While I’m grounded at home until the world is open to Americans again, I’m revisiting my travel love life through fun posts like this.  Hope you enjoy!

“Where is Your Husband?” is a question I’ve been asked so many times over the years as I’ve traveled solo that I wrote a post about questions to stop asking solo travelers.  At first, I laughed it off and said “my parents would love to know that too so let me know when you find him” and then I went through a bit of anger phase asking myself the same “why haven’t I met that guy yet to travel and have a life with”? I even tried online dating (unsuccessfully) as no one matched my requirements of “owns passport, wants to explore the world and is open to adventure”. Now I’ve settled into a phase of contentment with myself and my solo-ness.  When someone recently asked me “aren’t you lonely traveling solo?” I replied “not at all, I’m dating the world” and each city is my “new blind date with potential”.  Snarky works to shut down people’s preconceived notions of what my life should look like.

Just like any date or relationship, there are a few places that linger as first loves, a few in the love/hate relationship, a few bad boys that still tempt me and yet a few more with the potential to be the “the one” – that long term image of walking hand in hand as we grow old together with memories (yes, too many movie moments in my head).  Of course, just like dating, there have been some duds along the way (it really was you not me) but each time I’ve learned something new about myself, my beliefs and how I need to be open to the world. I’ve had peeks at what my life should look like vs. what my life could look like.  I’ve laughed that the world is too big to keep returning to the same places and yet there are places (and people) that I keep in my heart that call me back on a regular basis (my home and heart are definitely in more than one place).

New Zealand – Pushing My Limits

Some places give you the taste of being “fearless”, some relationships are so raw that you can’t help but be afraid to be vulnerable but once you establish that trust, wow! What a feeling to discover your kick ass power and potential.  This is the guy that believes you can do anything in the world as life is an adventure every day!  The downside to the everyday adventure is wanting to just be still and enjoy the surrounding.

New Zealand is one country that wants you to experience pure adventure – it’s their marketing tagline “Pure Adventure”.  Whether in the thrill of adventure or savoring the food & wine scene, New Zealand pushes you out of your comfort zone to let you experience fun, tempt your taste buds and gasp at the incredible beauty of the landscape.  Fly in a helicopter to put on crampons and walk across the icy surfaces of the Franz Josef glacier.  Learn to kayak for the first time even if you are scared to flip over in the massive lake.  I swear the air whispers “you can do it” (ok, maybe the cute guide trying to get me to push past the fear and catch up to the group was a bit of incentive but in the movie version it was the air).

London – Friends with Benefits

London was my first international destination, the city that gave me a taste of what the world outside of Philadelphia had to offer.  With the funny accents and phrases like “the weather is pants”, London told me “to look left” and continued to offer up just enough to keep me coming back anticipating something new and left me wanting so much more.  We understood each other, it was (and still is) easy to be in London.  We shared ups and downs. With a great history of over twenty years, I tried to make it more permanent but London said “sorry Tier 2 visa hurdle, you’d actually need to meet (and marry) an actual British guy to change our status” so alas we remain friends with benefits.  We have fun, I find comfort in my visits, enjoy my favorite London chocolates and for now can’t be more than that. During the lockdown, I missed my annual transatlantic cruise to London and I’m longing to return.  I’ve not been away from the city for this long in a very long time.  I miss my friend with benefits a bit more than I thought, chances are London is my deep true love but without the opportunity to live/work there, I have to dream.

Venice & the Amalfi Coast – My First Travel Love(s)

Venice & the Amalfi Coast continue to be my first “love at first sight” cities.  Over the years, I cherish the memories and look with sadness at the changes each has gone through as we’ve aged.  They knew that they had the allure, the romance, the views – they had it all.  But everyone wanted them, to preserve their beauty and not let them change and grow – and over the years, all the beauty is still there but underneath their souls have been changed and it makes me sad.  It’s harder to find the unique experience of my youth, we are still friends and I can visit and act like a local, happy to stroll the streets (drive the roads) of my travel youth and relive the memories of the first time we locked eyes and shared the weekend. We are in the “remember when…..” stage of first love(s).

Paris – Torn between Two Lovers (Love & Hate)

Ah…..Paris.  Paris is that one city that evokes either love or hate with travelers and rarely a middle ground. For me, it was awkward at first as I wandered lost in a city of foreign language, culture and (at the time) currency.  I had to find my own way back to the flat to find my friend (before mobile phones).  On our second date, Paris loved me back but my friend hated it and she left me in the city abandoned at Valentine’s Day and I learned to be a solo traveler.  It was my third time lucky that we fell into our love/hate relationship which has matured over the years.  Yes, we still have differences but it’s those differences that make it such a strong, passionate, relationship.  I’ve reignited my love of the city the past few years with visits for Paris at Thanksgiving (when Mom boycotted the holiday) on the way home from my Round the World trip, Paris with my niece (the 11 yo foodie), on my European travel sabbatical and the Paris visit with my mom.  I’ve reliving my past in the present and future with my family now. Seeing the city with fresh eyes and years of experience make it memorable again.

Bad First Travel Impressions

Budapest, I’m looking at you twenty years ago.  We started off on the wrong foot (or in my case the wrong hotel in a sketchy part of town) but found a common ground (once I moved to the five star Intercontinental Budapest Hotel) and I saw past the surface to see a great beauty of a city.  I’m hopeful to return soon to see how much you’ve changed in the years as I continue to see your photos everywhere as a travel rock star.

Gozo – The Ugly Duckling Blind Date

When I arrived from the ferry and saw the limestone sameness, the unpaved roads, the unending construction in the villages and only one traffic light, I wondered where the hell I was and why I had said yes to this island in Malta. It wasn’t pretty…at first.  The island of Gozo would slowly reveal all of the hidden gems on the island, it was definitely a trust issue.   We started off fumbling with “did we like each other” but after three weeks, it was a torrid love affair, one I was hesitant to leave as I was lost in a world of wonder….far away from the drama at home.  My island home became a beauty once I stopped being all judgey with it. We met locals, dined on local wine and learned to tune out the church bells that rung every fifteen minutes to tell time. We fell into a comfortable routine that I hadn’t experienced with anyone else.  The five star Kempinski Gozo helped wash away the bad start to help me hit reset and be open to discovering so much more.

Houston: We Have A Problem

Houston, Texas (USA) – At first I thought it’s me, there’s more to the city than the cold highways, megachurches and shopping malls.  I even agreed to a second date to give you another chance.  You are Oil and I’m Water there is just no future for us.  I don’t even have a photo to share!

Sydney – The Supermodel Guy Who Surfs

Sydney, Australia is the cover model who is a smart businessman by day, cultured food & wine connoisseur at night and a surfer on the weekends.  He is multi-faceted and constantly surprising you.  He won’t commit to just you because he doesn’t realize you are smitten with him (everyone is in love with him) but he’s too nice to notice.  He’s happy with his awesome life and wants you to be happy too.  He shows you the beach, pours his friend’s wine from the Hunter Valley and introduces you to his family and friends.  You feel special with him because his attention is all on your happiness.  There’s no long term to this relationship but your ego (and photos) definitely get a confident boost when you are with him.

Miami – It’s Definitely Me Not You

Miami – we are so different that even in the opposites attract category….we don’t.  You are the perennial party-er with money, you keep saying we’re all good but I don’t feel we travel in the same circle. It’s probably my insecurities but I don’t fit in your world.  I’ll still say a transient “hello” on the way to the cruise terminal and maybe meet you for a drink or two but thats all.

Solo Traveler: Independent & Brave

I’ve had many more blind dates with the cities of the world (and small towns) and I still enjoy the awkward first meeting, the getting to know you stage and then waiting to see if it will be love, lust, like or loathing.  So I’m “still single” because I’m still dating the world, Mom says “I’m too picky”.  For the rest of the world, I’m independent, bold and brave and yet missing “my husband”.  As for me?  I’m still having a good time exploring the world. What about you – what’s your travel love life look like? How would you label your dates with cities/countries? Are you dating the world too?

We all need something to look forward to right now.  The pandemic took away the weddings, reunions, family vacations, summer cruises and so much more that we need a bit of hope.  Travel has always been that ray of sunshine, the reason to work all day, to save for, to plan for, and to shop for.  It’s the escape from the daily bubble of life’s drama.  It’s an escape from 24/7 news cycles, an escape to relaxation and an escape to fun. We all miss that right now.  The airlines miss us, the hotels miss us, the restaurants, museums, and tour guides miss us.  We miss them too.  As much as we complain about flying coach, we miss it.  Yes, hard to admit that but I miss that tight, no leg room seat right now.  That seat represents the first step to adventure, the conduit to discover a new destination and the reason you go to yoga class to become flexible and bend yourself into the seat.

