Recent travelers...what are some helpful tips to avoid getting Covid?
Our trip is approaching and we were hoping to hear from recent travelers about how they avoided getting Covid when traveling. We will be wearing our masks, but it sounds like we may be in the minority. How did you handle shared meals? Did everyone sit together or did some sit at their own table? Any tips you can share will be appreciated!
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I think we will be asking for separate tables, but to do that at the Welcome dinner will certainly alienate us, but we don’t want our trip cut short when we get tested before going on the boat part of our Alaska cruise. That along with masks should help us keep safe from catching it from other tour members and we intend to be extra careful a good few days before our tour begins. No one seemed concerned about meeting strangers on our last tour cramped together at two big tables in a huge room that was otherwise empty. Tauck could have easily arranged for separate tables for those who wanted it.
We just returned from a riverboat cruse about two weeks ago. We wore our masks except when in our cabin or eating/drinking. We limited the number of people we ate with and those we did eat with were also careful about wearing masks - we were very deliberate about that. We still got Covid. We are pretty sure it was when eating, Any time you can socially distance during meals would be helpful. But it's not always easy. I wrote Tauck encouraging them to offer social distancing options during meals for those who wanted it. Not sure it will help but felt I needed to try.
Wear true N95 masks in buiuldings and on buses (straps over you head, not ear loops) and not the Chinese made knock-offs, of untested quality, known as KN95.
If possible, eat outdoors. Keep your mask on until your food arrives to the table.
Thanks for the suggestions!
British: Good luck on your upcoming trip. We are going to ask Tauck for some tables for 2 to be set up for those who want to social distance at meals. We agree, this shouldn't be to hard to do.
cvc: Hope you are feeling better and we appreciate your suggestion of tables for 2. We will also contact Tauck about this issue.
BKMD: Thanks for your mask suggestions and we will keep them on until our food arrives.
Funny story, a guy in our singing group wore an N 95 but sideways, using the straps round his ears. He is a bit odd, like many of us are 😂 I told him he was wearing it wrong, yes, he put it upside down….I gave up!
Just last week I saw a couple, both with masks on upside down with the metal nose piece under their chins. It’s not the mask that is important, it’s how you wear them and if they are a tight fit or not unless you have a flimsy almost see through one which is clearly not enough
I just returned from a riverboat cruse on Saturday June 25th 2022. I wore my mask on buses and in crowded places except when in my cabin or eating/drinking. Not many others did the same. I tested day before leaving ship on Friday evening and was negative. Arrived home on Saturday. I felt symptoms on Sunday and tested again but still negative. Thought it must be jet lag. Felt better Monday but heard from other passengers they were positive. I did test positive on Monday evening. Knew the risks going into this trip but felt confident due to fully vaccinated and two boosters. Best case scenario occurred - Enjoyed entire trip then made it home before feeling ill! No Regrets! would do it all again. Stay safe and wear your mask when you can. Thanks Tauck for another great trip.
Since Omicron is the primary variant out there now, I suspect the best protected travelers are those who had a case of it before departure. For those people who have been fully vaccinated and boosted, I understand that an Omicron illness is not too serious (but there's always the exception).
I wouldn't recommend that you try to be infected by Omicron before departure, but those who have been infected probably are at less risk of contracting it on a tour.
I know one person who has had Covid three times. Every day, I hear of more friends getting Covid. Even a routine Dr visit this morning, she and her husband were recently recovered. My cousin who lives here, he was singing in our show with us, he tested positive for after the last show when we had been near him for hours unmasked. He has been so bad, the Drs thought he had pneumonia and a Pulmonary embolism, he is younger than us. Our son recently had a bad dose. I’m convinced it will be Murphy’s law and we will get it next week just before our trip.
My husband and I returned from a river cruise at the end of April/beginning of May. It was the first cruise for our ship and our first river cruise. We traveled from Brussels to Amsterdam. We had not eaten in a restaurant inside in more than 2 years and thought that there would be more precautions for COVID-19 than there were. The only reason we chose to travel was that we had several Tauck offers that had to be used before the end of this year and thought that if we got sick, Europe wouldn't be such a bad place, as far as health care. We are both double vaccinated and double boosted. My husband is an MD and I have a PhD in virology. So, we are pretty Covid smart and careful.
There was no Covid testing on board, until the last day (COVID testing was still required the, tn to come back to the US. Tauck did ask people to wear masks in public spaces and on buses. However, there were always those that forgot or didn't want to follow rules. Also, it's pretty difficult to wear a mask when you are in public lounge (reviewing itineraries, next day activities) when there is a bar and appetizers.
