The ChartRoom
We are already nearing the end of April. It is hard to believe that the first quarter of the year is almost over. Spring is struggling to make an appearance. I feel for those of you who live in the Midwest and just got one of the latest big snows on record. Even down here in Florida, we are expected to drop down to the 40s this week.
I’m happy to say that the crazy weather is not keeping people from making travel plans. The news still paints a bleak picture of travel and the US government continues to do everything possible to keep people at home but much of the rest of the world continues to open up and is welcoming visitors.
The CDC provided some guidance for the return of cruising from US ports but has unfortunately still has not responded to the plans that the cruise lines have submitted to allow the resumption of cruising this summer. Despite the efforts of our government, there is a lot of positive travel related news. Major cruise lines have resumed in parts of Europe, Asia, Israel and will soon be starting in the Caribbean. About 400,000 passengers have sailed since the pandemic put a pause to operations around the world. Happily, there have been no outbreaks and only a few passengers have tested positive.
Each country and cruise line is following different protocols regarding testing, vaccinations and who can travel. The good news is that Americans who want to cruise this summer can. The bad news is that American port cities will not yet reap the benefits.
There are many different land-based options available across the US, the Caribbean and Mexico. Many other countries are open to US travelers. You may be surprised by the countries that are welcoming visitors and some may be (or should be) on your travel bucket list. Think Dubai, Greece, Croatia, Iceland, Kenya, and many others.
For people who want to experience some exotic destinations with crowds than normal or who want to take advantage of planes that have fewer passengers than normal and occasionally some great fares, this may be the perfect time to get away. The demand for travel is high but so is fear and confusion. When the US State Department quits recommending that US citizens avoid travel to certain countries (currently 150 of about 200 countries are on the list that they recommend avoiding) people will start to move around more and the pent-up demand will push up prices. I highly suggest picking a destination and placing a deposit to hold pricing and availability.
Send me a message so we can get your next trip planned. Don’t miss out on your dream trip because you waited too long.
I apologize for my semi-rant against our current governmental policies. I promise that the next edition of the Chartroom will highlight a specific destination. Can you say Canada!
Keep Charting Memories
Drew
