The masks I made myself at the beginnings of the pandemic were made with shoelace ties which were similar to what were used by hospitals in the seventies. They could be tied to suit the size of your head, the one disadvantage was that they can mess up your hairstyle by leaving waves in your hair.( If htst bothers you) I used them for ages. I now have the Jannuu brand that supply hospital scrubs. I wear a double mask when inside with others but maybe just one mask when I’m outside and really well socially distanced outside.
For those who feel forced to wear masks, those are the people I’m nervous about having on my tour, as I’ve said before, you have to be strong to ask someone to comply with wearing a mask over nose and mouth correctly, are the tour directors up for that. While it becomes more unlikely that you can contract Covid with the vaccine, I’d hate to be in another country to find I have a positive Covid result because another member of my tour didn’t wear a mask as asked at all times. Also, buffs and gaiters are not accepted as masks at our hospitals now and neither are masks with and exhalation valves.
I haven’t seen the style you show Nancy, it looks a great idea, but I guess you have to be careful taking them off in case of contamination, you have to pull it well away from your face before taking it over your face. I guess I’m used to adhering to hospital standard.
I wore a surgical mask one day per week for 30 years and had no problem with it. For Covid, I've been wearing N95 masks (and have skied in them, too) and I would not want to wear one every day for a few weeks on a trip.
Nancy, that's the way I wear mine too. Since I sew I can make them however I want. I add an extra layer of non-woven fusible for extra filter, an opening if I want to add more or the frame I mentioned. I want to find a softer inside layer that's smoother on my skin. Still experimenting.
Cruise ship employees works hard ... no doubt. There are cruise ship employees on Windstar that we have known for years. They love their jobs. They do consider themselves lucky to be working for Windstar than the other cruise ships where they have worked. And they do have a preferred ship .... they all love the Wind Surf. They work long hours for a modest wage. But they are making a lot more money than they would be making at home.
Ah, there’s my point SeaLord, do you think they will be able to get a vaccine in their home country? That’s my concern about some cruise lines saying all their crews will be vaccinated. How will they do it? Do they deserve a vaccine more than high risk individuals. Are many st crews quite young? I’ve never been on a large cruise ship to know.
Claudia - mine was from Vera Bradley. Well made and no pressure on the ears! I can comfortably wear it for hours. At first, mask wearing was not comfortable. I would take it off as soon as i was away from others. But I’ve acclimated- like Alan, I have on occasion found myself driving alone in my car with my mask!
Basic to the subject at home: mask wearing alone is not a deal breaker for travel. If I could eat in restaurants safely — I would not be happy eating all meals in private rooms with the group. I also like having the variety and easy access to breakfast buffets. I want the ability explore markets freely and see all the sites, activities and museums. If these aspects were curtailed or restricted, it would be an issue for my traveling. Wearing a mask is the least of the inconveniences - at least for me!
Nancy, I like Vera Bradley products. Steal a lot of ideas.for bags and such from her lines.
I prefer breakfast buffets as well so I can see and pick out what I want and how much. The Savoy drove me crazy with the ala carte breakfast. Excellent food but too much. I think where there are buffets we'll see a lot of single serving, cling film covered selections.
Sealord - You have identified another reason, besides taxes, that cruise ship are registered/flagged in foreign countries. They have to obey the laws of the country they are registered/flagged. Therefore if flagged in the US they could not do the following like you point out.
They work long hours for a modest wage. But they are making a lot more money than they would be making at home.
Yes Sam. That is true. Tips are a huge part of cruise employees income. That’s why some cruise lines automatically add a tip charge to your bill. Some people will actually avoid eating in the dining room on the last night to avoid tipping their waiter. I keep track of the people who provide good service, and I hand out ‘cash’, often at the beginning of the cruise. They know our names and they watch us very carefully. If they could make more money at home, they would be there. They are often away from their families for six months at a time. There are crewmembers that we have known on Windstar for ten years. They always greet us when we return. On our last two trips we actually had the same cabin attendant. Although most come from poorer countries, it is interesting that most speak multiple languages. You must also realize that the job comes with room and board, and medical care. I expect that the cruise lines will find the shots they need and give them to the crewmembers onboard. California expects to be giving the shot to anyone who wants one by mid-April.
With our server and friend “Daddy” who we have known for many years.