So how do we move forward when so much is unknown?  How do we become comfortable again going through the airport and onto a plane and to the hotel?  We can’t stay home forever, well we could, but won’t you miss pain au chocolate in Paris? Miss the pints at the London pub?  Miss the glorious morning views of Zion National Park?  Miss seeing family and friends in person again?

The planes are being cleaned more frequently and hotels have shared their cleaning protocols and health partnerships.  Is that enough to make you feel comfortable?  Do cleaning protocols make you safe?  Are we ever really safe?  So many questions, so many unknowns.

Waiting for a vaccine might take a while (18 months or longer) and even then how effective will it be?  The seasonal flu vaccine is effective less than 50% of the time according to the CDC Flu Effective Studies.    (Note: I have friends who have recovered from covid-19 so I am not downplaying it, just stating a scientific fact that not all vaccines are effective and some are yet to be found (i.e. AIDS, a coronavirus that mutates).

Can we wait until herd immunity?  You’ll need to at some point weigh your risk factors and want to travel.  It won’t be an easy decision as the world is fed with fear every day.  We fear so much – fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of exposure, fear of snowstorms, fear of rain, fear of food, fear of being fat, fear of spiders and snakes (ok, that one is real), etc.

Now we fear people and crowds.  Fear sneezes, coughs and airborne particles.  Fear quarantines on either side of a trip.  Fear medical insurance deductibles (U.S. only), costs and job security if we get sick during travel.  There’s a lot of fear out there and if you consume any amount of media that fear is amplified, for good and bad reasons.

But there is hope out there – we’ve seen people come together to help neighbors, we hear of recovery stories, watch the car parades for birthdays, anniversaries, retirements and weddings.  We’ve learned to adapt and figure a way to move forward. We are resilient and determined to work together to find cures, to find ways support our businesses and communities.

We are already seeing small steps to restore traveler confidence – wearing masks on planes, some (not all) airlines blocking out middle seats and boarding from back to front with deplaning front to back to social distance best they can. Hotels cleaning protocols, Uber mask requirements of both driver and passengers and restaurants outdoor dining.  TSA has allowed increased volume of hand sanitizing liquid in your carryon, they won’t take your boarding pass from you and are cleaning the bins more frequently.   At PHL airport and many other airports, the GRAB app will allow you to order airport food online and have contactless pickup. I’m sure more airports are looking at social distancing and safe opening of their restaurants and shops for travelers use.

I wish I could see unicorns, rainbows and sunshine in the near future with travel but I can’t.  We all have our own level of fear, risk tolerance and opinions.  The travel vendors are trying their best to navigate the new travel expectations, local/state/federal guidelines for health and safety while trying to stay in business and bring back employees laid off or furloughed.  I’m sure you’ve seen many videos, tweets, posts about bad travel experiences so far – passengers not wearing masks, middle seats full, vows never to buy/fly/stay with x vendor again!  I think we all need to take a step back and realize there’s no guidebook for restarting the travel economy around the world during a pandemic.  Everyone is stressed and anxious and doing their best to move forward.

It’s ok that you are afraid to travel and conversely it’s ok if you want to travel tomorrow.  We all need something to look forward to and provide a sense of normalcy even in the midst of a global pandemic

So if you do choose to travel when your stay at home orders are lifted, when businesses go full green in your city/state, please choose kindness in the interactions and know that everyone is trying their best. Do share your experiences so others can learn from there and see the good/bad/ugly as we all baby step our way to the new travel normal.

Every year, I visit London in May/June/July timeframe and this is the first time in over ten years that I’m not in the city and to be honest, I miss it.  I even miss the political discussions that ensue once the black cab driver hears my American accent. I miss my friends, my walks along the Thames and fun nights in the pub watching local sport. It’s no secret, I would live in London if I could but alas visa/immigration is a hurdle I’ve not been able to clear despite years of trying.  Tomorrow, June 8th, the UK Home Office implements yet another barrier to London, the UK 14 day quarantine for visitors. Essentially, summer in London has been canceled, or at least it seems that way.

Travel Covid Testing and Quarantine

With the world slowly coming out of lockdown, we are seeing “travel bubbles” or “air bridges” being formed between countries for travel (i.e. Australia and New Zealand) and borders closed to American visitors by many countries that are still coming to terms with their covid19 crisis and recovery.  The last thing anyone wants are resurgent waves in a destination that spreads around the world again that stresses the health system and puts us back on stay at home orders.  Can we 100% keep that from happening?  Probably not, but for now, governments around the world are trying to navigate the best steps to restart their economies while many of us sit at home waiting for the green light to travel again, to emerge from our homes and see what the next phase of the world looks like. For now, it seems that it will be a patchwork of requirements by each country or collection of countries working together.

One big unknown which changes daily is whether travelers will be subject to a mandatory quarantine, testing or other upon arrival.  St. Lucia opened to visitors last week (June 4^th) and are one country requiring covid19 testing results done prior to arrival (max 48 hours).  That’s tough for some folks still not able to get testing where they live.

Australia, on the other hand, has had a hard line and will continue to do so until 2021.  They closed borders to all but their citizens returning home.  Citizens are subject to a government paid mandatory 14 day hotel quarantine with strict guidelines.  You can read about a few Australia quarantine experiences which were imposed even for those who live in Australia.  They weren’t allowed home to quarantine for fear of breaking isolation.  Personally, a hotel room closes in quite quickly if you can’t get fresh air (open windows or go outside) so I’m not sure I could mentally handle a 14 day hotel quarantine. My friend has canceled all future plans to go home to Australia to visit family due to quarantine requirements.

London Travel Quarantine for Visitors

So what about London?  Can I just jump on the plane for a London weekend visit as I have in the past?  Find a points award flight (availability is wide open) to go meet friends for dinner and pick up my favorite London chocolates and Blondie’s Kitchen cookies?

Right now, the answer is not really.   During the stay at home period, which started in March, the UK did not quarantine arrivals to the country as they kept their borders open and now, starting tomorrow, June 8^th, they will have a mandatory quarantine (self-isolation) of 14 days upon arrival. So technically I could go to London but the quarantine time and cost is prohibitive. Who can afford 14 days in a London hotel room or long stay apartment?

Logic would have said to implement this when the virus was spreading, when everyone was on home lock down but that didn’t happen.  Travelers could come and go. Mind you the number of travelers were only a handful of a normal day but still, why disrupt it all now?  Why not just close borders like Australia has?  I know, despite my over twenty years of London visits and following UK politics, I still ask silly questions. The travel and tourism industry has been decimated by the world’s pause of the past three months. This quarantine could be the final nail for many businesses that won’t survive without a summer season.

London Quarantine – Business Travelers and Tourists

For business travelers, this 14 day mandatory quarantine is a non-starter and they will likely stay home until a quarantine is no longer required.  Many business trips from the US to London are less than a week (five days) and already expensive to stay in small hotels rooms.  I couldn’t, in good faith, approve a business traveler to go through that process.  I would ask them to zoom that meeting which would save time, money and preserve sanity.

For the U.S. leisure traveler, a quarantine is not an option unless they are wealthy with a boatload of vacation time to use and enjoy staying indoors for a fortnight.  If they are retired and housesitting, well that is the only way I see this working out right now.  With the UK not scheduled to open until late June/early July, why bother with planning a trip this summer.  You would have spent three months at home waiting for the day to travel again only to land in the UK and self-isolate for 14 days relying on takeaway and food deliveries – no thank you!  I’d rather roadtrip in the US as it’s less restrictive.

It pains me to say “don’t go to London or the UK this summer” as London in summer is marvelous. There’s so much to do, see, eat, drink and enjoy in the city and surrounding cities and villages. But right now, they are technically not open to receive you.

If you do need to travel to the UK in the short term, be prepared as this could change at any time.  You will need to complete a form indicating where you will self-isolate for 14 days (at your own expense) and be subject to spot checks and a 1000 GBP fine for violations. If you are an athlete (or other deemed essential person on the list), then you are exempt from UK quarantine which has caused a lot of backlash for the determination of “exempt vs. non-exempt”.

London Travel Quarantine Backlash

Backlash over the mandatory 14 day London travel quarantine has been swift with British Airways and other airlines filing a lawsuit claiming “unfair exemptions” and “disproportionate” restrictions on visitors. Traffic to London airports is down 97-99% and this won’t help them restore flights in my opinion. BA is already having a row with pilots, the unions and staff.  The best scenario is to get everyone back to work in the already decimated travel industry.

From an outsider view, it’s definitely full of contradictory items.  For example, employees and self employed folks who travel weekly between the UK and EU are exempt from quarantine rules but travelers from the EU have to quarantine.  Athletes from cricket and F1 (the British Grand Prix will be in July) are exempt.  You can see why folks are a bit chuffed.

