Canadians - What to do - Cruise from US or All Inclusive?

[john2003]

9 hours ago, Magicat said:

No, you just cancel.  They return your points and if you paid the taxes, in a couple of days.  Also noticed with the new Aeroplan that seats come and go.  We purchased economy seats to Nassau a couple of months ago.  When we looked last week, business class showed available and we purchased them.  Cost us an additional 25k points but saved us money because now we don't have to pay for baggage and select seats.

Another interesting thing is the routing of flights.  When we were looking to go to Europe we could either pay +90k points and $700 to fly to Munich, however it was only 72k and $300 to go to Vienna.  So we chose that option and planned to take the train.  So the best advice would be to expand your search to nearby cities too.

A caution, the free cancellation ends on Sept 30 for new bookings unless they extend it. It was a Covid thing.

Edited August 29, 2021 by john2003
Aeroplan just extended to Sept 30.

[LuCruise]

On the AI side, anyone nervous of testing positive and then having to stay there (quarantined) for another 10-14 days?  That certainly eats into vacation days (or missed school days for kids) never mind about additional cost if not covered by insurance or AI includes stay.  This is one of the main risks/downsides of AI over cruise.

[Magicat]

12 hours ago, john2003 said:

A caution, the free cancellation ends on Sept 30 for new bookings unless they extend it. It was a Covid thing.

Aeroplan specifically states that you can cancel a reward flight up to 24 hours before with no charge and up to 2 hours with a fee but you will get all your points refunded.  Nothing to do with Covid, this is their policy.  Page 3 is where they state the terms of cancelation.

I cannot speak to other reward programs and their cancelation policy. 

 

https://www.aircanada.com/content/dam/aircanada/portal/documents/PDF/loyalty/flight-rewards-policy-en.pdf

[Magicat]

Read the terms too fast, looks like they always charge a fee if you cancel or change your flight on rewards.

 

24 hours

You can cancel your flight reward, at no charge, within 24 hours of making your booking.

Up until two hours

Up until two hours before you fly, you can cancel or change any flight reward. While a fee may apply, in the case of a cancellation, you’ll get a refund of all of your points back into your account, along with any associated taxes, fees and surcharges on the unused value of your travel.

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Magicat

[K_e_short]

Other then at the very beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) when they weren't even answering phone calls, emails, social media posts, etc., Air Canada has been fantastic at being flexible regarding travel.

 

I got my money back from my March 2021 cancelled trip very quickly and my current March 2022 trip allows me to get a travel credit up to 48 hours before I travel.

 

I will also say that I booked my flight for my December cruise through Carnival (Air Canada flight). Carnival said I can't get my money back but when I called Air Canada they said they'd give me a travel credit.

 

 

[lots-of-km2]

2 hours ago, LuCruise said:

On the AI side, anyone nervous of testing positive and then having to stay there (quarantined) for another 10-14 days?  That certainly eats into vacation days (or missed school days for kids) never mind about additional cost if not covered by insurance or AI includes stay.  This is one of the main risks/downsides of AI over cruise.

 

Yeah, it's certainly a concern. I happen to have insurance coverage for it on my upcoming AI, but the idea of testing positive 72 hours before the vacation ends is still worrisome. 

 

In a recent Tripadvisor review of the resort I've booked a vacation to, a Canadian who spent a week at that hotel wrote that she tested positive on a PCR test while the rest of her family did not.  She wrote that the hotel management handled this terribly (with zero empathy, and with non-sensical, weird protocols), and she freaked out even more.  After insistence on the part of her husband, they took a taxi to an unaffiliated, off-property medical clinic and she had another PCR test done.  It was negative. 

 

What I learned from reading that post: 1. If the first test is a positive, get retested -- just to be sure.  2. Get the name of an alternate testing location.  The poster was kind enough to provide the address and phone number of the off-property medical clinic they went to. 3. Never assume that any place or travel situation is going to be uncomplicated these days. 

 

I'm still packing for that trip. Trying to focus on the upsides of being able to hear the ocean and walk on the beach, while understanding that there are some risks involved.   

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by lots-of-km2

[john2003]

Magicat, thanks for taking a second look. It has been much appreciated that AC has given us more flexibility with Covid but I fear it is nearing its end. I think cancellation was $150 before Covid. Also consider if a return is booked as two one ways, it will be $300 for the trip so it can add up.

I think the fee may be waived if you have Status which I don't.

Edited August 29, 2021 by john2003
Added note about Status.

[iancal]

We booked an inexpensive domestic  Westjet flight that allowed us to cancel and have the money placed in a credit.  Fine with us because we fly to Mexico, Toronto, and the Europe on Westjet so it will easily be used within the prescribed 24 months.

 

Logged on the the Westjet site early this week,  accessed  our flight details, then pushed the cancel button.  Flight was cancelled and monies moved to our credit account.  Did not have to bother with a phone call. 

