Options
Trips have started-any feedback?
Now that the tours have started we hope all travelers are having safe and wonderful travels.
Please share anything with those of us who are looking forward to going. Any information would be appreciated.
Thank you
2
Comments
Yes you can see my report from Morocco, It's titled, "Yes, You can travel with confidence."
We were a little frightened to be traveling again, but rest assured, Tauck has thought all of this through and has it worked out for you!!
Enjoy your upcoming trip to Rome to Venice. This was our very first Tack tour, and one I'll always cherish. We loved it so much, we gave this trip to both of our children as their wedding present when they married.
We've taken two Tauck tours in the past year. One to Peru and the Galapagos in September 2021 and the other to Morocco in March 2022. Both went well - no problems, no COVID.
My husband and I just returned from Holland-Belgium river boat cruise on the Inspire. Disappointed in the COVID-19 communications and enforcement on board. This was the first time traveling abroad since the pandemic. We are double vaccinated and double boosted, but have not eaten inside at restaurants since the pandemic started. There was no COVID-19 testing on board, until the last day (if you were departing to the US). Guests were supposed to wear masks in public areas and on the buses. Many did not. Only option for eating was in the main dining room- no room service and Arthur's was open only for cookies and drinks. We were allowed to have a table for 2 through out the cruise, but tables were close. I think this should have been communicated before we booked the trip. We self tested on board as we went along, so that if we did get COVID-19, quarantine could start sooner. Guests were reminded by the cruise director, once, to honor their travel safe commitment. The cruise director informed guests the day before testing, what would happen if you tested positive. Stay in your room overnight and then try to get a hotel for 5 days minimum. I presume Tauck would help with this, but not sure. There were 3 positives out of 50+. So, expect to have COVID-19 on board. Thankfully, we made it home without getting sick, but we were very careful with masking. Other than that, Europe was mostly business as usual. Travel at your own risk, but be aware that you may have to quarantine at the end of your trip and not sure how much help you may get to do this. I am glad that I made the trip, but would not travel again internationally until the US stops the testing before you return.
Yes, same experience as on our land tour in the US earlier in the year. But are you saying Tauck could have been saying you were on your own to book a hotel if you tested positive!
What the cruise director told us was that if you tested positive, it was out of the cruise director's hands. Handling went to Tauck office. This could have been because some may have had insurance through Tauck and maybe some didn't. I was told that some were scrambling for rooms. I do know that one person from our ship was a the Tauck hotel and was able to stay there. Not sure about the others.
I have a PhD in virology and my husband is an MD. We are pretty informed travelers, as our many of the other travelers on our ship. Our thoughts were that Tauck could have done more to keep people informed, ahead of time. 1) Let us know that there was only one dining option (in the main restaurant, closely seated). 2) Let us know that there would be no COVID-19 testing on board, except at the end 3) Let us know clearly what the options would be if you tested positive ahead of time. One thought would be that perhaps Tauck could have some rooms on hold for those travelers with Tauck insurance- this would be a lot for Tauck to do at every port, but would have been nice to have 4) publish COVID-19 positivity rates ahead of time. At least you would know what your risk might be. 5) Why have a travel pledge if many passengers do not follow? 6) What happens if you feel ill on the ship? There were some on the buses who were coughing, asking for sucrets, etc- were these people asked to take a test or stay away from others? No information. I think better communication up front would help travelers make more informed decisions, before and during the trip. There are some who are still worried about travel and some who are not. Our trip was nice, but we were worried about getting stuck abroad. Had I known ahead of time about what the conditions on the ship were, I probably would have waited to travel abroad, at least until the US stops the mandatory testing upon return.
Sent you a private message. Access it top right of your info
Just back from “Best of Hawaii.” Everything was wonderful. The only times we wore masks was when visiting several museums. Everything seemed normal; several people on our tour chose to wear masks, and that was fine. Hand sanitizer everywhere.