Monthly Archives: June 2021

Here is some reaction to the changes to the UKs green list from our transport correspondent, Gwyn Topham.

The Balearic islands accounted for more than 8% of UK flights to EU countries in the last pre-Covid summer of 2019, when almost 1,000 flights a week would depart from the UK, according to data from analysts Cirium.

Next week just 214 are scheduled to fly from the UK to the islands, mainly from Jet 2 and Ryanair, with 32 to Malta and 19 to Madeira, although the number of flights is expected to rise rapidly. EasyJet said it would be adding more services to the Balearics to meet an anticipated surge in demand.

Virgin Atlantic welcomed the addition of Caribbean destinations to the green list but said the announcement did not go far enough. Shai Weiss, chief executive, said: The governments own evidence shows that the US is low risk and should be added to the green list now. Whilst the transatlantic corridor is closed, 23m in economic value each day is restricted.

He called for quarantine to be removed for fully vaccinated passengers from amber countries in time for the domestic reopening on 19 July.

The Business Travel Association described the updated green list as bitterly disappointing, saying the lack of major economies on the list was cutting off British business. The Unite union said that the small changes showed that the system was not fit for purpose, and reiterated calls for help for the beleaguered travel and aviation sector.

A spokesman said: Asking an entire industry to hold its breath every three weeks to see where countries will be placed on the traffic light system prevents sensible planning decisions being made.

The Airport Operators Association said any extension of the green list was welcome, but this is not yet the meaningful restart the aviation industry needs to be able to recover from the pandemic.

The chair of the transport select committee, Huw Merriman, who had slammed the shambolic traffic light system earlier this week, said the changes were a move in the right direction but that travel to the more than 150 countries on the amber list was still unnecessarily difficult.

He said the government should admit going abroad is safe for those who have had both jabs in time for the start of the July summer holidays.

The rest is here:

UK removes quarantine requirement for arrivals from Balearics, Malta and some Caribbean islands as it happened - The Guardian

(4 p.m. EDT) -- The newly stretched all-suite 312-passenger Star Breeze left St. Maarten on Saturday, June 19 on its inaugural sailing with 80 fully

vaccinated guests, but it was not quite the brave new post-pandemic cruise world that Windstar had hoped.

The original idea was a bubble cruise, visiting the British Virgin Islands, where Windstar passengers could do such shore excursions as visiting "The Rocks" caves, hanging out on beaches, driving their own Zodiac and attending a ship-sponsored beach BBQ, no independent touring allowed. St. Barths and Anguilla were both on the itinerary too.

But with few vaccinated among the 177 crew onboard, plans changed. Everyone has been wearing masks except when eating and drinking, at the spa or gym -- or away from others on deck. We sailed south passing Monserrat and St. Kitts and Nevis. Then it was back to St. Maarten.

Most of our views have come from being anchored in Simpson Bay, near the airport, with nowhere to go.

With some of these startup post-pandemic cruises, there are hiccups and unknowns.

In this case, the crew -- unable to get vaccines in Indonesia, the Philippines, eastern Europe and other home countries -- arrived at the Palermo shipyard, where the Star Breeze was overhauled, without having been vaccinated. Ten other crew arrived in St. Maarten with the same issue, including the Slovenian hotel director.

Windstar was not able to secure shots in Italy, nor in St. Maarten. It was a perfect storm of "no" from authorities says Chris Prelog, the line's president.

Islands turned the ship away. The B.V.I. and Anguilla said no. St. Barths, which has not welcomed a cruise ship since the pandemic, waffled back and forth.

On Monday, two days into the voyage, the cruise line confirmed it was able to secure Johnson & Johnson vaccines for crew in San Juan, where Star Breeze will head next week without passengers Windstar has cancelled the next two sailings and plans to resume service on Star Breeze from St. Maarten on July 10. Guests on the cancelled sailings will receive a refund or a 125 percent future cruise credit.

