While the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve every single day, our phones are starting to ring a bit more with questions around travel from clients who are excited to start thinking about planning future vacations. We wanted to share a few updates from our trusted tour operators and vendors and give you an idea of what you can expect if you're starting to think about booking a future vacation.
Flying
The airlines have put a lot of work into making the flying experience as safe as possible for passengers. From HEPA air filters to pre-packaged meals to increased sanitization, mandatory masks (and some airlines even providing sanitizers and masks), flying has changed for the better. Check out this video to get a better understanding of what Air Canada is doing.
Sun Destinations
Many Caribbean islands are open to Canadians. Air Canada Vacations has just announced that they are offering a COVID-19 Coverage and Assistance Plan to anyone who books one of their packages and travels by April 30, 2021. The plan is offered at no additional cost and is designed to cover emergency medical and quarantine expenses if you contract COVID-19 while travelling. This is really great news as not all insurance policies previously would cover COVID-19 expenses. Hotels and resorts are stepping up their cleaning and safety protocols as well. Check out what Sandals is doing and ask us for our recommendations on which destinations and packages might be right for you.
Ocean & River Cruising
We were excited to hear about the MSC Grandiosa successfully completed a sailing in Italy without any passengers contracting or spreading COVID-19. The ship operated at 50% capacity, followed strict safety protocols and was able to open most amenities onboard.
AmaWaterways is another company we work with and have confidence in that they are following proper safety protocols to keep you and their crew healthy. Take a look at this video to get an idea of what they are doing and what river cruising is like in the time of COVID.
The Government of Canada has put together this great resource to give you up to date information on which destinations Canadians can travel to and what restrictions are in place.
We are also recommending to our clients to take this time to make sure their passports are up to date so that when you're ready to travel again, it's one less thing to worry about.