The policy notes it will be evaluated every two weeks so as my British friends like to say “watch this space” as things are fluid and changing each day.  It’s the UK so with politics afoot as well as business interests for the City of London and travel industry there’s a lot of input, anger and confusion with what seems a quickly put together moving target of a policy enforcement.

European Summer Travel Without Quarantine

Countries experimenting with courting tourists without quarantine are Portugal, Spain and Greece for summer travel in Europe.  Other European “air bridges” are being created for residents of x, y, z countries to visit neighboring countries.  But of course, some are claiming discrimination in the selection of countries and quarantines mandated. The U.S. and UK have been hit hard by covid19 cases and deaths so it’s not hard to understand the reluctance of the world to allow those citizens into their countries as they protect their citizens. Don’t even think about a European cruise right now!

For Americans, as of now, only Portugal (great country to visit) will be ready with open arms and no quarantine in July.  Iceland is planning to test tourists arriving into the country starting in July.    The list of entry requirements is changing almost daily with a good amount of commentary from around the world.  I suggest researching the destination visitor website for up to date government requirements.  Don’t rely on the airline, train or ferry information regarding immigration needs.

London Travel Quarantine – My Status

I’m trying to remain positive here and hopeful that my annual November/December visit to London will be able to go forward.  It will be the longest time I’ve been away from London – whatsapp, skype and zoom can’t replace the pub nights, the hugs and the feeling of home that I’m missing.

Thoughts on the 14 day London quarantine going into effect tomorrow?

Last year in advance of the 75^th Anniversary of D-Day this week, I had the opportunity to visit the Normandy region with fellow cruise ship passengers when the ship sailed into the port of Le Havre, France.  Our private tour Normandy with Brigitte (Bridget) of Unforgettable Normandy  included a split of Canadians and Americans so was curated to see both the American and Canadian cemeteries, the Canadian Juno Beach centre and Omaha Beach (she offers many options and can customize an itinerary like she did for us).  More than twenty years ago, I attempted to visit the American cemetery but arrived after closing time as I spent so much of the day driving from Paris stopping at various museums, sites and other places my friend wanted to visit. It’s probably good that I didn’t visit back then in my 20’s after college because I’m not sure I would have felt the full impact of D-Day (6 June 1944).  It was quite emotional visiting the cemeteries and beaches.  Reading about WWII in school or watching the many movies like “Saving Private Ryan” provides conceptual view but doesn’t prepare you for standing on the beautiful beach haunted by the gruesome violence and bloodshed.  Doesn’t prepare you to look out to the water once filled with traps, look at the beach and feel the deep sand that is hard to walk through and look for the bunkers. During WWII, approximately 16 million Americans served in the armed forces.  That’s a staggering number to wrap my head around.

Bridget picked us up in port for the long day at 8:30 a.m. (we would be dropped off by 5 p.m.).  After a week at sea, we were happy to be on land but knew that it was going to be a sad day despite the blue skies and picturesque puffy white clouds.  The drive to Normandy coast was going to take at least 1.5 hours (or more), lucky for us, it was a Sunday and the roads were empty. Had this been a weekday with roadworks and traffic, our day would have been a bit different.  Along the way, she narrated about the history of Normandy and surrounding areas as well as answered our questions. She had spent many years working in hospitality before joining tour companies and the visitor’s centers to tell the stories of Normandy.

The Canadian Cemetery – Private Tour Normandy

Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery and Juno Beach Center

If not for the fact that the tour group was organized by a Canadian couple, I doubt, as an American that I would have known or chosen to visit Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery which would have been a shame to miss.  As we passed the open fields on the two lane road, the colors of spring and life had arrived in the countryside fields. As the van pulled into the small dirt parking lot near Caen in lower Normandy, I saw the Canadian flag. Bridget had many laminated photos and maps to show up about the various invasion points by Canadian troops along the Normandy coast.  It was a coordinated effort by so many countries and the causalities spared no country.

In comparison to the American cemetery, the Canadian cemetery is small with 2,049 grave markers representing the ground troops who landed at Juno Beach. There are two small towers on either side of the large stone marker.  If you are searching for a particular soldier/grave site, there is a way to look them up on the guide.

The first thing I noticed is that the neatly arranged site was full of flowers, warmth and sorrow.  The majority of headstones had a Canadian Maple Leaf and a few had logos from their military division.  The soldier’s name was listed along with date of death, age (teenagers to mid-40’s) and religious symbol (Latin cross or Star of David).  Each family had the opportunity to add a quote or saying and when you took time to read them, it was both moving and felt invasive at the same time.  Each grave is surrounded with flowers, shrubs, personal notes and other items.

We spent about ½ hour wandering the cemetery.  We all wandered separately to experience it in our own way.  I walked in the center and then along the perimeter on the left side to not interfere with others in our group. There is one French grave with distinctive markings that sticks out a bit as it isn’t like the others. It belongs to a French resistance soldier, R. Guenard.

The group would continue to the Canadian Museum at Juno Beach Center.  It’s Canada’s cultural center and WWII museum.  Over 5,500 Canadians were killed during the Battle of Normandy, with 359 lives lost on D-Day.  The museum has a small fee to visit, exhibits, a film and other displays for visitors.  They also have a tour to a German bunker on the beach not far from the Center.

Village of Arromanches

After the long drive and the emotional visit to the Canadian sites, we stopped in the small village of Arromanches    for lunch.  There is the Museum of Normandy Landings, which is hard to miss with the military vehicle outside and the riveted date of 6 June 1944 in the door. Here there have information about Operation Overlord (code name for the Battle of Normandy), the Mulberry landings (man-made landing harbors that were floated across the English Channel) and WWII weaponry used.

The small town along the coast is the stopping point for many tours to see the remnants of the harbor and Gold Beach.  There are cafes, restaurants, quick takeaway and shops to peruse.  We first followed many locals to the bakery as there was a line and many baguettes exiting the shop.  From there we saw the staff setting up the I Love Caramels shop and we had to go a bit crazy filling our bags with Honfleur caramels, fudge and other treats.  Totally snookered by the price per 100 grams (3.5 ounces), our fun ended with the 20 euro treats (really yummy treats but tourist expensive – rookie mistake on our part to choose the heavy items). With our timing winding down, we ate freshly made sandwiches at “Speed Food” across from the museum. Then we were back in the van to continue the trek along the coast.

75^th D-Day Anniversary Banners in Normandy

Normandy, the cemeteries and nearby towns were all preparing for the 75^th Anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 2019) so there are banners around town with soldier photos and remembrances.  The American cemetery would have ropes up along the paths to preserve the grass and prepare for the influx of dignitaries and visitors from around the world. Take time to read more about the Battle of Normandy this week and listen to the personal stories of the veterans.

Omaha Beach in Normandy, France

The van, unlike the big tour bus, was able to drive to the beach, which was good as the path from the American Cemetery above is now closed due to security concerns.  It was a stunning beach and the gorgeous, albeit windy day, just added to the conflict in my mind.  Its beauty is haunted by bloodshed and awful violence.  The parts of the war not understood until you stand on the beach and look up at the ambush, look out to the water where metal traps were set up, see the memorial stone to the Army Medics who attended to wounded on the beach.  How something so awful could happen here boggles the mind.  I’m not sure I could have computed the heaviness of the loss twenty years ago when I first planned to visit.  I think now that I’m older and understand more about the war, the sacrifice of so many young men and the military, it was affecting.

As I looked up from the beach, I knew that high above was the American Cemetery at Normandy that was filled with so many lost – more than 9,000 soldiers and names of  1,500 missing.  It was a very windy day so best to turn off video sound.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kWNk5AVUpY[/embedyt]

The American Cemetery – Private Tour Normandy

It’s quiet, serene and respectful at the American Cemetery at Normandy, France.   It seems like any other park you’ve entered until you get to the D-Day time capsule marker that says to open in 100 years (June 6, 2044) to see the news reports of the day.  We entered, not from the new visitor center which was closed for renovations but now reopened, but from the path in front and walked down the path of trees. You’ll first be struck by the American trees because they are obviously not of French origin.

The tree lined path in the 172 acre memorial, opened to a large semicircle area with sculpture. There inscribed in the wall are invasion maps to get a scope of how large the D-Day invasion was. I had no clue to be honest. The maps of the landings, air operations and military operations of Western Europe along with the narrative were overwhelming for me.

The large bronze statue in the middle of the structures is named “Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves”.  Facing ahead is the reflection pool, similar to the one in Washington, D.C. with a small chapel in the middle of the burial areas. The wall of the missing which lists over 1,500 names is a semi-circle garden on the grounds.