Prior to the current sailing, Windstar contacted the 90-something guests booked (including a media group) to warn that this sailing might not follow the lines printed itinerary. Passengers who agreed to to fly to St. Maarten anyway were offered a free cruise. Less than a dozen guests demurred.

Still, onboard this week, the guests on their free sailing expressed surprise in learning that fewer than 20 percent of the crew had received vaccines and that no port calls had been secured.

David Hakimian, 58, an oncologist from the Chicago area, was looking forward to beach time. I just wanted to get away and relax, he said. I am a physician and have been working through the whole pandemic. I figured it was safe to be on a cruise deck.

He added he was stunned to get onboard and learn the majority of crew had not been vaccinated. Though with the safety protocols in place, he was not concerned.

Go with the flow turned into frustration. There were audible groans every time the Captain announced that it was unclear whether St. Barths would allow us ashore. On Tuesday afternoon, the announcement was that the ship would just keep hanging out around St. Maarten, with plans to dock in Philipsburg on both Wednesday and Thursday night.

There, passengers will have the opportunity to book shore excursions to do the Flying Dutchman zipline or a rum tasting or catamaran and snorkel tour and at least get off the ship. No independent touring is allowed though you can book a private car with guide for $525.

Its a beautiful place to be on vacation no matter where we are going but it would be nice to land somewhere, said Anna Gillon, 61, from Atlanta, before the docking announcementt. She added that she and her husband, David, did at least have a new experience on the ship acupuncture at the spa.

The ships watersports platform was open for a second day on Tuesday, so those looking to swim (the water has been too rough for paddle boarding and kayaking) can at least dip in the sea and lounge on floating mats, planes from St. Maarten's famed airport flying overhead.

Prelog said the original itineraries including the B.V.I., Anguilla and St. Barths should be in place once the crew is 100 percent vaccinated. The last weekly sailing in the region embarks on July 31.

Windstars health protocols for all their ship startups Wind Star also returned to sea in Greece last weekend and Wind Spirit will cruise in Tahiti beginning on July 15, with both of these ships fully vaxxed involve all crew and guests wearing masks and serious social distancing, for the foreseeable future.

Tables for four are blocked off for three making it difficult to dine with another couple unless you can find a table for six, on a ship where anytime, open-seating dining is a highlight. Guests had to remember to put on a mask every time they left their cabins.

Luggage is sanitized on the outside before coming onboard. Suite amenities now include a packet of masks and the guest services and shore excursion crew now sit behind a glass barrier.

The crew is great at service, smiling with their eyes at least, and remembering everyones favorite drinks and how they like their eggs at breakfast. But without vaccines, there have been odd moments such as where they back away from guests who get too close.

Onboard, theres at times that awful suspicious feeling weve all gotten when someone sneezes or coughs highlighted because we know most people onboard are not vaccinated.

To make sure there is no COVID-19 brought onboard, all guests received a nasal swab antigen test before boarding, and there was another test Tuesday so that we can get cleared to tour in St. Maarten later in the week. A third test will be administered before we disembark. Crew was tested before the cruise and are also being tested this week.

All this begs the question, why did Star Breeze set sail this week in the first place?

The ship has been ready to sail since October 2020, following a renovation that included cutting the ship in half and adding a new 84-foot midsection. Fifty new suites were added, the deck completely redone with a stunning new raised pool accessible from two decks added. Excellent new dining venues such as Quadro 44 by Anthony Sasso were ready to go.

With its sleek reimagined hull, the ship was ready to make its debut.

We thought about canceling but we wanted to show off the ship, said Prelog. I am joyful, excited, really proud of what the team has been able to achieve.

But the need to cruise goes deeper than that. Crew, many of whom have been bubbled on the Star Breeze for two months, without any shore leave, and all of whom have not seen guests for more than a year, were ready to get back to business.

Hotel director Milton Ceklic said it all in kicking off Windstars signature on-deck BBQ. I have been waiting two years to do this! he exclaimed.

After filling up on grilled lobsters and steaks at the BBQ, guests danced late into the evening around the newly expanded deck, while a live band played popular 1970s and 1980s dance tunes.

