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Bus Seating/Covid

EnjoysTraveling

Hello,

I haven't been on a Tauck Tour in a long time. I always had fun.
I am wondering:

Does the tour still use the rotating system on the bus?
How do you protect yourself against Covid other than a vaccine?
Do most people wear a mask on the bus or at other times?
Any tips I would appreciate.

Thank you.

Comments

PureLuxury

EnjoysTraveling
I just returned from a December Northern India-Nepal Tauck Tour:

Does the tour still use the rotating system on the bus?--Yes, rotating system still in full swing
How do you protect yourself against Covid other than a vaccine?--Wear a Mask
Do most people wear a mask on the bus or at other times?--No. People on my tour wore a mask to protect themselves against the bad air elements in Delhi - but it had nothing to do with COVID
Any tips I would appreciate: I suggest wearing a mask if it makes you feel more comfortable and distance yourself from anyone you suspect may be experiencing cold symptoms

British

Very few people if any wear masks on the bus in our experience. This was also true when we began traveling again with Tauck when masks were supposed to be enforced by Tauck and everyone signed a pledge. As a result, although I will continue to travel with Tauck, they have lost some respect from me permanently. For example, on one of the compulsory mask wearing tours, I asked the very experienced TD if he could ask people to wear masks, all he did was mention it casually just once. There was no testing on that trip so who knows whether Covid was present. On another, 14 of 39 had Covid by the end of the tour that was also one where masks were compulsory. Those who got Covid did not wear masks even when they were coughing.
You have to look out for yourself, use your own judgement and be prepared for others on the tour to maybe avoid you, think you are odd or even make negative aside comments about you. This is the type of Tauck customers you encounter these days….you know, the company that supposedly attracts well educated people, doctors and lawyers etc.

Kathy0529

On River Cruises they do not rotate seats.

Some wore masks, but most didn't. If it was required, then I would have abided by that.

I did come home w/Covid as did others. I am up to date on vaccines and had the most recent Covid vaccine a few weeks before my trip. I pretty much had a head cold and slight cough. My symptoms did not start until the last night of the cruise.

While I have met and dined with doctors, not sure about laywers, a retired Federal Judge, a lot of engineers on various trips - not as many as others, Tauck does attract those of us that don't work in such esteemed positions. :-)

British

I agree with you Kathy, but when Tauck was given a general profile on the internet, it said it attracts those professions.

Claudia Sails

We were on two different European land tours with Tauck last year and yes seat rotation was.in affect and few if any wore masks.

If covid - or any other virus - is present within the group then wearing masks isn't going to keep you from getting it unless you are very good about wearing them consistently. That's pretty hard to do at meal times.

On a recent river cruise I took with 5 others - 4 came back with covid including 2 who often but not always wore masks. I didn't ever wear one, flew home with someone who tested positive the next day and I never got it.

mfrancis

We returned in November from the Grand Australia and New Zealand trip. Seat rotation in effect. 40 people plus the TD, very few masks. No one got Covid.

EnjoysTraveling

Thanks everyone for your replies. I know I'm going to have to make the final decision but I'm glad to get input.

Kathy, I'm sorry to hear you got Covid, but you were fortunate it started the last night of the trip.
Was this on the River Cruise?

I always wanted to go to New Orleans, and in fact, had to cancel because Covid was in full swing.
I was hoping to go this March and booked it because of the free day before or after plus I have a credit. Dummy me wasn't thinking about Covid. I was more concerned about the other stresses of travel = packing, I don't sleep well, the usual things that concern me/us before a trip - especially since my last trip with Tauck was a very long time ago I have anxiety about it.
Then in the fall I started hearing Covid was ramping up again.

I am a solo traveler and I'm always asked to join people for dinner. Now with Covid, I don't feel so comfortable sitting with people who could be sick. But what's the sense of sitting alone all the time, ugh.
I would wear a mask on the bus and on the plane.
I am not getting younger and we all know times goes very fast.

I would like to see NOLA and at least get my feet wet to trave again.
I went on at least eight Tauck Land Tours and except for one got along with everyone. It was delightful meeting others and seeing how other cultures live.

I am very glad I went on past tours and will cherish the great memories of doing the extra activities and seeing (Private Vatican Tour)
some very special parts of the state/country I wouldn't have without joining a tour.