Despite all the people visiting, it was solemn and mostly quiet – but there were still many selfie takers with big smiles that seemed a bit out of place? My friend and I walked along the path with burials and crosses flanking us on all sides. The design is a cross with the chapel in the middle. There were just so many it was hard to take it all in. These men and boys sacrificed all for our freedoms – the freedom we often take for granted.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG7hLdsyM0w[/embedyt]

The crosses are meticulously maintained and placed.  Unlike the Canadian cemetery, the markers stated only the soldier’s name, division and date of death. There are also grave markers for four women. Three from the Women’s Army Corp “Six Triple Eight” , the first all-female, African-American battalion working in the Central Postal Directory died in a Jeep crash, and one Red Cross volunteer who died in a plane crash. There are also four civilians buried here but I didn’t see those during my visit to know how their markers were different, if at all. No age, no personal statement or additional landscaping of flowers, etc.  At the time, the U.S. only recognized three religions – Protestant, Catholic and Jewish.  It’s all very somber.

As we reached the middle of the burials, we entered the small chapel with dome ceiling.  The ceiling mosaic art is powerful depicting both American and French figures.

Once we left the chapel, we continued down another path toward the view of the beach down below. It’s hard to imagine landing on the beach and fighting the bullets from way up here.  The movie “Saving Private Ryan” is still vivid in many of our minds and yet it didn’t indicate how high the climb up from the beach was in my opinion.  Having been on the beach and now up above it, it again was hard to imagine any soldier advancing in the dark with a heavy pack and gun.

Our visit didn’t allow time to visit the Battle Museum on the grounds which has military equipment and other displays.

Final Thoughts – Private Tour Normandy

Having the opportunity to visit two cemeteries in Normandy – the Canadian and American – was a reminder how the worlds’ allies have come together to fight for freedom and the institutions and resolutions that came from that.  In the world of divisiveness today, our wars are with words and ideology and the weapons are guns, social media and on the ground conflicts.  I want to think that the past can be put to rest, that the sacrifices of so many on those beaches in France and around the world can be revered and remembered to avoid it happening again. At the end of the day, in my mind, the people around the world in different cultures want the same things – to live good lives, work jobs that support/provide for their families and be happy and healthy.  The men and women of WWII in Normandy (and elsewhere) lost their future so that we can have ours. We need to honor their sacrifices not only on the 75^th anniversary but everyday.

One rarely mentioned quirk that I have, that my friends know about me (and tease me), is my OCD like behavior in hotels.  The first thing I do after taking photos for the blog is open the bar of soap and wash my hands then get a tissue (or ten) to pick up the television remote and put it inside a Ziploc bag. I then go to the door to check out my fire escape options (I’ve been awaken at 1 a.m. twice to fire alarms which is scary). I will always wear shoes (or slippers) in the room and never, never, ever will I walk in bare feet.  My friends have accepted my quirks as I try to hide my disgust for their lack of concern as they take baths, walk in bare feet, touch every surface with abandon and even use the in room coffee maker and amenities. I’m not sure when the germaphobe tendencies started but it’s the classic Odd Couple situation (when I travel with friends) where I’m the weird one until now.  So how will hotels change after covid-19 and will that affect me much?

Hotel Cleaning Procedures

Now with Covid-19 the topic of cleaning in hotels has come to the forefront in recent weeks as each hotel adopts and shares their cleaning protocols to provide a “perceived” level of safety for travelers (nothing is 100% – there are no guarantees in life or travel) to get back on the road, in the air and to their hotels. You’ll see updates daily by hotel brands as if one cleaning protocol over another will swing the needle to make you stay there.  Sadly there are no standards in the industry (yet) to get certified in cleaning methods, products, equipment, etc.  So for me, who rarely touched things in the hotel and did my own version of a clean room, will this really change things for me?  Probably not.  I welcome more cleaning and sanitizing.  My concern is whether this is a temporary change or long term?

My Hotel Routine (Pre-Covid 19)

Pre-covid, I put on the “do not disturb” sign on my door (as if that was a barrier to germs) and decline daily room cleaning so that the linens were not changed nor the carpets vacuumed. No outside germs (in my mind) were allowed in my room during the stay so limiting the number of staff in room I thought would help.  I swapped towels with the housekeeper if I saw the cart nearby or called later in the day for delivery.  Despite declining housekeeping daily, I always leave a tip on the last day. My one exception to in room visit by staff, was of course, room service.  This quick visit would deliver all the good food, wine and dessert.

So now with everyone talking about “will you go to a hotel again” and touch things – if anything it will be even more attended to with cleaning schedules of common areas and handles/buttons. A bit like you always thought they did but didn’t (if you saw the NYC subway close down for nightly cleaning recently, I’m sure you, like me, thought “didn’t they clean the subway every night anyway?”).  You will likely see staff cleaning common areas on a regular schedule.

Hotel Check In Changes During/After Covid-19

As for those common areas – we’ve all been there – crowded hotel lobbies, long check-in lines and dreaded the waits.  Now you’ll be able to bypass all of that for some hotel brands/locations. But before you get to the front desk and/or lobby, you might miss the bellman offering to carry your bags or the welcome staff to sit with you personally for check in.   I don’t anticipate temperature checks in the long term at hotels because of the liability, increased staffing required to administer and enforce each time and the bottleneck of people in line in the lobby.  Enforcement of masks will be a tough one too.

Despite all of my weirdness in the hotel room, I never considered the room keycard an issue but now will wipe that down with each use in the elevator and room door.  I’m probably an outlier in that I’m not a fan of hotel keyless entry options using your phone and yet another phone app to download. Keyless unlock with phone will likely become the norm so be prepared to connect to hotel Wi-Fi, have some data/battery left on your phone to access and bring a phone at all times when you leave the room.

• Check in online, get keyless code and bypass the front desk to your room (unless old European hotel key weights)
• Carry your own bags to your room or use the provided cart for assistance
• Less crowded hotel lobbies as furniture will be removed, social distancing in force with groups

New Technology in Hotels

In room touchscreens were just starting to come into their own but will you want to touch them now?  Will you use the TV remote to order/control what you need? Will smart rooms become voice enabled?  Do you run a voice privacy risk in hotel for guests?  You are ok to chat up Alexa, Siri and other voice assistants at home, which have had their own issues with hacking and data collection but what about in a hotel – are you weary of privacy and ability to listen to you?

I’ve seen a few hotels with text options to retrieve your car from the valet – you text the claim number and are told when the car will be available in the driveway.  This would allow you to stay in room longer.

Smart elevators are already in use in some hotels such as The Moxy Times Square NYC and The Hard Rock London Hotel.  You scan your hotel key card and are directed to a numbered elevator. Once inside there are no buttons to press, the elevator is going to x number of floors to make the system efficient.

Hotel Room Changes due to Covid-19

If I was really flying my “don’t touch that” germaphobe flag in room, I wouldn’t be surprised to see all in room amenities such as the minibar, coffee maker, iron/ironing board and other shared items that guests can use during their stays removed.  Removal of extra bedding, pillows and comforter cover too.   Limits to daily in room cleaning.  Addition of sanitizing gel and wipes.  Sealed items and the death knell of hotel toiletries to favor of in shower items. If you need anything, you’ll have to call to have these items delivered (don’t forget to tip!) or buy in the lobby/front desk shop.

• Goodbye Hotel Minibar (I won’t miss the $5 M&Ms and $7 bottle of water) but I will miss the best hotel minibar at 1898 The Post in Ghent followed by The Westin Sydney minibar
• Call Housekeeping for extra blankets, pillows, iron/ironing board and other amenities
• Removal of individual hotel toiletries of shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hand cream, etc.  I will miss collecting hotel toiletries especially luxury ones.
• The hair dryer – can we dip that into a Purell bath? Not sure how you really clean it.
• Unknown what happens to the coffee/tea options in room and in lobby

You may see changes to daily housekeeping changing of linens, towels and cleaning schedules.  There are so many moving parts in the room that I’m sure you’ve never thought about so likely you won’t miss much in the short term (long term who knows?).

Hotel Restaurant & Bar Changes

Room Service – I discussed my thoughts on How Room Service Will Change and it’s probably the “death of room service” as we knew it (at least for now).

Other hotel changes to expect will be the restaurant buffets (goodbye self-service), Kimpton famous wine happy hours (please, don’t take the wine away!), lobby seating, bar seating, pool bar seating, etc.

Will the hotel be responsible for enforcing social distancing? What if they remove bar seats – what’s to prevent someone from standing next to you or sliding their seat over to chat you up?  Hotels are there to provide a service not to police guests normally however does the social contract, health risks and local state/city regulations change that?