Anna, traveling with her husband, David, was delighted with the casual and nice atmosphere and the Star Breeze redo. The interior design of the suites is gorgeous, she said, noting she especially appreciated the added French balconies. I love the scale of the ship, and the overall ambience.

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Live From Windstar Star Breeze: A Cruise to Nowhere in the Caribbean - Cruise Critic

As Cayman is waiting a few more weeks for the release of its border reopening plan, other travel-dependent islands are moving at different speeds to restart their tourism industries.

Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered the COVID travel advisory risk classifications of several Caribbean countries to Level 1 the lowest risk rating.

The CDC still recommends that travellers are fully vaccinated if they travel to any of these locations, including Anguilla, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, St. Barts, Saint Kitts and Nevis or the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Montserrat and Cayman are also considered low risk on the CDC scale, but their borders are not yet open to tourists.

Barbados and Bermuda are classed as Level 2 (moderate risk) and the Bahamas is at Level 3 (high risk) meaning that unvaccinated travellers should avoid non-essential travel to these destinations.

Given that the majority of Caribbean islands are believed to represent moderate or high COVID-related risks, the entry requirements vary widely. Even the low-risk destinations follow different approaches in their travel restrictions.

St. Kitts and Nevis, for instance, only allows vaccinated travellers. Any tourists who enter the country have to stay in one of seven approved hotels for nine days when they are tested for COVID-19. Only then are they allowed to move freely, rent a car or participate in tours. Families with children have to stay in their accommodation for 14 days.

Anguilla, on the other hand, will not allow any unvaccinated travellers after 1 July, but has no quarantine requirements.

St. Barts was the only other Caribbean destination that required visitors to be fully vaccinated but changed its regulations on 21 June. Unvaccinated travellers now have to self-isolate for seven days. Self-isolation means that tourists are not allowed to visit restaurants and shops but can go to the beach wearing a mask.

Martinique, Guadeloupe and the British Virgin Islands mandate a seven-day quarantine for unvaccinated visitors only. Other destinations such as Barbados, Grenada and Dominica have shorter quarantine periods for vaccinated travellers than for unvaccinated ones.

Bermuda, which some in Caymans tourism industry have held up as an example for a travel destination that successfully opened its borders during the pandemic, recently changed its very open approach that included regular testing but no quarantine.

After a wave of 2,000 COVID cases that resulted in 19 deaths in a matter of six weeks in April and May, Bermuda now has a 14-day quarantine for unvaccinated visitors, while vaccinated travellers must to submit to the old regime of regular tests on days 4, 8 and 14.

Almost all Caribbean countries require PCR tests within certain timeframes prior to arrival, irrespective of the vaccination status.

In the Bahamas, the BVI and Puerto Rico, only unvaccinated travellers have to submit negative test results before they depart, whereas the island of Saba limits PCR tests to travellers from high-risk countries.

The Dominican Republic does not require prior test results unless visitors come from Brazil, South Africa or India. Instead, tourists are subjected to a body temperature check at arrival and a random number of travellers between 3% and 15% must take a breathalyser test, which authorities say is designed to indicate a recent infection from the virus. Arrivals who test positive must go into quarantine, where they are regularly tested.

All Caribbean destinations have some form of pre-registration and travel authorisation process prior to departure.

The BVI and Turks and Caicos demand, as part of this, proof of medical insurance that covers COVID. To visit Aruba or the Bahamas, visitors must buy the locally-offered travel or health insurance before departure.

Few destinations in the Caribbean have outlined plans for the further easing of restrictions based on vaccination rate targets.

In Cayman, Premier Wayne Panton indicated that opening plans will almost certainly be tied to most of the population being fully vaccinated. Panton last week stated a herd immunity target of 80% but said the number may be slightly lower than that depending on the medical advice that government receives.

Based on new population estimates, currently 67% of Cayman residents have had one vaccine shot and 60% are fully vaccinated.

If we look further afield to Hawaii, the US state is one comparable example for a group of islands that introduced a tier system based on vaccination targets that will ultimately lead to the lifting of COVID restrictions.

