![]() The “choose a new flight” button just said “Check back later.” However, no staff member showed up - an ominous sign.Ī little before 5, I received an email from American Airlines stating that our March 22 Sunday evening return flight from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Miami had been canceled. ![]() The ship sailed, and at 4:30 we went to a meeting for the distribution of snorkeling gear. ![]() We boarded the Silver Galápagos a little after 1, found our stateroom and went straight to lunch. The islands are a national park, and getting our park tickets took another hour in line.Īfter being transported to the dock, Eileen and I had time to take a few photos of seals, crabs and iguanas before climbing into a Zodiac and heading to the ship. Rising at 4 a.m., we had breakfast and left the hotel at 5:40 for a flight to San Cristobal in the Galápagos Islands. The rest of the day was spent sightseeing, including an evening tour. Silversea had us visit a doctor the next morning for another temperature check and more forms. Upon arriving in Quito, and because of COVID-19, passengers were greeted by airport staff in full hazmat suits checking our temperature and handing out health questionnaires, all before we entered the country.Īs Eileen and I had not booked travel from and to the US through Silversea, we had to hire a private transfer to our hotel, the JW Marriott Hotel Quito, but the hotel and further transfers were included in the cruise price. My wife, Eileen, and I left Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 12, 2020, flying to Quito, Ecuador, via Miami to join a cruise to the Galápagos Islands, “Voyage 8011,” with Silversea Cruises (Fontvieille, Monaco 888/978-4070, ). Many had stories to tell, the first printed in our September 2020 issue, and we are continuing to share their accounts.Īs can be seen, not only do companies have contrasting policies, but travelers have different strategies in planning and booking trips as well as different outlooks. In the interest of comparing how various tour operators, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, etc., handled the disruptions and travelers’ bookings, ITN asked subscribers to write in about their experiences. Learn more at closing of borders worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to the canceling and postponing of countless travel plans. Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the world leader in educational travel since 1975. It offers thousands of programs in more than 100 countries and 50 states. Road Scholar is the nation’s largest not-for-profit educational travel organization for adults – a true university of the world. To request a mailed catalog, please call (800) 454-5768. To explore Road Scholar’s 1,000+ program offerings, please visit. ![]() So far, more than 52,000 participants have enrolled in programs for 2022: 26,700 in North America programs, 16,900 in international and 4,500 in Road Scholar’s Adventures Afloat shipboard programs, which resumed in August 2021. More than 6,500 older adults are currently scheduled to travel with Road Scholar between October 15 and December 31, 2021. “Knowing that everyone I sat on a bus with, sat across a table from and sat in a classroom with was vaccinated was reassuring.” “Requiring vaccinations allayed my fears,” said Georgina Schuster, a first-time Road Scholar participant. This is a policy Road Scholar established as soon as vaccines became available and to which we are fully committed.” “Especially in light of the new Delta variant, participants’ feedback has been consistent: they are grateful that we will only enroll people who have been fully vaccinated and that our on-site leaders must also be vaccinated. And, for Road Scholars, living means learning and traveling,” said Moses. “We all are settling into the reality of learning to live in a world with COVID. The most popular Grandparent programs focused on physical and educational activities with their grandkids, including canoeing in the Ozarks and learning about sea turtles in Georgia. National Parks and U.S.-based outdoor learning experiences. Road Scholar’s most popular learning adventures this year have been in Costa Rica, U.S. “These folks decided the time was right, they were fully vaccinated and they were ready to get back out in the world to learn and discover together.” “This was a summer for grandparents to reunite with their grandkids and embark on learning adventures across the U.S.,” said Road Scholar President James Moses.
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