Booster requirement
We just learned that a booster is required for all Tauck travel beginning April 15, 2022. We are 63 days from our river cruise and can't go now because of this new requirement. We had Covid in January and do not need or want additional treatment. Anyone else in the same situation? If we had known about this sooner, we would have cancelled.
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Have Drs told you that you that you can’t have a booster? Surely if you have one right now, almost three months later, it should be Ok. If not, then you can cancel and your insurance will cover a full refund with a doctor’s
letter.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has already dealt with this with Tauck. We will discuss our options on Monday. Getting a booster is not an option.
Some countries allow proof of recovery to get in. I believe Tauck has indicated the requirement to be fully vaccinated (which includes booster) for some time now and many countries require the same. I’m in France now for a Tauck cruise and have been aware of this for some time.
Sadly a part of going on a tour has become keeping track of the various requirements - which are subject to change. In particular Tauck and we have to react to the requirements from the countries we're traveling to and through.
JMHW you don't mention which cruise you hoped to go on but if you check the full requirements for your tour you may likely find country requirements for boosters if your vaccine was more than 270 days/9 months ago. That is what's required for the Netherlands, Austria, France and Spain. We had our boosters last Oct and don't travel internationally til this Oct so I fully expect to be required to have another booster between now and then. Just not sure of the timing. Being required to have one won't stop us from traveling.
Tauck says clearly that there are no exceptions. To allow one person to go on a tour would become a president and open the floodgates for others to do the same. Tauck is already having to deal with people who test positive on tours. They were late in the game requiring testing. When I called them recently about a tour, I asked about whether they would require children over the age of 5 to have been vaccinated to go on the Bridges tours and they said no, which I wasn’t happy about as we have a Bridges tour booked next year. Fortunately, by then our youngest grandchild will be fully vaccinated.I’d prefer to be on a tour where everyone was vaccinated whatever their age. I’m not sure why Tauck remains less proactive than other tour companies we have experienced when it comes to requiring vaccinations.
Really? That's is truly disappointing. Given the numbers of grandparents going on these trips one would expect Tauck to be may more proactive and protective of their prime customers. Why would you not try to mitigate any risk of dealing with COVID positive travelers. I see now they are only requiring a negative PCR test 3 days before travel for those under 12. That's cool, but it doesn't change the fact that you can still acquire it while traveling to your tour and I would hope some form of antigen testing for the non-vaccinated during the trip is part of Tauck's internal requirements.
We scrambled to get our kids vaccinated as soon as we could. Those of us of age are boostered as well and we are waiting to see if/when CDC will permit the second booster. My son will only be eligible for his first booster as soon as he turns 12 (not even 3 weeks before we depart) and you can be damn sure he'll get one for his Birthday. LOL. All that said, it still didn't stop me from bringing home Omicron back in January (shocking I know). We all got it, with me the worst, which was only a 4 days of mild cough, light sniffle and loss of taste for 36 hours. Good news is that we are markedly lower risk for a second infection through the end of July (after we return from our trip).
A negative test is not required AFAIK for my cruise commencing later this week in France. Being “fully” vaccinated includes a booster if one is due for one.
Is it different for river cruises? I have read for our Tauck ship in July that we require testing. ….Tauck actually describe it as a river cruise in the info on the requirements page, but it’s a Princess ship!
Got my 2nd booster yesterday ready to go to France on April 11th. I don't believe Air France is requiring a Covid Test but will be doing one anyway.
I just got mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me, too!
Getting mine tomorrow! Soup is almost done in case I don't feel like cooking tomorrow.
We both got our second booster the the day after it was available for 50 and over.
So we have ours and want to travel the world again!
Got our second booster today and we’re ready for our Israel/Jordan tour later this month.
We got our second boosters on Friday. Our next trip is Oberammergau/Danube in May/June.
Jan_page - please keep us posted on your trip. We will be following in your footsteps in early May.
I had a little more reaction to the 2nd booster this week than to previous shots, but still not bad. Leaving Wednesday for Holland Belgium in Spring. Woohoo.
I had no reaction at all to my second booster (except a black and blue mark at the injection site). I was really exhausted the day after my first booster, but I had that the day after I returned from "Adriatic Treasures," so didn't know whether to blame it on the trip or the shot. In any event, both were totally worth it.
We got our second booster and i was a little tired with a bit of a headache and my husband had more of a reaction, but it all is well the following day. We leave for Portugal on the 27th!