We had paid extra money for a suite, thinking that perhaps we could get room service. Not available -presumably because of staffing issues.
We also were never told that the secondary restaurant, Arthur's was not open for dining (it was open for coffee, cookies and playing games/cards). Our Tauck Cruise director announced that Tauck was re-imagining what to do with Arthurs on all of its ships. I think that was not true. My guess is that it was a staffing issue, We were hoping that perhaps we could have gotten some food up there if we felt uncomfortable among the dinner crowds (and there was a full dining room). It appears from other postings that Arthur's has opened for regular dining. In any case, we had no options except to eat in the main dining room.
Our cruise director secured us a table for 2 in the main restaurant (there were only 2 tables), but the table was not distanced or isolated. Essentially we were eating within 2 feet of everyone else and if you wanted to talk with someone, you were closer. We were lucky enough to meet a party of 3 who we grew close with and pretty much shared a table/s with them for all dinners.
We took our own antigen tests with us, We never had symptoms of Covid- but took a few tests for our piece of mind. There were a few who tested positive at the end of the trip (they had to quarantine) and we were very lucky that we got home without incident.
Europe is open for business, just like the States. You should expect that there is little masking and less enforcement now. We masked everywhere, inside and out. Brought our own hand sanitizer- not on the buses, but there was some on the ship. Masks only came off for dinner and perhaps one or two drinks (I did have to try a Belgian beer!). BA4 and BA5 variants are on the upswing in Europe and the US, and I expect that cases will be going up.
When we were in the long line at the Amsterdam airport, we chatted with a family from the Netherlands who had COVID 3 times. Not so bad, but still were sick 3 times (both parents and 2 teenagers). One travels at his/her own risk. Hope for the best and assume the worst. Count on the worst contingency and be prepared (we had brought 2 weeks of extra medicines, cold medicine, etc) because at the time, we would have had to quarantine. With the threat of quarantine and the mess at the airports, we were stressed more than we had to be. But, we still enjoyed what we saw and the staff tried as hard as they could to make it an enjoyable trip.
I love to travel and I really do enjoy our trips with Tauck. So, now I am in the process of planning another trip. But, direct flights only. Looking to go back to Africa.
Have Tauck confirmed their INDIA trips are going?
I deleted my original comment on Covid, as I realized I provided no actual tips on how to avoid it! As far as India goes, we've not heard that it is not going, and we are about 6 weeks out from final payment. We sure hope it does go! Signed up for it in September 2000. Our third attempt! Go go go! Haha. We'll probably find out soon though.
manycruises1_ HI.
)
at this point and after all the measures already known... I would add a bottle or 2 of Johnny W. just in case you have to quarantine.
mil,
Black, green or blue?
Unfortunately the current variants are extremely contagious. My husband and I were on the first Rhône Tauck cruise of the season in April and many people became sick. About 15% of the 20 people who tested on the ship prior to departure tested positive but many more were continuing their stay after the cruise and were noticeably sick with Covid-like symptoms, including my husband. We noticed the ship’s tester observed the sample for 15 to 20 seconds before tossing it and declaring the test to be negative, even though my husband was testing positive with our own tests we brought with us. Not sure what kind of test the ship was using.
Anyway, we wore our masks as much as possible except when eating or drinking in public. My advice if you really don’t want to risk catching Covid is to unfortunately be as anti-social as possible. I know, sad.
BSP51 Hi
BLACK! NO ICE
mil - 👍
British * Funny story, a guy in our singing group wore an N 95 but sideways, using the straps round his ears. He is a bit odd, like many of us are 😂 I told him he was wearing it wrong, yes, he put it upside down….I gave up!
Just last week I saw a couple, both with masks on upside down with the metal nose piece under their chins. It’s not the mask that is important, it’s how you wear them and if they are a tight fit or not unless you have a flimsy almost see through one which is clearly not enough.
Well said.How many years will it take for us to learn ?
BLACK! NO ICE
and a cigar... Yes!
This girl likes cigars........
My husband and I returned from a river cruise at the end of April/beginning of May. It was the first cruise for our ship and our first river cruise. We traveled from Brussels to Amsterdam. We had not eaten in a restaurant inside in more than 2 years and thought that there would be more precautions for COVID-19 than there were. The only reason we chose to travel was that we had several Tauck offers that had to be used before the end of this year and thought that if we got sick, Europe wouldn't be such a bad place, as far as health care. We are both double vaccinated and double boosted. My husband is an MD and I have a PhD in virology. So, we are pretty Covid smart and careful.
