Confused & Frustrated - What Would You Do?

[Roz]

Last night I talked with my family and they are concerned about me traveling by myself to Europe and something going wrong, and they are more concerned about the toll all of this stress is taking on my body.  I had open heart surgery back in May and this isn't helping.  

 

I emailed by TA this morning and told her I'm canceling and would re-book with Tauck for a 2022 cruise if it would be more financially advantageous to do so, but this whole ordeal has left a bad taste in my mouth.  I tried reading Tauck's cancellation policy but it's hard to understand and I'm not clear on what happens with my airline tickets.  Final payment is October 7.  

 

I will admit I'm OK with getting vaccinated and I'm even OK with wearing a mask, but this endless testing with so many ridiculous requirements is wearing thin real quick.  I don't know how productive it is to test vaccinated people with no symptoms.  I do know it's a money maker for the companies that guarantee quick turnarounds for travelers.

 

I'll report back after I hear from my TA.

Edited October 2, 2021 by Roz

[Lois R]

Hi Roz, I totally forgot you recently had major surgery!.......and hopefully you will feel more confident about  traveling next year.  You know I travel solo too and have been on 2 trips recently.....one to Greece and the other other to Alaska. Both went very smoothly. Hopefully my cruise next week will go the same way.

Wishing you all the best🙂

[ljandgb]

In the age of forged CDC vaccine cards, and post-vax infections, I think testing is probably still warranted.

 

I just read an interesting article about a study by Mayo Clinic in conjunction with Delta airlines and flights to Italy. They tracked and tested almost 10,000 passengers over a 6 month period.   Everyone had a PCR test within 72 hours of the flight, had a rapid antigen test at the airport, and another with a day of arrival.  Of those, 4 had a positive rapid test before boarding and 1 had a positive rapid test in Italy.  That's a  99.95% chance that a negative PCR test means you're not infected and can fly.

 

To the OP,  I think it's reasonable to postpone.  There is a lot of uncertainty, and the stress of traveling alone, with an underlying medical issue, can easily outweigh the fun of travel.

Edited October 2, 2021 by ljandgb

[Formerly known as Seabee]

57 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Roz, I totally forgot you recently had major surgery!.......and hopefully you will feel more confident about  traveling next year.  You know I travel solo too and have been on 2 trips recently.....one to Greece and the other other to Alaska. Both went very smoothly. Hopefully my cruise next week will go the same way.

Wishing you all the best🙂

Hi Lo😇

[Lois R]

13 minutes ago, Formerly known as Seabee said:

Hi Lo😇

SEA? WOW😃 Hi back. Hope you are well!

[Roz]

2 hours ago, ljandgb said:

In the age of forged CDC vaccine cards, and post-vax infections, I think testing is probably still warranted.

 

I would be OK with the testing if the required tests were readily available at the airport or cruise terminal, depending on one's travel requirements.  If I could test at the Nashville airport, I would be able to easily make it home if I was positive. 

 

If the Netherland's timeframe was 72 hrs. instead of 48 I could probably do it.

[Coral]

5 hours ago, Roz said:

Last night I talked with my family and they are concerned about me traveling by myself to Europe and something going wrong, and they are more concerned about the toll all of this stress is taking on my body.  I had open heart surgery back in May and this isn't helping.  

 

I emailed by TA this morning and told her I'm canceling and would re-book with Tauck for a 2022 cruise if it would be more financially advantageous to do so, but this whole ordeal has left a bad taste in my mouth.  I tried reading Tauck's cancellation policy but it's hard to understand and I'm not clear on what happens with my airline tickets.  Final payment is October 7.  

 

I will admit I'm OK with getting vaccinated and I'm even OK with wearing a mask, but this endless testing with so many ridiculous requirements is wearing thin real quick.  I don't know how productive it is to test vaccinated people with no symptoms.  I do know it's a money maker for the companies that guarantee quick turnarounds for travelers.

 

I'll report back after I hear from my TA.

Roz,

 

I completely understand. In early July time period - I had planned a Princess cruise for next April from Rome to Barcelona with 3 nights pre-cruise in Rome. Then I would have to get off the ship and get to Vienna for a river cruise 2 days later which sounded reasonable until I realized it was Easter and both Austria and Spain are huge Catholic countries. I would need to test before each one and also test in order to go through Heathrow to fly home. I was trying to figure out the logistics and with hotels and it was driving me crazy. I then was exposed to the Delta variant by someone at work who thought it was asthma (and so did her doctor). Everyone in 2 families tested positive and they had all been vaccinated with a variety of vaccines. 2 showed a lot of symptoms and 2 others showed minimal symptoms. That is when I realized Delta was spreading amongst vaccinated individuals (before it was in the news). So I understand the need for tests but I agree, the logistics are a nightmare. I think you could be positive and spread it and not show any symptoms. (Don't quote me, not a doctor).