Hotel Gym Changes

Hotel gyms have always been an afterthought of small spaces to provide enough equipment for guests to use.  I rarely see the gyms in use by more than one or two people at a time.  That said, I suspect that reservations will become the norm to provide social distance and time to clean equipment between uses.  Equipment may need to be removed or limit the number of guests per time slot (30-45 minutes). Will hotels increase delivery of in room stationary bike, yoga mat or equipment usage? Hotels already provide yoga mats in room (Kimpton hotels),  deliver workout equipment to your hotel room and in recent years introduced fitness suites.

Hilton workout rooms look pretty awesome now, they call them “Five Feet to Fitness” workout rooms, will this model become more popular? Maybe?  I know I want to try this room type out if I can afford it. Will we see more hotel rooms with Pelotons or  hotels with the Mirror workouts?  Will hotels charge extra for these room types – you bet!  They will likely be in the Suite category to provide the extra space needed for the equipment. Or you can social distance yoga in the park instead.

Final Thoughts – How will the hotel experience change

To be honest, the world of travel has always had risk to it – from norovirus on a cruise ship, food poisoning at restaurants or food stalls to being chased by hippos (ok that’s just me). There are earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, fires and now murder hornets (those guys had a good doom/gloom PR agent) so the world continues to throw stuff at us while we live and when we travel.   You need to decide for yourself and your family what risks you want to take with travel and what you don’t.  No one can decide that for you.  If you do the research, make the backup plans, use a travel agent (where best needed) and expect the unexpected then you’ve done all you can do to travel.  I’ll be back at my favorite hotels when I can travel again, hopefully you will too.

So just a few thoughts on how the hotel experience will change (or not change) for me.  Thoughts on what you think will change at hotels and to your hotel experience?

One of my favorite travel indulgences is hotel room service.  Landing in a new city, arriving at the hotel and perusing their room service menu gives me a sense of the hotel, the food culture and a bit of sticker shock (burgers are quite expensive!) I anticipate the knock at the door to announce the arrival of my food. It’s exciting each time as the setup differs, the experience created varies and I still love when they remove the covers for each part of my order.

With the current covid-19 pandemic affecting the world, travel has been essentially shuttered for all but essential travel. Hotels, used to seeing 60-80% capacity, are now operating at 10% if opened or have decided to close altogether.  It’s a massive industry employing people of all skills and backgrounds. How the hotel industry comes back to serve travelers is still an unknown – obviously cleaning will be the top priority.  But what about food service at the hotel and specifically room service? Is covid-19 the death of room service as we knew it? Will contactless delivery become normal?  Will outside delivery services (UberEats, Caviar Food Delivery, DoorDash, Deliveroo, etc.) be allowed to deliver food and if so, will they delivery to the front desk for guest pickup or be allowed to access your guest floor (I’m thinking the former rather than the latter which is security risk).  Hotels will likely limit the number of staff in guest rooms going forward for safety reasons and this will likely include hotel room service.

Hotel Room Service Pre-Covid 19

From the perspective of costs, room service is often a big expense for hotels and often loses money – they need to have a large inventory of equipment (cart, linens, salt/pepper, utensils, glass wear, etc.) to deliver room service meals. Hotels and/or restaurants also need to staff the room service department 24/7 for that crazy person ordering a burger at 1 a.m. (ok me after a night at the pub).  All of the parts needed to create the room service are many as seen in the photos below – smaller condiments, butter containers, bread baskets, etc.  My breakfast platea alone has 20+ pieces of supplies before the food is added.

I am already starting to mourn room service as I knew it, as I enjoyed it, as it wowed me!  I want to set expectations for the future room service experience now (I can already imagine becoming one of those “I remember when….” travelers).  I want to envision how it can still retain the allure of indulgence, the high touch artistry of delivery all while continuing to honor the hotel brand of service and keeping everyone safe in the process.

Best Room Service Experience – The Soho Hotel London

The best room service experiences have often lead me to become more loyal to the hotel.  I still remember my first room service order at The Soho Hotel in London.  I ordered sorbet for dessert and was asked if I wanted it with my food.  I was surprised by the question – don’t they deliver all the food at once?  They explained that my appetizer and main meal would be delivered and then I would call room service to return and pick up the plates when I was ready for dessert.  At that time, they would deliver the sorbet.  If they delivered all at once, they feared the sorbet would melt and not be the right experience (I’m sure many of us have eaten melted ice cream/sorbet).  I really never thought about this and they allowed me to rethink the room service experience while offering a high touch service. Staying at other Firmdale Hotels, like Charlotte Street Hotel London, they also emulated high touch room service so I never had melted dessert again.

New Hotel Room Service Takeout Delivery Model

Years ago, in Philadelphia, I was invited to experience the new Curio collection property,  The Logan Hotel, for the weekend.  I ordered room service from Urban Farmer, the onsite restaurant concept owned by Sage Hospitality.  When the food arrived at my room, I was a bit taken aback.  There was no rolling cart, no table setting with linens, condiments, flowers, no presentation.  I was handed a brown bag with my “takeout” order.  My food was wrapped in takeout containers along with plastic utensils and packets of condiments.  For someone who loves room service and boutique hotels, I was disappointed. The food was fantastic as always but it wasn’t the experience I love.

The big question is how to replicate the fine dining, steakhouse or hotel restaurant experience in a takeout container?  I’d rather eat at the restaurant but now will I want to eat in a large hotel restaurant with social distancing and possibly a mask while not eating?  Probably not right now – I’m going to have to embrace the new room service and contactless brown bag, plastic containers and utensils.  Little did I know that Urban Farmer at The Logan were years ahead of the room service food curve.

Hotel Room Service Memories

So in the spirit of any trip down memory lane,  enjoy my photos of great room service memories – the food, the plating and set-up, the experience, the desserts and the many special touches (plants, flowers, personal notes).

London Rosewood Hotel – dessert was divine!  The panna cotta with fresh strawberries, shortbread biscuits (cookies) and fresh flowers.

Melbourne (Australia) Sofitel – the club sandwich with chips (fries).  Room Service tray with linen cloth and a personal note included.  I was exhausted when I arrived at the Sofitel from a long journey and just needed to eat, shower and get sorted to explore the city.

London Hyatt Andaz hotel club sandwich is not a normal “London” food so I often order room service to get a bit of American comfort food.  With thick chips (fries) in the center accompanied by three dips, it was a wonderful way to have a taste of home.

Hotel Room Service New Normal

So many facets to reimagine room service.  Hotels are working hard with government and health agency directions on the state, local and country level.  Each hotel brand may have a global standard or could have a bespoke model for that city.  Will delivery robots be used in hotels to deliver your food/drink?  (robots are expensive!).  Will the room service experience include touchless paper bags outside the door?  My quiet anticipation of the knock at the door could be deflated as I remember when…

You might remember (Gen-X and older alert) or be surprised to learn that there was a time you could walk to the airport gate without security checks.  Saying goodbye at the airport gate isn’t just a movie trope or a funny scene in 90’s television, it was, at one point, reality before the security changes were made post 9/11.  I remember my friend meeting me at the gate after a long flight with a Pepsi and a chocolate bar (before purchase onboard).  Now we accept the security checks and deal with the dreadful (and invasive) searches as part of the airport and travel experience. I’m sure we will learn to adapt to the new ways of flying in the aftermath of this global pandemic event of Covid-19 coronavirus.

Right now you’re probably exhausted by stay at home orders and the sheer magnitude of changes in the world, your work and your life.  We boarded a roller coaster that seems never ending with twists, turns and scary freefalls. You are ready to escape to the beach, the mountains, to an island, take a cruise or go anywhere that is not your home (and has room service).  I understand – I want to be on a plane to Europe but for me (and Europe) that will be a while.

So what will the airport experience and flying look like now post lockdown from covid-19?  What can we expect and how will we navigate forward?   With the curves flattening, there could be a lull and sense that all is over so folks may go back to “what they’ve always done” but we just don’t know until there’s a vaccine and even then we won’t know effective rates.  I would love to be the optomist, but realistically it’s going to be a year or longer until we settle in. So many questions, and like others in the travel space, I can only opine on how I think the airport experience and flying will change amid and post covid-19 and plan accordingly.

Covid-19 Airline Changes

Changes are occurring daily as we take baby steps back into the world of travel.  An important liquid security change in the U.S. is allowing up to 12 oz. of hand santizer in carry on luggage which will be screened separately.

Here are a few airline updates links that list cancellation, refund, rebooking as well as other applicable policies and procedures.  Each airline is unique in how they are dealing with this – familarize yourself before you book or travel with their policies.