Hi Lotusgirl anYou will LOVE The Israel/ Jordan trip. I went in the fall of 2018 and it was fabulous. We were not able to go to Masada as there was a terrible rain storm that blew thru Jerusalem and washed out the road going up to the entrance of the park. I’d make the trip again just so I could see Masada. Perhaps one day I’ll get back to Israel🤞🏻🙏.
Thank you, franlovestravel.
I’m hoping to get my 4 th shot in early May for my Eastern Europe cruise beginning in Bucharest. I’ll be traveling to Europe two more times through September. I understand the protection wanes for infection after 4 months but, certainly not for serious illness, hospitalization etc. Anyone in similar situation, and what are your plans. I listen to Dr. Osterholms podcast, but he always says that sometimes the science just can’t explain deviations from whatever norms have thus far been discovered. So Of course who knows what’s best and it’s probably individual according to health, destinations and so on. Still, I’d be interested in what anyone with multiple trips over the next six months will be doing. Thanks in advance for any input.
We had our fourth vaccine last week. We are older, 78 and 97, and continue to travel internationally. We believe the fourth shot gives us an added layer of protection. We also are vigilant about safety protocols, including mask wearing. However, you have to do what is right for you. Enjoy your upcoming trip and please post a review afterwards.
Yes I’ll review, and I wear masks always. But I’ll travel in mid May through late September. I’m pretty sure I’ll be protected at first. Just hoping I don’t get caught out in September 😉. And yes, kudos to y’all for traveling! The world seems to change daily so we might as well get our travel on,😊🎉while we are able.
Thomas, we had our 2nd booster yesterday and will be traveling to Israel/Jordan in about 2 weeks, and then to Kenya/Tanzania in mid-August. Although we hope the boosters and N95 masks will afford us ample protection, you never know. We were supposed to go on Best of Hawaii in early February this year, but my husband tested positive a couple of days prior (only 3 months after 1st booster) and we had to cancel. All we can do is take all necessary precautions, plan for the best, but be prepared if things don’t proceed as planned.
Both the Mrs. and I got the second booster shot a couple of days after them being authorized. We are now both quadruple vaccinated. I do not have any Hodophobia about traveling but maybe a mild concern about testing positive on day 14 of our trip and not being able to travel home. I see all kinds of news reports about vaccinated people testing positive with the new Covid variant.
We are now on our third attempt to do the Tauck Classic Italy Small Groups tour. The first try was cancelled due to a last minute medical issue and the second try due to Covid cancellation. We leave at the end of this month for the May 1 tour. The tour ends in Venice so that’s probably not the worst place on earth to be stranded but I would rather be headed home when scheduled.
One thing I am noticing is that the Tauck Website is showing almost all the tours through the end part of May as being available. To my understanding there has to be at least 4 spots remaining on the tour. If limited is listed, there are only 2 spots left (someone please correct me if I am wrong) This being one of Taucks most popular tours I remember it being sold out way in advance. I am thinking people may be reluctant to book due to the Covid situation and possibility the Ukraine situation.
There are two parts to the issue of COVID shots and boosters.
Shots and boosters will protect you from getting seriously ill, as many of us can already attest, but they will NOT prevent you from being infected by the virus. For travelers, the second part may be the most important, especially as mask mandates continue to go away. Whether we have all our shots and boosters will not make any difference if we become infected just prior to travel if the destination, boat, etc. require you take and report negative results from a test prior to departure from the US or upon arrival.
Short of self-quarantine, you need to be extra careful in the weeks before you travel, if a test is required, and many still are!
For our upcoming trip, neither Tauck, Delta, Greece, nor Turkey require a COVID test for entry for those who are vaccinated and boosted, however, "Windstar will administer a COVID-19 PCR or antigen test to all guests at the pier prior to embarkation."
Thanks! Yes that’s primarily my concern: that I’ll test positive before my shot (because I have to go to California for four days at end of April), or that I’ll test positive at some other inconvenient time while traveling. I guess there’s nothing that can be done, short of staying home. So I’ll go and report on my travels as I go.
Btw, is Tauck doing daily testing on river cruises. I think someone said but I can’t recall at the moment.
My husband is eligible for the second booster but I am not yet. We travel in July on a bridges tour with our 17 year old son. I’m giving it a little more time to see if the guidelines will be expanded to folks under 50 so we can go get ours together before the trip.