BKMD - I could agree with you more about personal responsibility and integrity when one feels sick. I had a maskless cougher sitting behind me for several hours towards the end of our trip, and I am now certain he was Patient Zero on a tour that ended up having 12 of 22 people test positive when they got home. Of course when they started coughing and sneezing a day or two before we were finished with the tour, they all claimed it was allergies.
Oh, and neither our TD or our driver wore a mask. I have no idea if either of them got sick.
Don’t get me started on seatbelts. They should be available on buses. I always put one on when they do. And to not have seatbelts on school buses, no one even cares about the kids in this country. Ok flag away, off subject.
Hi Mil!
Maybe it is no longer done, but the real risk and cost of coming down with Covid on a tour or curise was that you were cut off from the cruise/tour.
On a cruise (which I was on recently), someone who tested positive was isolated to their cabin until they had two negative tests. That's like being in jail for almost a week (and missing the excursions at the ports). There are cameras all over the ship and if they caught you out of your cabin, you would be put ashore at the next port, and you had to make your own arrangements to get home.
On a land tour, they used to send you home if you tested positive.
In both cases, it was a big incentive not to report that you were feeling sick, unless you were REALLY sick.
Our TD and driver on our recent N. Spain tour did not wear a mask despite paperwork from Tauck which said they would. Tauck did not mandate masking on the bus even though it’s mandatory in Spain for public transportation. They made no attempt to socially distance or move dining outdoors (and we had splendid weather). They did not ask an obviously sick individual to mask or test. Based on my limited experience Tauck has no COVID mitigation strategy. Based on other posts complaining about AON insurance which seems to be slammed with claims, and underperforming as a result: if things continue the chickens will come home to roost so to speak. People will cancel travel plans for fear of getting ill (we had 6 cancel the week of our tour and the TD said that was the given reason), AON will raise rates to cover their loses, and if they cannot cover they will stop underwriting these tours. TheTauck travel well pledge is a CYA and is meaningless. My wife and I both ended the tour with COVID. I required Paxlovid. Weeks later we still are fatigued and with a dry cough. Don’t take this “mid illness” stuff to heart until you’ve had it.
Just returned from a Tauck river cruise with hotel stays to begin and end the tour. I was approached on 3 occasions within the first couple days by guests who engaged me in conversation and politely asked if I was masking because I had Covid. I responded “no” and that I was used to masking throughout the day where I work and grocery shop and that i was concerned that I had, like the other guests, waited recently in lines at the airport with strangers and that there were several unmasked guests coughing and sneezing on our tour. On the 2nd day of the cruise portion the TD announced at breakfast that 2 guests had left the tour due to being Covid positive. It was mentioned that we might want to consider masking but that it was optional. Many more then started wearing masks but a few did not. Those with the worst cases of coughing continued unmasked. Day 2 of the cruise portion had another breakfast announcement informing us of 2 more guests having left due to being Covid positive. There were no more official announcements from the TD although there continued to be more positive cases. In all, 14 people left the tour. It is possible that in some cases just one spouse tested positive. It is also possible that the worst “coughers” never bothered to test and continued to board the daily excursion buses. When boarding the three buses for daily excursions, I would deliberately be among the last. The guides would count heads and then start boarding bus #2 when they had about a third of the group loaded on bus #1 and then repeat to begin to board the 3rd bus. Many who were late in line joined bus #1 or #2 to be with a spouse who had already boarded. So I often found myself on bus #3 that had only 11 people with mostly empty seats. I was disappointed that Tauck made 2 Covid positive report announcements early in the tour but then stopped informing us of subsequent positive cases. The Scylla staff started wearing masks on day 2 of the cruise portion after the first positive case announcement and continued to mask throughout the tour.
Suppose you needed surgery and at the pre-op appointment, the hospital told you they had a new OR policy - surgical staff no longer wear masks. Would you choose to have the procedure elsewhere?
cathy I get your reaction. I guess it's a bit like bartenders and others who serve alcohol making a judgment call that you've had enough. Potentially annoying if its you, but not necessarily for those dealing with your behavior.
It just doesn’t sound right. I also inquired to my travel agent of over 20 years after I read your post but I received an automated message she won’t be in her office until Tuesday.
I tried googling with no luck. Canada obviously hasn’t changed since we were on our July Alaska cruise because passengers with Covid were taken off the ship when we got to the next port and Transported en masse in a bus, there were so many of them.
If people are ‘spied upon’ and asked to test, if they are negative, then why be annoyed. After all, it is a public health issue especially on cruise ships. As long as they don’t make me pay for testing. I wonder if people would feel differently if we were talking about Ebola or Polio or the Black Death.
Hi, British... I'm just being naughty!
Hey I just started to check Spa's and also some xtra act.
By the way... Do you happen to remember at the FS Jimbaran. -Bali at what time the Breakfast rest. would open? I have a day trip I'm interested- my p/up would be at 7:30am
I'm staying 2 post-days after Tauck.
Comments
BKMD - I could agree with you more about personal responsibility and integrity when one feels sick. I had a maskless cougher sitting behind me for several hours towards the end of our trip, and I am now certain he was Patient Zero on a tour that ended up having 12 of 22 people test positive when they got home. Of course when they started coughing and sneezing a day or two before we were finished with the tour, they all claimed it was allergies.