• American Airlines Covid-19 Update– 50% middle seats blocked out, limited capacity on planes, minimal food/drink service, clubs closed or consolidated
• Delta Airlines Covid-19 Update – all middle seats blocked, boarding by rows back to front
• Emirates Airlines Covid-19 Update – antibody fast testing at check-in and ban on carry-on luggage
• Southwest Airlines Covid-19 Update – elimination of snack/beverage service
• United Airlines Covid-19 Update – scan your own boarding pass, pre-packaged food, Polaris lounge closed
• British Airways Covid-19 Update – no special meals, limited food/beverage, no elite status extensions

Changes at Flight Check In

Check in online before you arrive at the airport (no one will want to touch screens or be within six feet of another person for a while).  However, you can’t print luggage bag tags from home.  There’s no easy way to solve this for “no touch” right now so you’ll still need to use the kiosk at the airport or have airline staff print for you.

• Biggest unknowns – crowd control, printing bag tags via kiosk and temperature or antibody checks

New Airport Security Screening

The lines at security already snake around and around the terminal – expect these to get longer as we social distance and people start to travel again. Right now only 10% of normal travel is occurring (crazy!).  Expect security to space out folks on the screening as well.  So basically expect longer waits and long lines– plan accordingly.

• Good Time to sign up for Global Entry and/or Pre-Check for shorter lines in some airports.
• TSA Covid-19 Update
• PHL (my hometown airport) – Philadelphia International Airport Covid 19 Update

Changes in the airport terminals

The airports, at least in the U.S., are not built with massive gate to wait at or large common areas to keep a good distance apart. Each airport will implement their own processes and procedures to comply with state, local and federal health & safety recommendations.

• Food Outlets – bars, food courts and restaurants will need to right size. This may mean waiting for a seat or table.  Bring some snacks with you as backup plan.
• Airport shops will resize to ensure spacing and limits inside. They may remove merchandise to provide space.
• Look to see if your airport has order and delivery by app so you can use your phone, pay online and have the food delivered to you at your gate/seat.

Airline Lounge Changes

The airline lounges have long held a capacity limit for visitors and this will most likely continue and be enforced with less space to use.  Some airlines have closed lounges right now, others have consolidated lounges – best to check before you arrival at the airport. Self service is over for the champagne, wine and other drinks.

• I suspect access by credit card lounge access and/or Priority Pass may get third class status based on capacity at many airline/airport lounges.
• Plan for prepacked food, easy to access items like fruit and an increase in disposable one use plastics.

In Philadelphia International Airport, the American Airlines lounge in PHL A-West and PHL AA Lounge B/C has the space to play with, however, the BA Lounge PHL, AMEX Centurion Lounge PHL and United Lounge PHL are small already so changes will be noticeable.

At The Gate – Prepare to Board the Plane

The gates are not large enough to adequately house all passengers even when packed inside and waiting in the hallway.  Space will be a premium and boarding will need to change.  Not sure how yet though as they don’t have space unless the airports space out planes and gates for a while so that gates across from each other are not boarding at the same time and people have space to move, wait, etc.

• Delta has begun loading planes the old fashioned way – from the back row to the front row to space out boarding and allow folks to access their seats and overhead space.

If you are old enough to remember walking to the gate with friends and family, you’ll remember the simpler time of boarding from back to front in an orderly manner.  Long before “gate lice, preference, status, credit card holders and pay for boarding early” became the norm.

Changes On the Plane

It will be hard to have a six feet distance from the next passenger, especially across aisles or even window to aisle and in front and behind you.  So for the near future, planes will fly at lower load capacity and you may be asked to move/change seats for spacing and passenger weight distribution.  Until the equipment can come online, supply/demand/pricing will look like a Jackson Pollack painting, meaning it will be all over the place. What about deplaning which is usually a free for all of folks crammed into the aisle waiting to leave? Will there finally be order to the plane process?  Time will tell.

Changes In the Air – Flying in a New World

Flight Attendants will likely wear gloves and masks and need to ensure they don’t have cross contamination during limited service periods.  There will be pre-packaged foods as well as limited or no special meals available so now is the time to bring your own snacks/foods with you.

If you need to use the bathroom just prepare to Purell the hell out of you and everything you touch (yeah new 12oz hand santizer allowance).  It’s hard to escape touching things in the bathroom. There’s various pulls, levers, handles, buttons, etc. to pull the door open and close as well as lock and unlock.  If you are lucky, you will get a new “wave your hand” to flush toilet and automatic sink.  If not, then you’ll need to press (and hold) buttons.

Airline Flying Unknowns

• Masks – Will people wear masks as they have been doing for years in Asia? Will it be mandatory or optional?
• Temperature Checks – tricky one – easier to implement on cruises than at airports or by individual airlines. So I don’t expect this to happen in U.S. airports (international may be different) right away.
• Antibody Testing – Quick results. Emirates Airlines has started using this but it’s a minefield of what happens if denied boarding?  How accurate? And a host of other things.

Business Trip and/or Vacation in New Normal

If you have made it happily through all the steps above and are feeling good at your destination upon arrival, you’ve completed Step 1 (of 5) so far.  Now you have the transportation (Step 2)  taxi, rental car, shuttle, bus, etc. to the lodging of choice (Step 3) hotel, Airbnb, corporate apartment to deal with and if you get hungry (Step 4) or want to go out for entertainment/sightseeing (Step 5) to overcome.

Final Thoughts – Travel during and after Covid-19

It’s not going to be like it was in 2019, it will likely take two years or longer to fully recover and we will lose some great travel vendors along the way. We are embarking to a new normal, one that will likely change day by day as we, the traveling public, and travel vendors and governments learn how all the moving people and pieces affect global population health. We will have growing pains but will get through this.  We will be back on the road exploring the world again and I can’t wait!

I think it’s safe to say we all want to escape our homes right now –escape to blue waters and sandy beaches with a pineapple rum drink in hand.  The current pandemic situation is fluid with governments around the world limiting people movement and restricting travel and borders. When can we cruise again is one of the top questions I see in the various groups followed by opinions on what cruise changes we can expect to see.  Valid questions as folks are itching to get back onboard and explore the world. The cruise community of travelers is like no other – passionate, loyal and fun folks from all walks of life that share their love of cruise life with friends from around the world.

Recent high level PR nightmares, quarantined ships, environmental fines and scandals hasn’t helped the cruise industry. And there’s no love for the fact that they are flagged outside the U.S. as foreign companies avoiding U.S. wage/income laws, federal tax and other fun things which kept them from receiving bailout funds. Unfortunately, for the cruise industry,  recovery will require a complicated and multi-layered response over years.

So what does the cruise industry do now?  Well it’s on a 30 day+ time out for now.  As a reminder, the cruise industry is massive $45 billion in revenue industry dominated by a few cruise lines – Carnival, Royal Carribbean, Norwegian and Genting Hong Kong with about 300+ ships sailing in a normal week. More than 20 million passengers in a year!  That’s a lot of passengers now add in the additional crew and staff, supply vendors, destinations, governments, taxi drivers, tour guides, tour operators, restaurants, wineries, liquor vendors and so many more people in the supply chain.

When Will We Cruise Again?

When can I cruise again? I’m hopeful that some cruise lines will slowly start to sail again in late September/October with modified itineraries (such as 3-4 day cruises) subject to change daily.  Cruise line marketing of low fares will be all around you once there is an all clear and travel restrictions/warnings are lifted.   You may be tempted to jump on that low fare and if you do, please know that there could be disruptions, itinerary changes and other changes as this is a work in progress for everyone in the travel industry. There will be a learning curve, a trial and error period for everyone going forward as we find a new normal. 2020 will be slow starts and stops and create a roadmap for the future.

Always Research Cruise Destinations

Research for all travel is important and even moreso for cruise vacations as the ports are many, the uncertainty of weather and backup plans are often needed.  I’ve seen more than my share of folks stranded in the unknown because of cruise ship changes.

Dept of State Information for Cruise Ship Passengers 

Register travel with U.S. Dept of State STEP program  when traveling internationally.  This will allow you to access embassies notifications by email and text and have local U.S. Embassy information for rapidly changing environments.

Cruise Ship Ports Open or Closed

The biggest uncontrollable unknown will be ports – will they be open, accept ships and have staff available to process passengers while also keeping their city, town, country safe?  Will they remain closed to mega-ships? What government changes will need to be adopted in order for a ship to dock and spill out their guests for a few hours a day? Will you want to be on a cruise to nowhere if ports aren’t open?

Set Expectation:  Itineraries may change enroute.  Ports may close and deny docking.  Ships may visit their private island(s) more.  Don’t have your heart set on any one destination/port. 

Airline Schedules to Cruise Port Cities

Airlines will also need to have flights available.  Many airlines have drastically scaled back their schedules and equipment to limit travel. Can they quickly ramp up service once the cruise line cities are back on line.  Summer months would mean Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Seattle, New York are main cruise ports, Fall ports are limited to Florida generally. Seats may be limited for a while I rarely recommend buying flights from the cruise line, given the current environment, it’s best to research and consider their options as they handle arrangements.

