Thoughts and a Few Questions

[Tuckahoe]

Our Aruba plans for 2022 are for two week visits in May, July and October. We will follow all protocols willingly for both our safety and the safety of others.
That being said:
We find the entire airport/flying experience both in the USA and in Aruba onerous. The testing requirements only make it more stressful. You get on the airplane, pay a fortune for first class seats that today are actually comparable to what coach seats were years ago, are herded through checkpoints and security like cattle and are faced with non compliant entitled travelers who cannot follow any rules or behave in a civilized manner.
The airlines are not without fault. Ever shrinking seats and legroom, fees for just about everything except use of the restroom, penalties and cancellations have become the norm in air travel today. I’m old enough to remember when traveling on an airplane was an enjoyable part of the journey.
Am I angry? Yes, I am. The very necessary Covid protocols just added more stress to this mess we call flying. Cramming people into a long narrow tube with extremely limited space brings out the worst. Perhaps the airlines should widen the seats and add a bit more legroom; heaven knows the taxpayers have bailed them out enough!
Sorry for the rant but I do feel better getting this off my chest!

[Andrea J.]

I am appreciative of the very good and honest thoughts on this thread.

[ArubaAce]

If I could travel today to Aruba I would decline. For one thing there is ongoing issue with flight cancellations due to airlines employees who had to call out sick. It was nightmare at La Guardia NY Airport, Newark NJ as well as other parts in the country. Still an ongoing issue but hopefully that will resolve by month end.

Besides that I am getting tire of the testing protocol. I have a trip planned for Puerto Rico in March to take my Mother to visit with her family. Prior to Omicron all that was required was proof of vaccination since it was considered a domestic flight. Now they want a PCR test regardless of vaccination status 48 hours prior to flight but no testing required to come back to NY.

I have a resort reservation for Aruba in June. Hopefully things will be better by then but I have held off on purchasing airlines tickets.

[Colette M]

I agree with most responses but there is a big difference between testing positive on a Florida vacation vs. Aruba or anywhere out of the US. Right now with the new variant being so contagious I will not travel anywhere especially internationally. Do I think things will subside in a few months? Yes. We went to Aruba in September and had a great time and so glad we went. Loved the smaller crowds in September, kids back in school etc. We were careful and were pretty confident we would test negative coming home and we did. Didn’t mind the testing. Cases were getting better in the US so testing was not an issue. Now it would be a challenge to get results back in same timeframe. Like someone else mentioned I really do feel some may think they can’t get sick on vacation/in Aruba - that perhaps they are immune. For me, it’s a no brainer to say I would not go to Aruba tomorrow if I had the opportunity. The airlines are also a mess. There is a lot of chaos currently going on in Aruba with not enough space for those who test positive. I would not want to be stuck there right now. But hopefully things will turn around sooner than later. We are booked for September and hopefully we can go back then to support Aruba, our home away from home!

[joehick]

My wife and I traveled to Florida over the holidays for 8 days to visit my wife's mom, who lives in a 55+ retirement community. To be honest, if you stayed away from the TV and internet, you would hardly know there is a pandemic going on. I'm sure I will get scolded for this, but after we left the Tampa airport, we did not wear masks or really social distance for 8 days until our return to the airport. People here are living their lives, not in fear. They had Christmas parties, play cards, and socialized. I had Christmas dinner with 3 widowers, all of have lost their husbands in the last 2 years - NONE of them to covid.They understand the meaning of life is too short, seize the moment. My wife and I had to take her Mom into the ER the Tuesday after Christmas. Was NOT covid related, she's back home a couple days later, doing fine. While my wife was in the hospital, she ask doctors and nurses how the new variant was effecting them. They said things were much worse back when Delta was at its peak, and so far they are not in crisis mode. It's a shame what's going on in Aruba, they are obviously being overwhelmed. But is it Omicron that is causing the crisis , 0r the response to it? I know Aruba has no choice but to test and quarantine people trying to get back to the US. But I ask at this point - is it really making any difference? Florida and Aruba are a lot alike because they depend on tourism. But Aruba is getting crushed while Florida's tourism is flourishing because people can travel freely. I have been triple vacinated, and at this point have no fear of getting Omicron. Our Family is supposed to be traveling to Kauai in 2 weeks , our daughter is getting married there. As long as our flights are not canceled and Hawaii lets us in, we are not changing our plans. We are going to live our lives and enjoy every moment. Good health to all.

Great outlook and I agree totally. Live life as if it was your last day. I am a compromised triple vaxed senior, a two tour combat vet and am going to live my life...Will be in Aruba March and am not cancelling.

[robin]

Since we are currently on a cruise with a cruise line that has strict protocols I currently feel safer onboard this ship than at home. Yes, we have people in isolation-13 passengers, and 5 crew. We wear masks, test daily, everyone is vaccinated. Sanitizer is everywhere. No self serve at the buffet. Currently the hot tubs are closed. We wear trackers that will let the crew know if we spent time with someone who has Covid and if so, we will be isolated. The only thing is we are seated closer than recommended in the dining venues. Everyone is very good about following the protocols, especially those going on the world cruise. A lot of them are worried about the 350 joining them in LA. I am more concerned with the time we are supposed to spend in LA and the week we will be home before leaving for our condo in Aruba. Until the numbers improve in Aruba, we will probably not dine out indoors and will be careful who we spend time.

[LisaGrn]

I wouldn't travel anywhere right now that requires going into a crowded airport or a packed plane. Hopefully, by the time my planned trip in August comes around, we'll be in a better place. I agree with Chuck that eventually Covid is going to be like the flu, but we're a long way from that point. The numbers Andrea posted for today are frightening to me.

[sgt11946]

This afternoon I spoke with a woman who traveled to the Ocean Club over Christmas. She felt safe, had a lot of fun and is missing the sun. People wore masks when required and if there was a crowd walking down the street, in town, she masked up. Yes, I am nervous about getting my ED on time and flight cancelations but I am willing to take the risk. Life at my age is short. Don't Worry, Be Happy. If it doesn't work out, so be it.

[hatteras]

We were fortunate to be able to travel to Aruba in 2020 and in 2021. We were there for 3 weeks in Feb. 2020. When we left home, Covid was in China, and when we returned at the end of the month, it was ripping through Washington state. Last year, we didn't feel comfortable going in February and waited until June, after we were fully vaccinated. We have gone back and forth about whether to go this February, but made the sad decision to cancel. We don't want to risk catching covid and having to quarantine, and we don't want to deal with the airline cancelations and extreme delays. We are hoping to get there sometime in 2022, and looking at the positive case numbers from today, I know that we made the right decision for us.

[Danno]

I was just discussing this with my wife last night. The final payment for our t/s rental is due in a few weeks, and I found myself wishing I had held off renting as early as I did. If I could get a full refund for our t/s, I'd probably cancel. Our trip isn't until early May, and I know a lot can change in four months, but the thought of dealing with testing going there and coming home, dealing with the lines at MIA, driving three hours to our sleep/park/fly, not to mention all the other stuff we have to deal with when we are traveling. That said, I know that once we get there, we will have a blast....and lord knows we need a break. Just hoping things calm down by May and traveling becomes a little easier for everyone.