Oh, and neither our TD or our driver wore a mask. I have no idea if either of them got sick.
I won't wear my seatbelt!
Don’t get me started on seatbelts. They should be available on buses. I always put one on when they do. And to not have seatbelts on school buses, no one even cares about the kids in this country. Ok flag away, off subject.
Hi Mil!
This horse has been beaten to death 🐴
Horses, off topic 😀
Maybe it is no longer done, but the real risk and cost of coming down with Covid on a tour or curise was that you were cut off from the cruise/tour.
On a cruise (which I was on recently), someone who tested positive was isolated to their cabin until they had two negative tests. That's like being in jail for almost a week (and missing the excursions at the ports). There are cameras all over the ship and if they caught you out of your cabin, you would be put ashore at the next port, and you had to make your own arrangements to get home.
On a land tour, they used to send you home if you tested positive.
In both cases, it was a big incentive not to report that you were feeling sick, unless you were REALLY sick.
Our TD and driver on our recent N. Spain tour did not wear a mask despite paperwork from Tauck which said they would. Tauck did not mandate masking on the bus even though it’s mandatory in Spain for public transportation. They made no attempt to socially distance or move dining outdoors (and we had splendid weather). They did not ask an obviously sick individual to mask or test. Based on my limited experience Tauck has no COVID mitigation strategy. Based on other posts complaining about AON insurance which seems to be slammed with claims, and underperforming as a result: if things continue the chickens will come home to roost so to speak. People will cancel travel plans for fear of getting ill (we had 6 cancel the week of our tour and the TD said that was the given reason), AON will raise rates to cover their loses, and if they cannot cover they will stop underwriting these tours. TheTauck travel well pledge is a CYA and is meaningless. My wife and I both ended the tour with COVID. I required Paxlovid. Weeks later we still are fatigued and with a dry cough. Don’t take this “mid illness” stuff to heart until you’ve had it.
I wouldn't go on a tour where masks were required, and I suspect the numbers would favor that mindset.
Just returned from a Tauck river cruise with hotel stays to begin and end the tour. I was approached on 3 occasions within the first couple days by guests who engaged me in conversation and politely asked if I was masking because I had Covid. I responded “no” and that I was used to masking throughout the day where I work and grocery shop and that i was concerned that I had, like the other guests, waited recently in lines at the airport with strangers and that there were several unmasked guests coughing and sneezing on our tour. On the 2nd day of the cruise portion the TD announced at breakfast that 2 guests had left the tour due to being Covid positive. It was mentioned that we might want to consider masking but that it was optional. Many more then started wearing masks but a few did not. Those with the worst cases of coughing continued unmasked. Day 2 of the cruise portion had another breakfast announcement informing us of 2 more guests having left due to being Covid positive. There were no more official announcements from the TD although there continued to be more positive cases. In all, 14 people left the tour. It is possible that in some cases just one spouse tested positive. It is also possible that the worst “coughers” never bothered to test and continued to board the daily excursion buses. When boarding the three buses for daily excursions, I would deliberately be among the last. The guides would count heads and then start boarding bus #2 when they had about a third of the group loaded on bus #1 and then repeat to begin to board the 3rd bus. Many who were late in line joined bus #1 or #2 to be with a spouse who had already boarded. So I often found myself on bus #3 that had only 11 people with mostly empty seats. I was disappointed that Tauck made 2 Covid positive report announcements early in the tour but then stopped informing us of subsequent positive cases. The Scylla staff started wearing masks on day 2 of the cruise portion after the first positive case announcement and continued to mask throughout the tour.
Question to those who won't mask on tour:
Suppose you needed surgery and at the pre-op appointment, the hospital told you they had a new OR policy - surgical staff no longer wear masks. Would you choose to have the procedure elsewhere?
Hi. Is that documented anywhere? Where did your travel agent obtain that piece of information. I would be interested to read more about it.
cathy I get your reaction. I guess it's a bit like bartenders and others who serve alcohol making a judgment call that you've had enough. Potentially annoying if its you, but not necessarily for those dealing with your behavior.
Note to self - pack cold medicine.
It just doesn’t sound right. I also inquired to my travel agent of over 20 years after I read your post but I received an automated message she won’t be in her office until Tuesday.
I tried googling with no luck. Canada obviously hasn’t changed since we were on our July Alaska cruise because passengers with Covid were taken off the ship when we got to the next port and Transported en masse in a bus, there were so many of them.
If people are ‘spied upon’ and asked to test, if they are negative, then why be annoyed. After all, it is a public health issue especially on cruise ships. As long as they don’t make me pay for testing. I wonder if people would feel differently if we were talking about Ebola or Polio or the Black Death.
Yes, I understand, but if you HAVE Covid, that is the issue.
All I can say is don't piss off any bartenders, servers or housekeeping people....seems like that would give them a little leverage lol.
And tell him there will be more every day you're there.
Hi, British... I'm just being naughty!
Hey I just started to check Spa's and also some xtra act.
By the way... Do you happen to remember at the FS Jimbaran. -Bali at what time the Breakfast rest. would open? I have a day trip I'm interested- my p/up would be at 7:30am
I'm staying 2 post-days after Tauck.
Mil. Wills PM you