Oh woe is me

OurTravels34

Go on the wonderful trip of your dreams, and just take precautions.

Kathy0529

EnjoysTraveling - yes, I was on the Christmas Markets River cruise on the Danube. I went to Disneyland Paris after for a couple of days so didn't know for sure it was Covid until I came home. Again, it wasn't too bad and felt just like a head cold w/an occasional cough. I was on the cruise w/ClaudiaSails and she was around a few of us w/Covid and never got it, so it's weird how some get it and some don't. I've been in close contact w/someone who tested positive a few months ago and never got it then...go figure.

I hope you take your trip!!

MikeHenderson

@EnjoysTraveling - I was born and raised in and around New Orleans. I hope you get to see the city one day. For me, I always tell people it's a great place to be from.

If you go, order a fried oyster po-boy.

[Added note: I even rode in a Mardi Gras parade, on one of the floats (Krewe of Toth - https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/krewe-of-thoth). That's a real experience. The krewes should sell one place on each float. They could probably get a good price for it. I did it when I was much younger - maybe 40. I was offered a chance to ride a year ago and I turned it down. I don't need that crazyness at this age. It would have been nice if the krewe was not all male. My wife has never ridden and I think she would have done it. The year I rode, a woman rode with us in secret (Toth is a male krewe). You're in costume, completely covered, including mask (I think that's so you can make a fool of yourself and people won't recognize you). She came with us to the Municipal Auditorium, where we changed into costume and took the place of one of the men – who had arranged it.]

My grandparents lived on N. Gayoso Street, just off Tulane.

Wan

Currently, most people (and travel companies) are traveling as if Covid didn’t exist. Since Covid is never going away, I prefer to think about protecting myself from ANY respiratory virus. Getting sick while traveling is partly dependent on luck, partly dependent on who is traveling with you, and partly dependent on the precautions you take yourself, and of course your own immune system and possibly, in the case of Covid, whether you’ve had it before or not. You would think that most travelers would use common sense and mask up in crowded places, public transit hubs, planes, trains etc and pay attention to hand hygiene but hardly anyone is doing it. Some people will show up to tours already sick. Recently we were having breakfast at a hotel in Buenos Aires, and almost everyone in the restaurant on another tour was hacking away. You have to expect on any group tour that there will be people who just don’t care if they are contagious and will refuse to mask even if they are sick. The precautions you can take are getting all your vaccines, masking and hand hygiene as above, talk to your doctor about what medications you might wish to travel with in case you do get sick, avoid sick people, consider choosing travel during warmer weather when eating outdoors and keeping windows open are more comfortable, get travel insurance and pay attention to exactly what is covered. For example, you may not be covered if you test yourself, and you are positive for Covid, and you decide to leave the tour for that. You may need documentation from a doctor that clearly indicates you are not fit to travel in order to get refunded.

Crowded indoor places and meal times are risky. On our recent trip, my husband and I had a plan to eat alone, if necessary, then rejoin the group after eating. This is never fun. Fortunately, we didn’t have to do this, but we had a long trip planned after the tour and wanted to take every precaution.

The majority of people do none of the above and do fine on group trips, but since it happened to us that we were flattened with a respiratory virus while traveling, due to a clueless co-traveler, and has happened to others we know, we are now extremely careful and likely always will be. The extra effort is worth it to us. One person's sniffles can hit someone else a lot harder.

eleonore

I too was bien and raised in Uptown New Orleans. Although there are problems, like any other big city these days, it is a wonderful old city to visit. Moved away 4 years ago ago miss it everyday!

PureLuxury

MikeHenderson
eleonore
I'm a N'Awlins girl... - born and raised. Moved to Boston for a few years and happy to be back home. Yes, it has big city problems for a small city, but she has so much history, culture, food, music, hospitable people....it's hard to stay away for long. Come and visit often, but avoid the Mardi Gras Season (now) if you're concerned about COVID. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

EnjoysTraveling I failed to mention I wore a mask in the India & Nepal airports...way too many people

kfnknfzk

I have said many times that I can't control the behavior of others, just my own. We are not gregarious individuals and do not travel to make new, lifelong friends. We will continue to mask in airports, on planes until everyone is boarded, on tour buses--whenever and wherever we deem it to be wise and/or necessary. It is just common sense and being cognizant of the well being of others. Merely my opinion.