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Sunday, December 26, 2021

Unique, Meaningful and Healthy Valentine's Day Travel Gifts for Home and Away: 2022 "It's Travel Time" Edition

To say that 2020 and 2021 were unique years is an understatement. Since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, safety precautions and protocols have become the stuff of everyday life — at home and on the road. With the end in sight, many of us are getting itchy feet to hit the road again with those we love. For some, romance within the restrictions of a public health crisis will be worth it; for others it won’t. LTD comprised this list of some of our favorite gifts for these unusual times that will be helpful both at home and on the road to capture memories, inspire adventure and make life healthier and more meaningful! 





Let's face it - they may not have the time or knowledge to look for great traveling items themselves.  Fortunately, LTD can give you some outstanding selections for all budgets that will certainly put a smile on their faces!!  Our guide includes items that are fashionable, healthy, useful and practical for the traveling female.  Click on the product photo or links if you wish to learn more!  By clicking and/or buying, you support our blog and our mission to bring you information about meaningful and healthy travel!  Thank you so much!!!


1.  Champagne & Whipped Cream?   


Aromatized with the finest essential oils, ESNA HOME natural scented candles are crafted from 100% natural, non-toxic, vegan soy wax. This carefully blended with the seductive scent of Champagne & Whipping cream will offer consistent fragrance release during the long burn time of 50 hours. Light it up for a moment of indulgence this Valentine's Day for someone dear to warm their heart and home.  If Paris is not for you check out scents like Fresh Cut Roses & Berries!




2.  Give them the next best thing to holding their hand!   


Banish soreness, popsicle fingers and stiffness with a hand massager!  Comfier Electric Hand massagers are specially designed to use air pressure and compressed hot air to pamper every part of their hand and work on the fingers and knuckles to ensure total relaxation. 


3.  OOLER by Chili Technologies - This is our number one recommended product because it has been a "sleep changer" for us!




Give the gift of sleep!!!! Our number one recommended product of 2020 and 2021.  We first encountered Chili Technologies at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas in 2019!  In a matter of no time we became customers ourselves and can't say enough how much the OOLER and chiliBLANKET have contributed to our well-being and healthy travel!  See our full review of OOLER by clicking here! Interrupted sleep is when our sleep is studded with prolonged periods of waking up throughout the night, usually at least four times over the course of eight hours. This condition can be caused by a sudden shift in routine (for example, a new baby in the house), travel, unexpected noises (such as a party at your neighbor’s house or a partner’s snoring), bathroom trips, menopause or other health issues or racing thoughts.  Temperature affects your baseline sleep quality and regulating temperature can help you phase shift your sleep for travel and help prevent jet lag. Look for coupon codes to EXTRA $$ off!






4. Dual Therapy Weighted Blanket!


If you're not sure a Chili weighted blanket is for them, start with a RelaxEden Adult Weighted Blanket with a Removable, Washable Duvet Cover. It is designed to provide the deep touch pressure support that can result in a calmer, more soothing night’s sleep and provide the best of both worlds with its cozy and cooling features. Its dual therapy features come from a flippable and removable duvet cover: one side blankets you in a traditional, ultra cozy warmth and security; the other side provides the tranquility of weight, coupled with an advanced cooling fabric. This makes for a great improvement to your current sleep experience or a great gift that your friends and family didn't know they needed!

    5.  Load Photos on this Digital Frame from Wherever you are! 


    It's easy to stay in touch with this highly-rated 10" digital photo frame. You send photos through the Nixplay app, Google Photos, Instagram or Facebook, and the images automatically appear in the frame, anywhere in the world.  Want a larger frame? Check out this 15.5 inch version

    6.  If they Love to Cuddle in the Cold   


    Cuddle on those cool nights at home! She can keep her side extra toasty, while he can keep his a little cooler, and no one has to fight over who gets the controller — because this heated blanket conveniently comes with two!

    7.  Cashmere Scarf   


    Winter is here, so help keep him them warm this season with a stylish cashmere scarf. It comes in lots of colors, so you can choose which one will go best with their style

    8.  Temperature Controlled Mug   


    Using an app on their phone, they can control the temperature of this sleek smart mug to ensure that their coffee or tea stays between 120ºF and 145ºF a.k.a. the perfect drinking temperature for nearly two hours. This is the newest Ember mug for those who enjoy a larger cup of java! 


    9.  TUSHY Spa  


    Give them the gift of a clean hiney with this bidet toilet attachment. Choose from different colors that offer water pressure control. The TUSHY bidet gives you a high-end feel without compromising quality or the price tag. 


    10.  Custom Pet Portrait


    Send in one of the hundreds of pictures that they've taken of their pup or cat and get a printed digital portrait shipped straight to your door. There are so many styles to choose from, even if you don't order one take a look for a smile today!


    11.  Luna Bean Keepsake Hands Casting Kit


    Preserve Every Precious Detail!  Share the experience of life casting from the comfort of your own home. You can't go wrong with this gift of a priceless memory and with a satisfaction guarantee why not give it to all of your loved ones?