We got a survey. FWIW, we've taken two Tauck tours, both river cruises. The survey didn't seem nearly detailed enough for Tauck to gain much insight into their customers' thoughts and feelings. Would gladly have answered ten more questions if it meant Tauck could better anticipate our view of any potential policies or actions.
I imagine they asked what it was they needed to know for their decision making. There is an expectation when you answer a question that your input will be considered on that item. It can set up the idea that your view on that issue will influence their decision making. Why ask questions that aren't a part of their decision making? I find it annoying to have my input requested then seemingly ignored. Better to keep it to a minimum.
I’m surprised I did not get the survey. On the other hand, I had a telephone ‘conference’ recently, so they may have thought they knew my opinions. We have done seven or eight Tauck tours, two have been canceled and rebooked, and we added another. The more I read on The Points Guy, the more I’m convinced that a vaccination will become a requirement for international and tour travel. I think the travel explosion I referred to has begun. Just for fun try to call an airline on the phone. I’ve been trying to reach Delta for four days. I select the call-back option that says they will call in three or four hours and they call back in eight or so when i’m not around. Everyone is booking travel with their travel vouchers that have various expiration dates, but there are billions of dollars worth of vouchers out there.
Sealord - What exact event started your “travel explosion”? I think everybody believes that travel will resume in force at some time. It seems like you think that if you just keep saying it has started will make it true. A lot of politicians in the last few years seem to have tried that same approach.
It certainly looks from what I saw on the News tonight that many people have started plane travel again, but I think it is domestic travel. Also, far more worrying is the increased number of Covid infections these past couple of weeks.
We booked I think what is probably the fastest done booking for us ever today...probably fifteen minutes to book a hotel and then a flight, with points, we hardly ever book flights with points....it’s only in the past couple of years we seem to have accumulated a good number of airmiles. This is in the US in November, all fully refundable at the last minute....all done on line. It’s a relief to have the power to cancel without any loss and not wait for a tour company to make the decision.....and so you know, I’m just as excited as if we were going on an exotic trip...plus, short flight, no time change. Until our next two tours are cancelled we can’t book anything else, it’s too complicated to schedule.
Hawaii provides a good/easy tropical domestic option for a trip. No non-US rules to comply with. Known quantity w/r to Covid vaccination for the local population. Low risk getting 'stuck' away from home. Etc., etc.
I’ve been to Hawaii a couple of times, it was very nice, I hated Waikiki beach but loved Kwaii. It’s just such a long way for us here on the east coast. The Caribbean and Florida can be visited and it’s quicker and cheaper to get there when it’s miserable and cold here. I’ve been to most of the popular islands in the Caribbean, not Jamaica, no interest to go there. The only one I would never go to again is St. Martin, it was too busy, too many cars on the road.
I just received adds from one of my ‘tour’ companies, an ‘interline’ agency, that started with the following:
“As expected, more re-start announcements over the past 5 days. Both Celebrity and Royal Caribbean announced plans to resume sailing from Athens, Limassol, Southampton and Bermuda. Both lines require all guests 18 and older to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to sail. We expect to see even more re-start announcements this week but none will be from US ports.”
I guess the U.S. is out of the cruising business until those forty pages of rules get revised.
We’ve booked Tauck’s Best of Hawaii tour for next February—likely the first tour we will be taking as we expect that because it’s domestic it will be more likely to go. We have a road trip from IL to Santa Fe planned later this month—we need to get away but are not yet ready for airline travel. We have been vaccinated and will be masking and taking appropriate public health precautions.
I looked at one of the Southampton cruises. There is no British only restriction, just many warnings about getting there, and getting back if there is a covid problem. I think they are assuming the ‘border’ will be open by June. I would not make any plans to go to Brazil anytime soon. They are really out of control.
Several cruise lines are marketing cruises out of US ports as soon as June. Under present CDC forty page rules that is not going to happen. Florida in particular, and the CLIA are applying as much pressure as possible to get a protocol that is doable. In the meantime the cruise lines are moving their operations offshore.’ The CDC has imposed a set of rules that are simply not workable.
I cruised on a ship in the Galapagos that never docked, but it only carried 100 passengers. Full size cruise ships require a great deal of support delivered from a pier.