Hawaii is a popular destination for US travellers, which is also the main source market for the Caribbean, including Cayman.

Until recently, travel to the islands was not only restricted from other US states but also between the islands themselves.

The Safe Travel programme that screens arriving travellers began last October but many counties in the state opted for more rigorous restrictions with quarantine or more testing in addition to a pre-arrival test.

On 1 June, all tests on arrival were abolished and, on 15 June, all restrictions on interisland travel were lifted.

Once the vaccination rate reaches 60%, out-of-state arrivals who have been fully vaccinated will no longer need to submit a COVID-19 test before flying to the islands.

At a 70% vaccination rate, Hawaiis Safe Travel programme will end with no more testing or vaccination requirements for travellers.

Currently, more than 55% of Hawaiians is fully vaccinated.

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Reopening the Caribbean - Cayman Compass

The tourist season shows signs of recovery, still far from the pre-pandemic figures, but with a rising level. This is how the main association of travel agencies in Spain, Acave, values the opening of the summer, which this past week has valued the start of a crucial campaign for the travel industry.

According to their data, Spanish travel reservations for this next season have increased by more than 10% compared to the same period in 2020, although they still remain more than 50% below those of the summer before the pandemic.

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Although the advance in vaccination and the European passport encourage long-distance destinations more than expected, the survey carried out each year by ACAVe among its more than 450 associated travel agencies shows that national and European destinations will continue to be the most requested also this summer , they point out. Acave highlights that the closure to tourism of some destinations and the restrictions of many countries, such as the United Kingdom, continue to be the main limitations for the reactivation.

The data confirm that this year Spanish travelers will maintain this trend and last minute bookings will continue to be recorded throughout the summer. According to the Acave survey, approximately 81% of reservations for this summer will enter less than or equal to 1 month before the trip. In fact, it is estimated that reservations in the last minute category (less than 2 weeks in advance) will account for 37% of the total. The agencies consulted attribute the lack of advance notice to the fear of travelers of possible changes in regulations or the risk of a change in the circumstances of the pandemic, as happened last summer.

All in all, Sarrate has insisted on his thesis that the full recovery of the sector is still far off, and that, despite the fact that vaccination is progressing at a good pace, it may still take between two and a half and four years to reach pre-pandemic levels. , has commented. In this sense, Sarrate has been confident that the veto on Russian tourists will be lifted, validating the Russian Sputnik vaccine, that the United Kingdom will green Spain as a safe health market, that tourism with the United States will be reactivated, that there will be a cruise tourism rebound and that Imserso trips also recover to give life to the sector in the low season.

We have a long season ahead of us. July, August and September have always been very good, added Serrate, who has also asked the Government and social agents to extend the ERTE until December 31 to help travel agencies. As for international travel, the Spanish who will embark on this type of trip this summer will choose destinations such as the Maldives, Costa Rica and the Caribbean, giving priority to those countries that facilitate the entry of tourists without quarantines and with very clear health requirements, such as vaccination certificates or negative PCR.

Both Sarrate and the manager of Acave, Catiana Tur, have highlighted the concern of travel agencies about the massive return of travel vouchers that these companies, the majority of SMEs, face. The two leaders have insisted that travel providers, mainly airlines, are preventing the return of trips canceled by the pandemic. Airlines such as Ryanair, Air Europa or Aero Mxico, among others, still owe 150 million euros to the agencies for flights abolished by the anti-covid restrictions. An amount that consumers can now claim and those travel agencies have to assume in the first instance.

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Costa Rica and the Caribbean, Among the International Destinations Preferred by Spaniards this summer - The Costa Rica News

One of the worst things about visiting Disney World, Disneyland, or any Disney Park is that at some point, you will have to leave!

Dealing with the Disney blues is something almost all Disney fans have to face, but there are ways to kick that sadness out and turn it into magical reminders of happiness. From adding Disney decor to your home to watching Disney attraction videos on YouTube, there are many options available for fans to be reminded of the magic.