 

No plans to book anything until a week or so prior to departure....air, hotels, AI, whatever. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by iancal

[DirtyDawg]

3 hours ago, LuCruise said:

On the AI side, anyone nervous of testing positive and then having to stay there (quarantined) for another 10-14 days?  That certainly eats into vacation days (or missed school days for kids) never mind about additional cost if not covered by insurance or AI includes stay.  This is one of the main risks/downsides of AI over cruise.

Not nervous. If things stay the same, we will simply cancel the AI and vacation in Canada for New Year's.  

[LuCruise]

2 hours ago, lots-of-km2 said:

 

Yeah, it's certainly a concern. I happen to have insurance coverage for it on my upcoming AI, but the idea of testing positive 72 hours before the vacation ends is still worrisome. 

 

In a recent Tripadvisor review of the resort I've booked a vacation to, a Canadian who spent a week at that hotel wrote that she tested positive on a PCR test while the rest of her family did not.  She wrote that the hotel management handled this terribly (with zero empathy, and with non-sensical, weird protocols), and she freaked out even more.  After insistence on the part of her husband, they took a taxi to an unaffiliated, off-property medical clinic and she had another PCR test done.  It was negative. 

 

What I learned from reading that post: 1. If the first test is a positive, get retested -- just to be sure.  2. Get the name of an alternate testing location.  The poster was kind enough to provide the address and phone number of the off-property medical clinic they went to. 3. Never assume that any place or travel situation is going to be uncomplicated these days. 

 

I'm still packing for that trip. Trying to focus on the upsides of being able to hear the ocean and walk on the beach, while understanding that there are some risks involved.   

 

 

 

 

That's horrible and really disappointing with the hotel's handling....and then a second test showed she was negative after all.  Very good advice to get tested again.

 

We keep changing our minds...at present moment, we are leaning towards the cruise vs AI....mostly due to the fact that the cruise line handles issues if you test positive and are vaccinated (e.g. fly you home).  Almost even booked flights....

 

I actually felt the relaxation and "ahhhhh" feeling when you mentioned hearing the ocean and walking on the beach.  Who knew a few years ago how hard it would be to be able to take these kind of vacations.

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, LuCruise said:

That's horrible and really disappointing with the hotel's handling....and then a second test showed she was negative after all.  Very good advice to get tested again.

 

We keep changing our minds...at present moment, we are leaning towards the cruise vs AI....mostly due to the fact that the cruise line handles issues if you test positive and are vaccinated (e.g. fly you home).  Almost even booked flights....

 

I actually felt the relaxation and "ahhhhh" feeling when you mentioned hearing the ocean and walking on the beach.  Who knew a few years ago how hard it would be to be able to take these kind of vacations.

Just make sure the cruise line will still fly you home when you plan to cruise - policies change. 

[nbsjcruiser]

23 hours ago, LuCruise said:

That's horrible and really disappointing with the hotel's handling....and then a second test showed she was negative after all.  Very good advice to get tested again.

 

We keep changing our minds...at present moment, we are leaning towards the cruise vs AI....mostly due to the fact that the cruise line handles issues if you test positive and are vaccinated (e.g. fly you home).  Almost even booked flights....

 

I actually felt the relaxation and "ahhhhh" feeling when you mentioned hearing the ocean and walking on the beach.  Who knew a few years ago how hard it would be to be able to take these kind of vacations.

We've decided that an AI is probably more worrisome than a cruise - people all around buffets, crowded into pool areas and so on. After much deliberation we've decided that after missing a year of travel that we'll return to our annual VRBO rental in a quiet area of Florida. We can keep to ourselves, we wont go to bars, restaurants or crowded beaches. There's a quiet beach a 5 minute walk away where the nearest person is usually a couple hundred feet away. We can walk to Publix at off hours when there's nobody in the place and if we decide we want to eat out some night, we can do takeout and either bring it back to the condo or take it to a picnic spot near the beach. Basically we'll be hermits for a month but at least we'll be in the sunshine and within a stone's throw of the beach. Cruising will have to wait for at least another year.

[LuCruise]

5 minutes ago, nbsjcruiser said:

We've decided that an AI is probably more worrisome than a cruise - people all around buffets, crowded into pool areas and so on. After much deliberation we've decided that after missing a year of travel that we'll return to our annual VRBO rental in a quiet area of Florida. We can keep to ourselves, we wont go to bars, restaurants or crowded beaches. There's a quiet beach a 5 minute walk away where the nearest person is usually a couple hundred feet away. We can walk to Publix at off hours when there's nobody in the place and if we decide we want to eat out some night, we can do takeout and either bring it back to the condo or take it to a picnic spot near the beach. Basically we'll be hermits for a month but at least we'll be in the sunshine and within a stone's throw of the beach. Cruising will have to wait for at least another year.

Totally understand.  Sounds like a safer and less stressful vacation.  I know others too who are planning the same...to get away from our cold winter, enjoy the beach and ocean but will still pretty much stay to themselves.