Comments
The masks I made myself at the beginnings of the pandemic were made with shoelace ties which were similar to what were used by hospitals in the seventies. They could be tied to suit the size of your head, the one disadvantage was that they can mess up your hairstyle by leaving waves in your hair.( If htst bothers you) I used them for ages. I now have the Jannuu brand that supply hospital scrubs. I wear a double mask when inside with others but maybe just one mask when I’m outside and really well socially distanced outside.
For those who feel forced to wear masks, those are the people I’m nervous about having on my tour, as I’ve said before, you have to be strong to ask someone to comply with wearing a mask over nose and mouth correctly, are the tour directors up for that. While it becomes more unlikely that you can contract Covid with the vaccine, I’d hate to be in another country to find I have a positive Covid result because another member of my tour didn’t wear a mask as asked at all times. Also, buffs and gaiters are not accepted as masks at our hospitals now and neither are masks with and exhalation valves.
I haven’t seen the style you show Nancy, it looks a great idea, but I guess you have to be careful taking them off in case of contamination, you have to pull it well away from your face before taking it over your face. I guess I’m used to adhering to hospital standard.
I wore a surgical mask one day per week for 30 years and had no problem with it. For Covid, I've been wearing N95 masks (and have skied in them, too) and I would not want to wear one every day for a few weeks on a trip.
Nancy, that's the way I wear mine too. Since I sew I can make them however I want. I add an extra layer of non-woven fusible for extra filter, an opening if I want to add more or the frame I mentioned. I want to find a softer inside layer that's smoother on my skin. Still experimenting.
Cruise ship employees works hard ... no doubt. There are cruise ship employees on Windstar that we have known for years. They love their jobs. They do consider themselves lucky to be working for Windstar than the other cruise ships where they have worked. And they do have a preferred ship .... they all love the Wind Surf. They work long hours for a modest wage. But they are making a lot more money than they would be making at home.
Ah, there’s my point SeaLord, do you think they will be able to get a vaccine in their home country? That’s my concern about some cruise lines saying all their crews will be vaccinated. How will they do it? Do they deserve a vaccine more than high risk individuals. Are many st crews quite young? I’ve never been on a large cruise ship to know.
Claudia - mine was from Vera Bradley. Well made and no pressure on the ears! I can comfortably wear it for hours. At first, mask wearing was not comfortable. I would take it off as soon as i was away from others. But I’ve acclimated- like Alan, I have on occasion found myself driving alone in my car with my mask!
Basic to the subject at home: mask wearing alone is not a deal breaker for travel. If I could eat in restaurants safely — I would not be happy eating all meals in private rooms with the group. I also like having the variety and easy access to breakfast buffets. I want the ability explore markets freely and see all the sites, activities and museums. If these aspects were curtailed or restricted, it would be an issue for my traveling. Wearing a mask is the least of the inconveniences - at least for me!
Nancy, I like Vera Bradley products. Steal a lot of ideas.for bags and such from her lines.
I prefer breakfast buffets as well so I can see and pick out what I want and how much. The Savoy drove me crazy with the ala carte breakfast. Excellent food but too much. I think where there are buffets we'll see a lot of single serving, cling film covered selections.
Sealord - You have identified another reason, besides taxes, that cruise ship are registered/flagged in foreign countries. They have to obey the laws of the country they are registered/flagged. Therefore if flagged in the US they could not do the following like you point out.
Yes Sam. That is true. Tips are a huge part of cruise employees income. That’s why some cruise lines automatically add a tip charge to your bill. Some people will actually avoid eating in the dining room on the last night to avoid tipping their waiter. I keep track of the people who provide good service, and I hand out ‘cash’, often at the beginning of the cruise. They know our names and they watch us very carefully. If they could make more money at home, they would be there. They are often away from their families for six months at a time. There are crewmembers that we have known on Windstar for ten years. They always greet us when we return. On our last two trips we actually had the same cabin attendant. Although most come from poorer countries, it is interesting that most speak multiple languages. You must also realize that the job comes with room and board, and medical care. I expect that the cruise lines will find the shots they need and give them to the crewmembers onboard. California expects to be giving the shot to anyone who wants one by mid-April.
With our server and friend “Daddy” who we have known for many years.
We got a survey. FWIW, we've taken two Tauck tours, both river cruises. The survey didn't seem nearly detailed enough for Tauck to gain much insight into their customers' thoughts and feelings. Would gladly have answered ten more questions if it meant Tauck could better anticipate our view of any potential policies or actions.