 

I did have a friend who had 2 Tauck land tours booked for next year. She paid for their insurance for both. She cancelled one and expected to lose the $500. They transferred it the cost of the other trip.

 

I did find a Tauck cruise next fall (I think) that I was really interested in. When I spoke with them - I walked away thinking I had to spend $700 for their insurance which was a poor medical coverage insurance to just walk away from a similar deposit. My head was spinning as she explained everything. I really wanted to do this trip but decided I had to wait until this crisis was over and here it was next year. Now if it could be transferred to another future trip, that would make more sense.

 

Please let us know how it all worked out. We all completely understand. Heck, I am flying to the next state later this week and it is sort of stressing me out as I will be out of my comfort zone and doing touristy things. But I need to get away mentally.

[CPT Trips]

On 10/1/2021 at 3:13 PM, NavyCruiser said:

Let's hope conditions improve vastly over the next few weeks, & by Nov 1st, all restrictions will be lifted for vaccinated travelers.... 

 

On 10/1/2021 at 3:46 PM, Lois R said:

Nice thought for sure but I would not hold my breath. I think (just my opinion) I think the restrictions will be in place through at least the winter of 2021 ...lets say February/March 2022  (If we are lucky).

I wish I could be that optimistic. Too many people need to adjust their attitude and change their behavior to make a significant change in the course of the pandemic. 

[Lois R]

6 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

 

I wish I could be that optimistic. Too many people need to adjust their attitude and change their behavior to make a significant change in the course of the pandemic. 

That is why I "At least" Feb or March........it could be next summer for all anyone knows. 

[Roz]

@Coral, I have insurance but it's not Tauck's.  I agree with you that their insurance is pricey for what you get, especially the medical coverage.  I'm going to work with my TA to see what Tauck will offer.

 

Trying to arrange all those tests on the trip you described would leave my head spinning!  Talk about a logistical nightmare.  On an ordinary trip it can difficult enough to figure out flights, hotels, transfers, etc. let alone add in tests with precise requirements as to type and time frame.

[Daisi]

Sorry you had to cancel or postpone your trip Roz, but it could be for the best.  I know River Cruises aren't the most "relaxing' holiday (which I love, as it's nice not to have to be constantly planning multiple choices for what to do when travelling), but they shouldn't be stressful.  I think with all the changes, and your concerns about being stranded in the Netherlands on your own if you do have a positive test, you will enjoy yourself much more once things settle down.  We are the same, our 2021 cruise (cancelled) turned to a 2022 and is now moved to 2023 with the hope that by then, some sort of normalcy will be available.  Yes, it's going to cost us a bit more money, but the peace of mind to me is worth it.

[Gourmet Gal]

With the amount of stress this was causing you I think you’ve made a good decision to postpone.  Hopefully the virus will continue to diminish but there’s also talk of another winter surge that could make it even more difficult to travel in Dec..  Which Tauck cruise are you considering next year?  I’m doing The Douro in Oct.

[KLRDUKS]

Miss G. I am very curious about your Amazon tests as we bought several for our cruises in December. Please let us know how quickly you got your results from when you mailed them. Thanks!!

[Coral]

Let us know what your TA said today. How does Tauck deal with air cancellations?

[*Miss G*]

On 10/3/2021 at 7:06 AM, Roz said:

@Coral, I have insurance but it's not Tauck's.  I agree with you that their insurance is pricey for what you get, especially the medical coverage.  I'm going to work with my TA to see what Tauck will offer.

 

Trying to arrange all those tests on the trip you described would leave my head spinning!  Talk about a logistical nightmare.  On an ordinary trip it can difficult enough to figure out flights, hotels, transfers, etc. let alone add in tests with precise requirements as to type and time frame.

I am sorry to hear of your heart surgery but happy that you are well enough to travel. If it makes you feel any better, the planning is the most painful part of coordinating the tests. Once you have the results it’s a good weight lifted.  It’s probably a relief for you to postpone things for now. I am hopeful things will have improved by next year as that is when we have postponed our cruises to as well. 

Edited October 5, 2021 by *Miss G*

[*Miss G*]

4 hours ago, KLRDUKS said:

Miss G. I am very curious about your Amazon tests as we bought several for our cruises in December. Please let us know how quickly you got your results from when you mailed them. Thanks!!

 

I am happy to report that it all went very smoothly.  At 10:00am this morning we each received texts that the lab had received our kits and at 2:37pm today we received the texts saying our results were ready, with a link to view and download them. Easy peasey. 
 

One thing I would advise is to make sure that each of you have a separate Amazon account set up before you test since you’ll need it to log into Amazondx.com to start the process. Let me know if you have any other questions. 

[Lois R]

Had my Antigen Rapid Test today😀everything came back negative....wooohooo😀. I fly out Wednesday afternoon👍

[Roz]

To quote The Bard, all's well that ends well.  

 

First let me say I have a super TA.  She's a top producer and has pull with tour companies and cruise lines that I don't.  

