Our personal opinion……… (I’m sure others will have different opinions but this is ours and our experience)
it is mainly government restrictions aimed at cruising! It is mainly Australia that is affected by these rules. And only cruising.
After debarking 28 day round Australia nov 8th, (where my husband had tested positive and iso for five days, I was in same cabin whole time and never got). He only had mild cold symptoms like many we spoke too. We know it is real but it has to start being treated like cold/flu. Some immunity compromised people will die from flu and respiratory illness too and that’s sad, but covid and the whole handling of it has produced a fear in people that doesn’t seem to want to let go.
we are now in South Africa having traveled back to my husband’s home country for first time in three years due to travel restrictions. To fly here, We did not have to provide any tests whatsoever, no mask’s required and very rarely did we see one. Those are Australia rules btw. Remember it’s only cruising that is restricted.
Our main flight was 14 hours long.
nothing needed to enter this country either. South Africa is 6.5 times smaller than Australia but has 65 million people. They had approximately one year (ie 2020) of restrictions. No one mentions covid, no one wears mask, no distancing etc! Life if totally normal. People are not dying any, no mass panic, no mass people with covid. It’s not reported, figures? Fear? None of it.
and the vaccine rate is currently about 46% of the country fully vax, with two doses.
so I know covid is real, we lost friends here in South Africa at the start. I am not negating it at all, but the world has basically moved on and I can’t wait til Australia catches up.
our next cruise is in may to Alaska. Canada have dropped all restrictions for cruising. We can’t wait 🥰🥰🥰