Last min prep for travel during COVID

 I am travelling in 4 days and doing last minute prep for the trip.  Heres what I and likely you will have to do:

1 Check goverment and Airline sites for any changes to the neccessary documents for travel. Airlines such as KLM let you upload your vaccine certificate and or covid tests and they will check them for you

2 Bring lots of approved K95 masks for the flight - they require you change your mask every 3 hours along with hand wipes and sanitizer

3. Bring both pdf versions on your phone/tablet and paper copies of everything - vaccine proof, airline./ hotel reservations, pcr tests etc

4. Contact hotel prior to arrival and tell them when you will arrive - you may get early check in or at least be able to store your luggage

5. Make checklists of everything you will need and check it off

Hope this helps 

marcia

Advice for travelling during these covid times

 I am travelling in October and November using up credits because of COVID cancellations.  Below is some of the good advice I have been given

1. Check with the Airline you are flying as they have good info on the COVID rules for where your travelling to , and links to the Countties' entry/exit requirements.  I found the KLM.ca site especially helpful.

2. Check to see if your country is on the country you are visiting safe list - it means going to the countries government or embassy website.

3. If going to the US... (its closed to Canadians right now ) but see if you can still visit by plane and the requirements

4.  If going on a cruise - most are requiring PCR tests even if your fully vaccinated (which I am), and where to get the rapid tests in your area (at reasonable prices).  These are about $200 CDN for the 3 day rapid turnaround.  So shop around.  I noticed that Shoppers Drug Mart in my area is providing them - so check your local pharmacy.

5. Make sure your vaccine is on the acceptable list for the country your visiting .. luckily I had 2 doses of Moderna which seems to be approved in the US and European Union

6. Re-check regularly to make sure your airline hasn't changed your flight time/date... I noticed my KLM flight time has changed a few times (minutes/ hours) so no big deal

7. Try to get all flight direct .. avoid in-transit as there are special - extra rules in each transit country

8.  Check your cruise line requirements - on board, masking, testing etc.  Its constantly changing - as most rules are now in place only until October 31st.

9. Re-check that your hotel is still open - and contact them a few days ahead to make sure they know what time your arriving and if they have any special requirements . Note book with a travel agency - ie. Expedia is my go to site for hotels as they will contact you if there are issues

Hope this helps

Marcia

Canada making it a little easier for fully vaccinated travelers to get back into the country

 Today - July 5, 2021, fully vaccinated travelers (which I have been for a month) can come back into Canada without the hotel quarantine but beware

1. you had to have had the full vaccine (two doses at least 14 days before travelling/coming home)

2. the international borders are still closed to "non-essential travel".  That means no vacation travel .abroad

3 You still need the dreaded PCR test before coming in and then once you come in - lots of extra effort and costs 

4. You have to sign up for ArriveCan app to provide all of you vaccine and travel info

Use ArriveCAN: Submit travel information to enter Canada - Canada.ca

4. I still figuring out the best ways to get the PCR tests both here and abroad for my travels. I will share when I know more

Hope this helps 

Marcia

A good solo traveler site for finding tips and booking solo trips

 I found another good solo traveler site for use. It is 

solotravelerworld.com

I signed up for the monthly newsletter and found the great deals section very helpful.  A couple of tips

1. watch for the currency that the solo trip is offered in .. many are in US Dollars 

2. Many of the trips - especially the group organized tours only have a few solo spots so you would have to book very early to get one without paying a single supplement

hope this helps

Marcia

Using up all of those coronavirus credits- good and bad experiences

 I am now using all of the credits I can for travel late in 2021.  Heres the good/so so, or bad experiences I have had with 

Travel agencies 

Expedia.com   GOOD

While I had to wait about 45 minutes each time I called to re-book, they were effecient, and re-booked me on the phone and I got the confirmations on my rebooking while on the phone

Crucon.com   GOOD

Mark at crucon helped me  rebook my RCCL cruise 3x  with a cruise credit due to the cruiseline cancelling the Oasis of the Seas (April 2019), Brilliance of the Seas (June 2020) and Jewel of the Seas (June 2021).. While RCCL was a pain to deal with - long delays for my credits for shore excursions, issues with re-issuing the cruise credits.  Mark finally got me my credits and rebooked me on the Allure of the Seas for end of Nov. 2021.  He even gave me a $100 US on board credit.  Note this is a US travel agency, but even with the exchange rate they are often cheaper for cruises.

Cruise Lines:  

RoyalCaribbean.com

Royal Caribbean finally came thru with my cruise credit to be used for Allure of the Seas, but it was time consuming with so many delays in getting my money or FCC (future cruise credit).  Note I had to use it by end of 2021

MSC   SO SO

They offered a 25% extra on the base price of cruise (minus taxes) but no wiggle room in that it has to be used by December 2021 sailing which is really limiting. So I  will have had to wait a year and half til the end of this year for the auto refund.  I got the taxes back at end of December 2020.

Hotels:

Manor Amsterdam hotel  GOOD

They have been great with the re-booking, letting me use my credit for a trip in October 2021.

Hope this helps

Marcia

A site for solo travellers

 I found a new site for solo travellers that has a newsletter you can sign up for.  Its

solotravelerblog.com

I also found a few new solocruise videos that you can get on 

cruisecriitc.com

I recommend the one with 8 tips for solo cruisers as I pretty much do everything he has recommended

Hope this helps

Marcia

its been a long time without travel and annoying too

 Like most people I haven't travelled during the pandemic.  I have basically been dealing with airlines, travel agents, hotels, hotel booking sites and cruise lines trying to get credits and or refunds.  With the airlines Air Canada and KLM I got credits for a re-book at a future date. The process took a long time for both airlines but they did issue the credits and I have rebooked KLM for next June. 

The travel agent Crucon.com was good about getting me a re-booking - lift and shift with RCCL but then RCCL cancelled again and left me in the lurch one more time.  I am waiting for the FCC.  I won't book another cruise with them with the credit until I am sure they are back sailing.

The booking sites - Booking.com was a disappointment, not helping at all with the cancellations of hotels. I lost about $300 on a hotel in Amsterdam and one in New York.  Yes I had booked a non-cancellable but way before the pandemic and I think given the closures they should have offered a refund. 

Expedia.ca on the other hand was great - I got a credit for a non-refundable hotel (The Manor Amsterdam) and am using it in June.  I have booked all my hotels with them for June (all refundable just a few days before I leave).

MSC was quick to give a 25% more credit on the FCC and I will use it for a future cruise once they are saling again.

Hotels ... The Manor Amsterdam gave me a credit to use for up to a year, and so did the Leo Hotel in NYC, but Hotel Fine Seasons in Amsterdam didn't even give me a credit for the taxes that they promised to do .. so I will not use Booking.com or Hotel Fine Seasons again.

I hope you all have had good experiences with getting credits and refunds... 

Stay Safe

Marcia