Set Expectation: Airports are still open and flights are drastically curtailed. Fly out the day before your cruise sails in case of delays or flight cancellations. You don’t want to literally miss the boat on this one.

5 Cruise Ship Potential Changes

There are many moving parts to how each cruise line and ship will adapt, adopt and evolve their current procedures, policies and processes in the next few months to restart sailings.  With four major cruise lines dominating the landscape, you may see some brands adapt quicker than others.  A few thoughts on first round changes I anticipate –

Doctor’s Note Required

Will you need a doctor’s note to board a cruise ship?  The CDC had asked that those over 70 years old supply a doctor’s note that they were ok to travel but the CDC is a U.S. organization, what happens outside the U.S.?  Will the CDC rule become standard? Here is the current CDC website for Covid-19 Cruise Ship Travelers. For the many folks with pre-existing conditions, invisible illnesses, immunocompromised but medicated, etc. will they be able to sail at all?  If there is a risk of exposure or outbreak to a vulnerable population the cruise lines might try to mitigate the risk with doctor’s notes to decide whether or not to accept a passenger onboard.

Set Expectation:  If you have any concern about traveling with a medical condition, talk to your travel agent and/or cruise line directly before making reservation(s).  Make sure you have submitted all required documents in advance and bring copies with you.  The cruise line contract allows the cruise ship to deny boarding, disembark you at any time and confine you to your cabin if you are a risk. 

No More Self-Service Cruise Model

This seems like a no brainer to me.  While all dining areas have staff to Purell you upon entry or direct you to sinks to wash your hands, passengers do sneak by (I know I have).  The “washy -washy” song is cute and catchy but now even more important all over the ship. It’s hard to manage hundreds of people at one time swarming the buffets at key times. Cruise lines will need to staff all buffets and close self-service kiosks such as free stations for coffee/tea and ice cream.  They already do this during outbreaks.   Dining tables will not be pre-set with silverware, place settings and glassware. Staff will bring out individual salt/pepper, creamer, sugar packets as needed.

Temperature at Check In on Cruises

Anyone can fill out the paper health form and lie about being sick in the past 24 hours to two weeks.  Relying on people to be honest after they’ve paid thousands for a vacation and could be limited or denied boarding isn’t the best option in my experience.

I think the cruise lines will do a temperature check upon boarding (similar to what is done in many Asian cities) at each port and at the end of the cruise. Every time you swipe your keycard, you will undergo a temperature check. To accomplish this will require staggered times to limit the crowds and delays and massive staffing increase. Cruise lines (and captains) will need to establish procedures for those with a fever at each port.

Set Expectations: What are your plans if you are denied boarding?  Confined to your cabin because a family member (or traveling companion) is flagged? 

Cruise Ship Medical Staffing & Space

On our last cruise, my friend was bitten by a dog (long story) and we had to go to the medical facility.  It was closed (limited hours) so the crew called ahead so my friend could be treated.  There was a small staff of doctors and nurses with a few treatment rooms.

I think the ships will need to increase medical staff, increase hours, add isolation rooms (or areas) in the medical center to keep infected folks away from the general population to slow spread and set out a treatment policy for future infections.  Quarantine in cabin works for norovirus (I was on a ship with outbreak in Turkey) but not for covid-19 based on what we’ve seen on the Princess ships and others in the past few months.

Set Expectations:  Know your medical insurance coverage regarding medical treatments on cruise ships.  The costs can be exorbitant as you are not in network and often not treated by a U.S. Medical professional (ships are flagged in countries outside the U.S. and follow different regulations).   What type of medical coverage (if any) will be available to buy as travel insurance coverage?  What if the ship decides you need to be evacuated off-ship to the nearest medical facility and/or hospital?  Will you need a medivac by helicopter?  The costs will quickly, very quickly add up.  Also Medicare does not cover you outside the U.S. so you need to be aware of your coverage, rights and alternatives.

Muster Drills Changes

I’m not sure how to change this mandatory requirement which ensure all passengers know where to go in the event of an emergency.  Each cabin is assigned to a muster area which can be outside on deck or inside a bar, showroom or restaurant.  Folks are packed like sardines in my many experiences.  Crew take attendance to ensure all passengers are accounted for.

Set Expectation: BYOM (Bring Your Own Mask) to crowded gatherings like this.  Sadly you don’t have the opportunity to sing “Don’t Stand so Close to Me” by the Police although it might rattle in your head during this exercise.

Summary of Cruise Ship Sailings and Changes

Demand for cruises will be lower than normal in 2020 despite the summer vacation season and pent up need to escape stay at home orders. With high unemployment and folks fearing job security, a cruise vacation will be a luxury most won’t be able to afford this year.  For those that can, they will see ships sailing less full, crowds dispersed the best they can and new procedures in place for safety of guests.  2021 cruise bookings are already seeing uptick in interest and reservations so many travelers realize it might be a while before they can sail again.

I’ve sailed many cruise lines and ships solo paying a single supplement (solo cruise cabins), with friends and with family on Disney cruise and I will sail in the future with some changes (i.e. book balcony cabin instead of the cheaper inside cabin). Mom is now banned from cruises and travel (which she isn’t thrilled with) due to her immunocompromised status. When a vaccine is available, Mom will be back in the bingo game on the ship!

I hope this time out will give the cruise industry and cruise lines time to regroup and reimagine the cruise experience.  We all want to be together again but maybe not that close together?  Let’s see how they respond and adapt.  When can I cruise again is a date that continues to change.

On day 2 of work from home (WFH) this week, I almost ordered a trampoline.  My neighbor has one and my home office window looks out to it so my inner child was screaming “I want a trampoline!  You need to remember how to have fun!”  Thankfully Amazon is shipping only essentials right now as we social distance and while my inner child might disagree, the trampoline is not essential. She keeps telling me there are other online options that will ship a trampoline big and small – she’s getting bored.  I’m telling her she can still travel the world with virtual tours, blogger posts, YouTube videos and a plethora of photos.

The sentiment is correct – we need to have a bit of fun right now – it’s a scary time with so many unknowns that we need to self-care best we can. Travel for me, as I’ve mentioned many times, allows me to hit reset on my life – to reboot my mind, body and spirit.  Lately, all have taken a beating in the past few years with unemployment, parent caretaking and the uncertainty of temp jobs and client projects.  I’ve had to learn to readjust my travels near and far.  I was planning on another transatlantic cruise next month to see friends but that’s no longer an option. My travel class “How to Travel for Less” has also been canceled.

You can still read about travel, still plan for the future trips (don’t put any money down just yet) and dream of places outside of your home to help take your mind off of all the negative stuff coming at you from all angles. Escapism is ok and blogs could use some views as support.  Right now the local park is my exotic destination – funny how when the world quiets you notice the birds chirping and the palette of colors in the landscape as you put one foot in front of the other. We’ve been busy we tell ourselves, well the Earth has given us a “time out” to rethink our priorities.

Growing up, I lived in a rowhouse in Philadelphia which meant you could knock on the bedroom wall and your neighbor could knock back.  There were at least thirty homes on each side of the block so about sixty families in total – lots of people for summer block parties, Tupperware parties, sharing cookouts and swimming pools.  Life was orderly, not busy per se but scheduled in a different way. I walked to school, came home as a “latchkey” kid, watched cartoons and started my homework before my parents came home from work.  I had sports on Saturday and my mom would drop me and my friends off at the soccer field and come back later at some point.  If it ended early, we would need to walk a few blocks to the pay phone to call her to pick us up early. We knew our neighbors. We left after breakfast and played outside all day long until someone’s mom would yell out the kitchen window that it was dinner time.  It was usually my mom yelling “Suzanne – dinner time” which prompted me to drop everything and run home in record time.

We don’t live in the world of my Gen-X memories anymore. The isolation is real for so many folks in today’s world – we don’t know neighbors, we are too busy, we are stressed out, we are lonely.  I don’t have answers (I wish I did) but a few ideas – schedule a virtual lunch or happy hour with friends and co-workers.  Netflix has a new feature so you can all watch a move together and chat in a Netflix Party. Don’t fall down the rabbit hole of 24/7 news. Go for a walk.  Find ways to exercise. Download Meditation apps or talk to a professional with TeleMedicine Therapy. Call, text, video check in with everyone – don’t wait for others now – you might be the lifeline someone needs.

For entertainment that allows you to travel the world – there are a few vendors helping out with that right now so let’s escape with them to discover the world from your couch. From concerts, mass, street art and museum tours…..

