for AI either so it’s either this or nothing.   

 

With regards to all the changes in protocols, not knowing what’s gonna change, I was in the military for 30 years so I have a lot of experience with unexpected changes and rules that don’t make any sense.  

 

 

[Alberta Quilter]

5 hours ago, Robjame said:

Not sure what I’m missing but how is sitting on a train where people get on and off regularly, take excursions and sit closer than 2 metres,  COVID-safer than a cruise ship? Are masks required for the dome car? Or do you sit and take your meals in your compartment?

 

The Rocky Mountaineer is not a train with compartments and it only travels during the day so that people can see the scenery.  You're quite correct that it is not any safer than a cruise ship.  Like cruise ships, the train is currently running at reduced capacity.

 

The reason we're taking the train right now is because we do not have to cross an international border to do it.  We are abiding by the request to avoid non essential international travel.  We're avoiding the stress of finding places to do the Covid tests.  We're keeping our vacation dollars in Canada, supporting Canadian businesses.   And we can get insurance!  But there is absolutely a risk, as there is with going to the grocery store or to the office here at home. 

 

As for Covid safety, well, I'll know more after next week, but we're told that the train cars are sanitized every night.  We get on the train early in the morning and get off late in evening - the schedule fluctuates due to other trains having priority.  I get the impression that once we get to our hotel, we will fall into bed, skipping dinner, to get rested for the next day.  There is limited time for excursions, depending on the itinerary (we will have a free morning in Whistler).  Currently, there is no provision for vaccinations (we are vaccinated) and everyone will be Covid tested the evening prior to boarding; the tests are provided by RM.  BC has just announced rules that will change that in mid September and everyone boarding will have to be vaccinated.  I wish that was happening now but it's not.

 

Based on the information that I've seen change over the past several weeks, on the RM's website, they appear to adjust rapidly to the ever changing Covid conditions/restrictions.  We had hoped that masking would not be required for our trip but due to the increase in cases, they have been implemented again, at least when one is on motorcoaches or moving about the train cars.  We will roll with the flow, will still enjoy our journey and continue to take our own precautions when we feel it necessary.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Alberta Quilter

[john2003]

I agree there is some risk although we believe low. Key for us is no risk of things going sideways on the other side of the globe in a foreign country or on the ship. So very different at this point to a cruise.  

We will eat at our seats so no table sharing. 

[Alberta Quilter]

2 hours ago, john2003 said:

I agree there is some risk although we believe low. Key for us is no risk of things going sideways on the other side of the globe in a foreign country or on the ship. So very different at this point to a cruise.  

We will eat at our seats so no table sharing. 

Did you also take advantage of the promo for BC/AB residents?  We did!  We hope to do the second trip next spring.

[lots-of-km2]

11 hours ago, LuCruise said:

I'm still not even sure if the cruise is safer (as they have such strict protocols to get on) or an AI where it is outside and easier to get to.

 

Travel insurance companies excel at assessing risks. The fact that they'll insure AI vacations (so far) but not cruise vacations is very telling. 

[Fouremco]

10 minutes ago, lots-of-km2 said:

 

Travel insurance companies excel at assessing risks. The fact that they'll insure AI vacations (so far) but not cruise vacations is very telling. 

Their coverage is the same for AI's outside Canada as it is for cruises outside Canada. They don't differentiate between the two travel advisories currently in place.