LAKEWOOD RANCH (WSNN) – Road warriors and travel bugs are struggling during this pandemic. So, SNN talks to a Suncoast travel expert who shares how to cure that itch to travel.
The pandemic forced an avid Sarasota travel, Anat Moskowitz, to cancel four trips this year. She says she’s happy to live in paradise, but….
“I am going to complain about the fact that I had to cancel all those great trips.”
Travel restrictions have kept people from going on vacation and traveling for work. But, that’s changing. Travel expert, Marc Bokoff, says domestically everything is open, but certain states require quarantine and/or negative COVID-19 test results.
“So really, the question about where you’re going and where you’re coming from is going to determine whether it’s quote on quote, open,” Lakewood Ranch Cruise Planner Franchise owner, Bokoff said.
This includes international travel too.
“The South Pacific is open, Tahiti and Croatia,” Bokoff said.
Even some hot spots in the Caribbean.
“Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica,” Bokoff said.
The Bahamas requires a 14 quarantine.
The European Union restricted non-essential travel for a while. But recently, the council adopted a Recommendation on gradually lifting those restrictions for countries meeting certain criteria.
“There are few exceptions where Americans can go, but they’re really limited. They require quarantines, Bokoff said.
No cruise lines are sailing in U.S. waters at this time. The Cruise Lines International Association, announced Wednesday morning that they’re extending the sailing suspension from September 30th to ‘at least’ until October 31st.
“There’s fierce competition within the industry, but the one thing that the industry does not compete on is health and safety,” Bokoff said.
When traveling, Bokoff says universally, everyone should expect to wear masks. More and more, no exceptions.
“If you don’t want to wear a mask on a plane if you don’t want to wear a mask in public area spaces, don’t go,” Bokoff said.
A COVID test or PCR test is another factor to consider.
“Internationally, almost any place you’re going to go is going to require a negative PCR test before arrival,” Bokoff said.
The majority require a negative test taken within 72 hours of arrival. If you don’t, Bokoff says they may send you home.
Moskowitz plans to start traveling again, starting with Disney, at the end of the month.
“I’m terrified, but do I want to stop my life because of fear? I don’t know,” Moskowitz said. “I don’t want to be stupid, and I don’t want to die because of a trip to Disney; that doesn’t seem like a rational way to die.”
But she says if it’s safe to travel, she’s ready.
“Passports ready to go.. if it’s safe for me to go, I will go,” Moskowitz said.
Bokoff says if you plan to travel, do so, safely. It’s paramount to follow the rules of the areas you travel to.