Now, there is a new video game that may not only help with the Disney blues but will allow fans to dive deeper into an attraction that Walt Disney himself created. Sea of Thieves: A Pirates Life was just released as a collaboration with Disney, and the video game follows Jack Sparrows adventures that we have seen in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

Although the video game takes inspiration from the films, it seems that the aesthetic and setting are very much based on the Disneyland version of the attraction. Players will not only feel like they are in the ride while playing, but they will be able to explore rooms and show scenes that, typically, a Guest would only get to watch from their boat!

Disney Parks Blog noted:

If you think that riding the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction immerses you into Jack Sparrows treacherous world plagued by scoundrels, this game will take that immersion to a whole new level. It showcases several iconic scenes from the original 1967 Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Disneyland park, like the Treasure Room, the Ship Battle, and my personal favorite the Jail Scene featuring the dog holding the keys to freedom. Pirates fans can adventure and explore through these well-known scenes brought to life in the game in beautiful detail and truly authentic to the classic attraction. The exciting new gameplay experience casts YOU, the players, as the main characters within this adventurous world!

Many Disney fans would love to explore all of the different details on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, and it seems that this video game is a pretty close second to actually being able to do it in real life!

Disney Parks (@disneyparks) TikTok made a video that shows a side-by-side comparison of the video game and the attraction, and some scenes look identical to the ride.

You can explore iconic scenes from #PiratesOfTheCaribbean in Sea of Thieves: A Pirates Life

You can explore iconic scenes from #PiratesOfTheCaribbean in Sea of Thieves: A Pirates Life #Disney #DisneyParks #GamerTikTok #SummerOfGaming

original sound Disney Parks

As someone who played VMK (Virtual Magic Kingdom) in its heyday, I can say that Disney fans definitely need more theme park-based video games, as it allows us to explore the parks even if we cant be there in person. Sea of Thieves: A Pirates Life is available on mobile, Windows PC, Steam, and Xbox.

We have also discussed how the game brings back Jack Sparrow into the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise but does so without Johnny Depp. Read more about that here!

Would you want to play Sea of Thieves: A Pirates Life knowing it allows you to explore classic areas of the Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean attraction?

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Disney Fans Explore Hidden Rooms From the Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction - Inside the Magic

Posted on June 25, 2021

HMA Medway and RFA Wave Knight at sea. (GP)

The Royal Navy has formed a task force in the Caribbean to provide immediate assistance to the region throughout the 2021 Hurricane Season.

The RFA Wave Knight has joined the patrol ship HMS Medway to significantly enhance the assistance in the event of a natural disaster. The two ships arrived in Barbados . . . for a short visit. They will be working with authorities in Barbados and across the region in the coming weeks to plan, prepare and coordinate any response if needed.

HMS Medway provides the Royal Navys permanent presence in the Caribbean and is now into her second storm season. She has been joined by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary supportship Wave Knight, with a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter embarked alongside specialist personnel, equipment and supplies for disaster relief, including highlyskilled troops from 24 Commando, Royal Engineers.

Prepare for the worst

While we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst. These ships are the first responders of the UKs plan for disaster relief in the Caribbean. We are all are proud to be working together with local authorities, helping people when they need it most.

We have worked hard over the last few months to get ready for this role, and we willkeep on training and preparing, learning from and cooperating with our partners in the Caribbean, said Task Group Commander, Brian Trim.

Earlier this month, RFA Wave Knight delivered an assortment of aid from the people of Barbados and the World Health Organisation to St Vincent.

Individually and together, the two ships provide support and reassurance to Britains Overseas Territories and to Commonwealth states in the region. The ships are making a brief visit here following two weeks of exercises at sea and with US, French, Dutch and Canadian ships, have participated in Exercise Tradewinds off Guyana.

Lieutenant SamStallard, HMS Medways navigator, said: Its been really great to work with our partners during Tradewinds. After two weeks of training together, it will be much easier to cooperate in the months ahead.(PR)

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Royal Navy ready to assist Caribbean during hurricane season - Nation News