Virtual Street Art Tours

You know I’m a big fan of Street Art with my trips to see Shoreditch Street Art in London,  Paris Street Art, Melbourne Street Art and Rotterdam Street Art.  Now you can explore even more with Google Street Art https://streetart.withgoogle.com/en/

Museum Virtual Tours

Museums may be closed but the virtual tours, curator discussions and beauty is available all day.

• My recent art discovery was the Wallace Collection in London
• Other London faves: the V&A London and British Museum
• The one museum though that has resonated years after the visit is MONA in Tasmania, Australia – the Museum of Old and New will make you rethink “what is art” and challenge you at every turn.

For Impressionist art lovers, the Philadelphia Barnes Collection is amazing!  Watch the “Art of the Steal” documentary to learn more about the power struggles with this impressive collection.

While I’ve only scratched the surface in museum visits – Google Arts & Culture invites you to discover 2,500 museums and galleries around the world!   https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?hl=en

The National Constitution Center is offering weekly classes, a podcast and town halls.  Fascinating discussions of how the constitution lives, breathes and continues to be challenged in our world today.

• Online class Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 1 pm EST https://constitutioncenter.org/debate/live
• We the People Podcast https://constitutioncenter.org/debate/podcasts

Cute Animal Virtual Tours

After my safari visits in Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, I see the animal kingdom and all the rescues differently.  After visiting the Fortress of the Bear in Sitka, Alaska and learning that there are no laws to protect the bears and that bullets are cheaper than rescue, I’m more impressed by the work of local rescues, zoos and shelters.

Check with your local animal shelter to see if they need volunteers to foster the animals as they are closed to adoptions so the animals, like you, are really isolated.  They are literally in cages and you are in your house, free to move around.

For cute live cams – many places are offering a dose of cuteness (you need a few cute breaks a day)

• San Diego Zoo Live Cameras https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
• Monterey Aquarium Live Cameras https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams

National Parks Virtual Tours

Living in Philadelphia, I have access to Independence National Park, home of the Liberty Bell (seen through glass right now), Independence Hall and the Constitituion Center.  Outside the city, Valley Forge National Park offers a respite from life with monuments and walking, biking, running trails. With current grey skies, I’m reliving my trip to Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. For more insight into the U.S. National Park system, visit  https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service

Opera & Broadway Streaming

I’ve never attended an opera but the Met and Royal Opera are streaming performances so I may catch one or two and see if I like it.

• Metropolitan Opera Free Streaming https://www.metopera.org/
• Royal Opera House https://www.youtube.com/user/royaloperahouse

Broadway may be dark but you can get your fill with the Broadway HD subscription.  It has a free trial period and then a monthly (or yearly) subscription.  Schedule time with your family and loved ones to see Broadway at home  https://www.broadwayhd.com/

Kid’s Programs:

There are online book readings for kids, music, crafts and many lessons – check out Instagram, Youtube and Facebook.  I thought these were interesting:

• If you are ready to explore beyond Earth then the Space Center Houston App is for you and your little astronauts in training https://spacecenter.org/app/
• Kid’s Programs (K-6) at Scholastic https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

Final Thoughts – Virtual Travel from your Couch:

The world we once knew will never be the same after this – we will rethink how we treat each other, create jobs and social safety nets and learn to be kind as folks are coming together to help each other.  My beloved travel industry has been decimated and will need our help to rebuild.  Our humanity ties us together – we really are quite similar despite the differences in language, culture, religion, politics, etc. I’ve learned from traveling that we have more in common – we want to be healthy, work a good job to earn a living to support our families and be happy.  So in this time of uncertainty, please be kind to each other and know together we are stronger.  I look forward to being back on the road, in the sky and sailing the seas to be able to breathe again as travel is my air.

I still might buy that trampoline, let’s check back on WFH day 12!  In the meantime, I bought my inner child a jump rope and am feeding her chocolate! Be safe everyone!

What do you have to add?  Any fun ways to keep entertained and explore the world from your home base?

The controversy has popped up into our social feeds and reignited a debate of fierce stances – should you ask to recline the airline seat or not or just go for it without warning?  I don’t normally jump into the “topic of the day” but here I am because I’m been the victim of the seat recline, rather my poor knees have been the victim of the seat back.

By now we’ve all seen the video of the guy pushing (or punching) the seat in front of him because the passenger in front of him leaned back without asking or providing any indication.  I’m not sure when we forgot to use our words and treat folks with respect.

The airplane seems to be the wild west of manners and attitudes. There has to be a common sense middle ground. We are all too “whip out the phone first” crazy for likes, cancel culture and viral attention.

This could have probably been settled easily without the escalation but alas it’s now in the social media sphere and being discussed.

In my opinion, based on what I’ve read (I’m sure there stuff I don’t know) both seem at fault.  The woman could have asked first to see that leaning back didn’t cause any obstacles or discomfort.  What if his tray table was down and he was working on his computer?  What if the seat recline hindered that ability.  What if this was a woman who did this or the reclining passenger was male?  So many what ifs.   So many opinions.

The woman in her tweets discloses a medical condition with her back/spine and says the incident caused more damage requiring a doctor’s visit, x-rays, lost time from work, etc. comparing it to “assault”.  So it seems there’s more to her experience that led her to go public with the incident. A few steps seem to be missing – tell the guy to stop, tell him you have a medical condition, ask to be moved to another seat, etc.  A lot of options at the time on board before bringing it to public scrutiny and opinion.

It’s reported that the guy did ask her to put seat up so he could use the tray table to eat, which she did.  She then reclined again. This was a two hour flight!  The guy was in the last row of coach and if you’ve ever sat there (I have many times) you know those seats don’t recline at all. So you could be pinned in depending on your body type.  The man pushes the seat a few times and instead of the woman with the spine issues saying anything to him, she chooses to film the man (did she get his consent to film him?) instead?!  That’s a bit crazy to me.  If someone kicks my seat once I get annoyed more than that?  I’m saying something, I’m not filming it.  I’m resolving it right then and there.

I think it’s safe to assume we’ve all been in this situation in some way or another. I’ve had kids kicking my seatback – I told the parent and the kicking stopped.  I’ve had situations where I’m on the aisle and the girl in front of me not only threw her long hair over the seatback (ewww!) but also reclined without asking thus pinning me in.  I pointed this out to the flight attendant (as the passenger and I had different languages) as her hair was offensive in my space.   She removed her hair but kept reclining and gave me a death stare mumbling under her breath (words I did understand in her language) when I needed to get up as it disturbed her flight.

Here’s the thing – I book an aisle seat as I’m tall and short waisted with long legs.  My knees are already likely pressing into the seat.  If you push back, my knees will likely push into your back and I will be pinned into my seat which is frankly dangerous for evacuation.  In order to stand up, I need to hold the seat in front to angle myself up and out (thankfully all that yoga pays off!).  Using the tray table is not an option when you push your seat back so I can’t work on my computer even if I wanted to nor can I eat (when or if the airline serves food, the flight attendant always has to ask the passenger to put their seat up so I can use the tray table).  I often try to sit sideways if the seat arm will push up but then I’m at the mercy of beverage carts (they will hit me all the time) and people walking to/from bathroom.

Now if you ask me if you can put the seat back, I will say yes (Catholic School guilt being nice) but disclose my issues above.  If you are ok with those conditions, go for it.  Most times folks will recline, feel my knees in their back, feel bad, say sorry and put the seat back in upright position.

A few times, I’ve been able to avoid all of this unpleasantness by paying for a choice seat (on American Airlines out of PHL)  for $35-50. The few times I’ve done this, I’ve ended up with a while row to myself.  When that happens, I will move to the window seat and stretch out.  Best use of money to upgrade to the seat others don’t want to pay more for.  Other times, if I can afford it, I’ll buy a first class ticket or upgrade with points for the extra leg and seat room.  Just take my points to let me stretch out in comfort.

The only answer to me is to politely ask (or notify) the passenger behind you first.  Be respectful if someone says no or offers up a reason why (i.e. working and using tray table, already poured into the seat and will be stuck, etc.).  The recline feature doesn’t do much in my opinion other than take personal space away from someone else.  The airlines created this mess trying to jam in more seats to maximize revenue.  The seat pitch continues to shrink as does the seat size for a growing population that spills into the seats and make the notion of neighbors that much cozier when you are thigh to thigh (or shoulder to shoulder) for a few hours.

Be Kind seems so simple – Treat others the way you want to be treated sounds easy – Life, however, has made us stuck in a bubble where all of our wants/needs are catered too with immediacy – Let’s start a bit of a revolution on the next flight with empathy and respect.  Please ask before reclining your seat.  It’s the right thing to do.

Your thoughts – should you ask to recline the airline seat or just push back at will?