There was no Covid testing on board, until the last day (COVID testing was still required the, tn to come back to the US. Tauck did ask people to wear masks in public spaces and on buses. However, there were always those that forgot or didn't want to follow rules. Also, it's pretty difficult to wear a mask when you are in public lounge (reviewing itineraries, next day activities) when there is a bar and appetizers.
We had paid extra money for a suite, thinking that perhaps we could get room service. Not available -presumably because of staffing issues.
We also were never told that the secondary restaurant, Arthur's was not open for dining (it was open for coffee, cookies and playing games/cards). Our Tauck Cruise director announced that Tauck was re-imagining what to do with Arthurs on all of its ships. I think that was not true. My guess is that it was a staffing issue, We were hoping that perhaps we could have gotten some food up there if we felt uncomfortable among the dinner crowds (and there was a full dining room). It appears from other postings that Arthur's has opened for regular dining. In any case, we had no options except to eat in the main dining room.
Our cruise director secured us a table for 2 in the main restaurant (there were only 2 tables), but the table was not distanced or isolated. Essentially we were eating within 2 feet of everyone else and if you wanted to talk with someone, you were closer. We were lucky enough to meet a party of 3 who we grew close with and pretty much shared a table/s with them for all dinners.
We took our own antigen tests with us, We never had symptoms of Covid- but took a few tests for our piece of mind. There were a few who tested positive at the end of the trip (they had to quarantine) and we were very lucky that we got home without incident.
Europe is open for business, just like the States. You should expect that there is little masking and less enforcement now. We masked everywhere, inside and out. Brought our own hand sanitizer- not on the buses, but there was some on the ship. Masks only came off for dinner and perhaps one or two drinks (I did have to try a Belgian beer!). BA4 and BA5 variants are on the upswing in Europe and the US, and I expect that cases will be going up.
When we were in the long line at the Amsterdam airport, we chatted with a family from the Netherlands who had COVID 3 times. Not so bad, but still were sick 3 times (both parents and 2 teenagers). One travels at his/her own risk. Hope for the best and assume the worst. Count on the worst contingency and be prepared (we had brought 2 weeks of extra medicines, cold medicine, etc) because at the time, we would have had to quarantine. With the threat of quarantine and the mess at the airports, we were stressed more than we had to be. But, we still enjoyed what we saw and the staff tried as hard as they could to make it an enjoyable trip.
I love to travel and I really do enjoy our trips with Tauck. So, now I am in the process of planning another trip. But, direct flights only. Looking to go back to Africa.
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Thanks for the detailed information.We are scheduled in late August.Will be wearing masks properly and hope for the best.I am wondering if we should take Paxlovid with us.
You have to find a dr who is willing to prescribe you Paxlovid if you do not have symptoms. A girlfriend, a persuasive lawyer, managed to do this last month but she had to call three doctors before one agreed to prescribe it for her. Let us know if you are successful!
We're leaving on a non-Tauck trip soon and I called my doc to see if he would give me a course of Paxlovid to take with me, just in case. He told me that Medicare requires proof of a positive COVID test before they will pay for the medication. He said he'd write a script for me but I'd have to pay out-of-pocket for it. I don't know what it would cost, but I expect it's not cheap - so I declined.
My doctor was not willing to prescribe also.
Well,we do have an advantage;one of us still can prescribe.We are still on the fence about going because of other her issues other than COVID-19!My husband is post spinal fusion and waiting for clearance to travel!It is always something when you are in this age group.Thank God we have done a lot of traveling already;hoping we can get on with our bucket list.
Paxlovid is expensive.I looked up on line ;about $500 or more;some anti malarial cost that much.Certainly it is our out of pocket cost.
I wouldn’t be surprised if my girlfriend bought it out of pocket, must ask her next time I see her. But then she did get Covid on her trip and the doctor at the clinic said how lucky she was to have it and to start taking it because it wasn’t available in that country.
Our Malaria meds are covered by our insurance
Yes British you are right;I remember they were expensive bu5 insurance did cover.
Try GoodRX for pricing. I looked it up and the cost with the GoodRX coupon seems very inexpensive. The pricing may be geographic specific and some pharmacies may not accept the coupon but it is probably worth a try. Below are the prices I found for Washington State.
There is an article on the new variant that seems to be worse and is resistant to vaccines and prior illness on MSN today. Published originally I think by Dessert News.
GoodRx is great;we might use it.
Dessert News?