 

Yesterday I was able to work with her to get my river cruise moved to Dec. 2022. It will cost $300 more and she was able to get them to waive the air cancellation fee because I'm rebooking, not asking for a refund. The ship leaves Amsterdam on Dec. 20 which means I'll spend Christmas in Antwerp. Ideally I wanted the Dec. 6 cruise (same as I had for 2021) but they're sold out so I'm on a waitlist. I'm not against spending Christmas in Europe, it's just that places will be more crowded (including airports!) and I imagine the airfare will end being more than I paid originally. We shall see.  

 

I felt much better after receiving the confirmation of the change.  @*Miss G* and @Lois R, glad to hear your tests went smoothly and more importantly, you got your negative results back in time for your trip.

 

Thanks to everyone for your kind word and advice and hanging in there with me.  Now I'm off to tackle changing my trip insurance.

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, Roz said:

To quote The Bard, all's well that ends well.  

 

First let me say I have a super TA.  She's a top producer and has pull with tour companies and cruise lines that I don't.  

 

So glad to hear this! Good TAs are definitely worth their weight in GOLD!

 

[celvalliere]

12 hours ago, Lois R said:

Had my Antigen Rapid Test today😀everything came back negative....wooohooo😀. I fly out Wednesday afternoon👍

Lois,

Where did you get your Antigen test? We are down the road in StA and the site where we had scheduled for next Tuesday morning is closing this Thursday afternoon. I only found this out when I called to confirm the appointments yesterday. Seems that the city wants their parking lot back 😉 

[Lois R]

20 minutes ago, celvalliere said:

Lois,

Where did you get your Antigen test? We are down the road in StA and the site where we had scheduled for next Tuesday morning is closing this Thursday afternoon. I only found this out when I called to confirm the appointments yesterday. Seems that the city wants their parking lot back 😉 

Hi there, good morning😀 went to Avecina Medical on Southside Blvd. Here is the link:

https://avecina.com/

 

They do charge 5.00.......but it was the best 5.00 I have ever spent😃...they told me they had too many folks who scheduled appts but did not show up. It was fast and easy and I will use them again and the other thing.....the office is less than a 5 minute drive from where I live👍  You will get the results the same day but it may be a couple of hours. (Depending on what time you get your test). They have the equipment on site and they do them in batches.  My appt was at 4:30 and they actually were so nice about it and I waited about 10 extra minutes and they gave me the results in person. I got the hard copy right there.  Normally they text you but I wanted a hard copy. Due to Hippa they cannot email you so if you want the hard copy you will have to pick it up. 

The staff is super nice and I will definitely use this place again😀

[celvalliere]

19 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi there, good morning😀 went to Avecina Medical on Southside Blvd. Here is the link:

https://avecina.com/

 

They do charge 5.00.......but it was the best 5.00 I have ever spent😃...they told me they had too many folks who scheduled appts but did not show up. It was fast and easy and I will use them again and the other thing.....the office is less than a 5 minute drive from where I live👍  You will get the results the same day but it may be a couple of hours. (Depending on what time you get your test). They have the equipment on site and they do them in batches.  My appt was at 4:30 and they actually were so nice about it and I waited about 10 extra minutes and they gave me the results in person. I got the hard copy right there.  Normally they text you but I wanted a hard copy. Due to Hippa they cannot email you so if you want the hard copy you will have to pick it up. 

The staff is super nice and I will definitely use this place again😀

Lois,

Thank you so much for the link and the detailed information. Like you, I would much rather wait for a hard copy since my technical skills are sometimes lacking especially when I am nervous and under pressure.

 

Have a wonderful trip! I look forward to reading all about it in future posts.

[need2travel1]

Hi Roz,

I'm sorry you had to reschedule your trip but peace of mind is worth more than anything else.  Now you can relax & look toward next year even though it seems a long way away.  We had a Tauck river cruise scheduled for July 2020-moved to 2021-then moved again to 2022 & I'm hoping we are able to take that one.  I say hoping because all the testing logistics & the possibility of not being able to get home due to testing positive over there are deal breakers for both my husband & myself.  

Huge kudos to everyone still travelling to Europe but I'm just hoping things are a bit easier by next Summer!

 

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, celvalliere said:

Lois,

Thank you so much for the link and the detailed information. Like you, I would much rather wait for a hard copy since my technical skills are sometimes lacking especially when I am nervous and under pressure.

 

Have a wonderful trip! I look forward to reading all about it in future posts.

Hi. I would make sure you ask or just go back  to pick up the hard copy the next day.

[Coral]

On 10/5/2021 at 9:51 AM, Lois R said:

 

  Normally they text you but I wanted a hard copy. Due to Hippa they cannot email you so if you want the hard copy you will have to pick it up. 

The staff is super nice and I will definitely use this place again😀

This is weird and doesn't sound right - I had a test done at Walgreens and I was emailed the results of the COVID test.

 

I have had several COVID tests done through my employer and they have also emailed me the results.