 

Today...we are leaning toward the cruise (as per post above) and ended up booking refundable flights.  If things change, then we can cancel.  My biggest worry with an AI is testing positive on the PCR test we get done to return and then we can't return for 2 weeks.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Only reason I would go to Florida would be to start or end a TA 

I have no interest in going to the States 

[lovemylab]

6 hours ago, nbsjcruiser said:

We've decided that an AI is probably more worrisome than a cruise - people all around buffets, crowded into pool areas and so on. 

 

These same things would be an issue on a cruise as well though.  Personally, I've always found the  pool and buffet areas on a cruise ship far more crowded in comparison to AI resorts.

 

For AI resorts, we prefer the Couples chain in Jamaica.  Small resorts that offer several a la carte dining options and plenty of pool and beach loungers (i.e. no crowding).

 

We have an AI resort booked for 2022 and are hoping to start cruising again in 2023.

[lovemylab]

6 hours ago, LuCruise said:

My biggest worry with an AI is testing positive on the PCR test we get done to return and then we can't return for 2 weeks.  

 

As long as you have a valid Canadian passport, you can return to Canada regardless of the covid test result.  

 

From my understanding, a positive test result means you need to quarantine for 14 days upon your arrival.  You would enter the details of the quarantine plan in the ArriveCan app. The same would hold true if testing positive and returning from a cruise.  

 

A negative covid test is needed to qualify for the fully vaccinated traveler exemption which allows you to avoid quarantine upon arrival back in Canada.

[LuCruise]

3 minutes ago, lovemylab said:

 

As long as you have a valid Canadian passport, you can return to Canada regardless of the covid test result.  

 

From my understanding, a positive test result means you need to quarantine for 14 days upon your arrival.  You would enter the details of the quarantine plan in the ArriveCan app. The same would hold true if testing positive and returning from a cruise.  

 

A negative covid test is needed to qualify for the fully vaccinated traveler exemption which allows you to avoid quarantine upon arrival back in Canada.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think they would let you on the plane if you tested positive.  And tbh, I would hope not...as that would mean that anyone sitting next to us could be known covid positive.

[lovemylab]

3 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think they would let you on the plane if you tested positive.  And tbh, I would hope not...as that would mean that anyone sitting next to us could be known covid positive.

 

Okay, and that makes sense.   If covid positive people aren't allowed on a plane though I'd be curous how the cruiselines would fly people home in that case.

 

[broberts]

54 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think they would let you on the plane if you tested positive.  And tbh, I would hope not...as that would mean that anyone sitting next to us could be known covid positive.

 

True. However, covid positive Canadians may enter by land or sea.

 

 

[bcwife76]

We just spent a week at Dreams Punta Cana and I'm so glad we went! Our resort offered to put you up for free for 14 days if you tested positive, but thankfully we all received negative tests (three of us are vaxxed, only our 10 yr old is currently unvaxxed). We went back on forth on whether to go but in the end we did and had a fantastic time.

Edited August 31, 2021 by bcwife76

[LuCruise]

11 hours ago, lovemylab said:

 

Okay, and that makes sense.   If covid positive people aren't allowed on a plane though I'd be curous how the cruiselines would fly people home in that case.

 

Royal actually flies you home if you test positive in a private plane and takes care of any charges, refunds any cruise time missed, etc.  I was just going to post their link and unfortunately it looks like their policy has already changed from two days ago.  I am 95% sure that it said for cruises up to Dec 31st and now it says up to Oct 31st.  So...maybe we'll be better driving if borders open.  Refundable bookings are definitely the way to go now (thankfully we did so we can decide closer)

Edited August 31, 2021 by LuCruise

[K_e_short]

11 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Royal actually flies you home if you test positive in a private plane and takes care of any charges, refunds any cruise time missed, etc.  I was just going to post their link and unfortunately it looks like their policy has already changed from two days ago.  I am 95% sure that it said for cruises up to Dec 31st and now it says up to Oct 31st.  So...maybe we'll be better driving if borders open.  Refundable bookings are definitely the way to go now (thankfully we did so we can decide closer)

 

I have been following a few of the cruiselines discussion sections, along with a few YouTubers.

The Conditional Sale Order ends on October 31st so that might be part of it.

 

RCCL changed their policy, Carnival's website says "up until October 31st". I'm waiting on Carnival to announce Dec protocols so I can cancel and someone said it might not be for a while 😞

 

 

[Cocktail613]

On 8/30/2021 at 8:19 PM, LuCruise said:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think they would let you on the plane if you tested positive.  And tbh, I would hope not...as that would mean that anyone sitting next to us could be known covid positive.

Regardless if the airline lets you board I would say that there is a pretty significant moral responsibility not to board a plane if you know you are COVID positive. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

47 minutes ago, sleslie said:

Regardless if the airline lets you board I would say that there is a pretty significant moral responsibility not to board a plane if you know you are COVID positive. 

I bet a lot people still do 

[broberts]

Just now, Airbalancer said:

I bet a lot people still do 

 

Perhaps, but that doesn't excuse the behavior or make it acceptable.