Yes, a very poor survey
I imagine they asked what it was they needed to know for their decision making. There is an expectation when you answer a question that your input will be considered on that item. It can set up the idea that your view on that issue will influence their decision making. Why ask questions that aren't a part of their decision making? I find it annoying to have my input requested then seemingly ignored. Better to keep it to a minimum.
I’m surprised I did not get the survey. On the other hand, I had a telephone ‘conference’ recently, so they may have thought they knew my opinions. We have done seven or eight Tauck tours, two have been canceled and rebooked, and we added another. The more I read on The Points Guy, the more I’m convinced that a vaccination will become a requirement for international and tour travel. I think the travel explosion I referred to has begun. Just for fun try to call an airline on the phone. I’ve been trying to reach Delta for four days. I select the call-back option that says they will call in three or four hours and they call back in eight or so when i’m not around. Everyone is booking travel with their travel vouchers that have various expiration dates, but there are billions of dollars worth of vouchers out there.
Sealord - What exact event started your “travel explosion”? I think everybody believes that travel will resume in force at some time. It seems like you think that if you just keep saying it has started will make it true. A lot of politicians in the last few years seem to have tried that same approach.
It certainly looks from what I saw on the News tonight that many people have started plane travel again, but I think it is domestic travel. Also, far more worrying is the increased number of Covid infections these past couple of weeks.
We booked I think what is probably the fastest done booking for us ever today...probably fifteen minutes to book a hotel and then a flight, with points, we hardly ever book flights with points....it’s only in the past couple of years we seem to have accumulated a good number of airmiles. This is in the US in November, all fully refundable at the last minute....all done on line. It’s a relief to have the power to cancel without any loss and not wait for a tour company to make the decision.....and so you know, I’m just as excited as if we were going on an exotic trip...plus, short flight, no time change. Until our next two tours are cancelled we can’t book anything else, it’s too complicated to schedule.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/hawaii-crowded-again/
The above article describes the current travel situation in Hawaii.
Hawaii provides a good/easy tropical domestic option for a trip. No non-US rules to comply with. Known quantity w/r to Covid vaccination for the local population. Low risk getting 'stuck' away from home. Etc., etc.
I’ve been to Hawaii a couple of times, it was very nice, I hated Waikiki beach but loved Kwaii. It’s just such a long way for us here on the east coast. The Caribbean and Florida can be visited and it’s quicker and cheaper to get there when it’s miserable and cold here. I’ve been to most of the popular islands in the Caribbean, not Jamaica, no interest to go there. The only one I would never go to again is St. Martin, it was too busy, too many cars on the road.
I just received adds from one of my ‘tour’ companies, an ‘interline’ agency, that started with the following:
“As expected, more re-start announcements over the past 5 days. Both Celebrity and Royal Caribbean announced plans to resume sailing from Athens, Limassol, Southampton and Bermuda. Both lines require all guests 18 and older to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to sail. We expect to see even more re-start announcements this week but none will be from US ports.”
I guess the U.S. is out of the cruising business until those forty pages of rules get revised.
I’m pretty sure the Southampton start is for British citizens only, I have dual citizenship, shame I’m not into cruising!
We’ve booked Tauck’s Best of Hawaii tour for next February—likely the first tour we will be taking as we expect that because it’s domestic it will be more likely to go. We have a road trip from IL to Santa Fe planned later this month—we need to get away but are not yet ready for airline travel. We have been vaccinated and will be masking and taking appropriate public health precautions.
I looked at one of the Southampton cruises. There is no British only restriction, just many warnings about getting there, and getting back if there is a covid problem. I think they are assuming the ‘border’ will be open by June. I would not make any plans to go to Brazil anytime soon. They are really out of control.
Several cruise lines are marketing cruises out of US ports as soon as June. Under present CDC forty page rules that is not going to happen. Florida in particular, and the CLIA are applying as much pressure as possible to get a protocol that is doable. In the meantime the cruise lines are moving their operations offshore.’ The CDC has imposed a set of rules that are simply not workable.
I wonder if they can skirt the regs by taking people to an anchored cruise ship on a smaller boat (liberty launch)?
Or send them via specially equipped CIA torpedos.
I cruised on a ship in the Galapagos that never docked, but it only carried 100 passengers. Full size cruise ships require a great deal of support delivered from a pier.