    12.  Handmade Wool Slippers


    Does she have popsicle toes? These slippers are handmade in a family studio with customizable size, color and soles.  These slippers have rave reviews for the quality and comfort! If you're shopping for him, check out the men's selection.

    13.  Handmade Caricature Drawing


    Hand-drawn caricatures are 100% proven to make a great gift. A perfect loving and fun gift for your special person. Just send a photo of the person you would like drawn and any instructions about what they should be doing in the drawing, such as from your favorite vacation!


    14.  Is that Silverware in Your Pocket or are You Just Happy to See Me?


    These have become very popular during the pandemic, and what a thoughtful gift!  These portable utensils come in several different finishes so you know which set is which! They come with an elegant carrying case and include straws and chopsticks. 


    14.  Phones are Important for Travel, but How Can They be Clean??!  PhoneSoap is the answer!




    This is a customer favorite! AS SEEN ON SHARK TANK AND DISCOVERY CHANNEL. PhoneSoap's revolutionary bacteria-zapping technology was featured on ABC's Shark Tank and tested and proven on the Discovery Channel.  Think of the germs we are exposed to during travel! Stay healthy and charge a phone all at the same time.

    15.  For the Traveler who Carries Tension (who doesn't???) or Experiences Pain



    Getting a post-flight massage can beat jet lag, improve circulation, and release tension. If they can’t make it to the spa, these palm-sized firm massage balls act like a portable foam roller to work out the knots and loosen tight muscles in feet, hips, back, shoulders, legs, etc. They could use a tennis ball, but the crevice in the middle of this design is more comfortable to use around places like the spine and come with a handy carrying bag. 


    16.  What Says Love more than Dreaming of Paris?   


    Picture yourself with Mojitos in a in a classic Havana Casino. Doesn't this travel poster for Cuba take you back and make you feel nostalgic and amorous? If you feel that way, your favorite explorer will too.  If Cuba is not for you check out other vintage travel posters by Canvas On Demand.


    17. Swap Travel Dreams Over A Beautifully Laid Out Cheese Board 


    We love this unique gift from Vintage Garden Art.  For anyone who loves to entertain, give them this set of Silver Plated Spoon handles which are hand stamped cheese markers for cheeses from around the World.  Even better, set up a special evening for them with wine and cheeses from around the world and use these markers to make the finishing touches!



    18. Build Famous Buildings!


    Longing to see some famous buildings? Inspire travel in the young Valentines in your life or the young at heart with a Famous Buildings 3D cut puzzles.  Choose from other cities including Moscow, New York, Notre Dame and Italy.

      19.  Watch the Most Romantic Movie of All Time and Dream of Morocco  


      Inspire travel to Morocco and give the gift of enjoying the most romantic movie of all time with your favorite Valentine....Casablanca: A jaded nightclub owner in war-torn Casablanca, whose loyalties are put to the test when his old flame, Ingrid Bergman, reappears to seek Rick's help in escaping from the Nazis.



      Monday, November 8, 2021

      Unique, Meaningful and Healthy Holiday Travel Gifts for Use at Home and Away: 2021 "It's Travel Time" Edition

       

      To say that 2020 and 2021 have been unique years is an understatement. Since the pandemic was declared in March, safety precautions and protocols have become the stuff of everyday life — at home and on the road. With the holiday season upon us, many of us are getting itchy feet to hit the road again. For some, vacationing within the strictures of a public health crisis will be worth it; for others it won’t. LTD comprised this list of some of our favorite gifts for this unusual year that will be helpful both at home and on the road to capture memories, inspire and make life healthier and more meaningful! 






      The purpose of our blog is to share with you everything we have learned to make Meaningful and Healthy Travel happen! We only recommend products that we use or would buy for friends! Please CLICK THE PHOTOS BELOW TO LEARN MORE, or BUY or SHARE this post to support our blog and keep it going! THANK YOU!


      Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission. In turn, we donate profits to charity.

      1.  OOLER by Chili Technologies - This is our number one recommended product because it has been a "sleep changer" for us!




      Give the gift of sleep!!!! Our number one recommended product of 2019, 2020 and 2021.  We first encountered Chili Technologies at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas in 2019!  In a matter of no time we became customers ourselves and can't say enough how much the OOLER and chiliBLANKET have contributed to our well-being and healthy travel!  Interrupted sleep is when our sleep is studded with prolonged periods of waking up throughout the night, usually at least four times over the course of eight hours. This condition can be caused by a sudden shift in routine (for example, a new baby in the house), travel, unexpected noises (such as a party at your neighbor’s house or a partner’s snoring), bathroom trips, menopause or other health issues or racing thoughts.  Temperature affects your baseline sleep quality and regulating temperature can help you phase shift your sleep for travel and help prevent jet lag. And do you know what we love best about the company? They stand by their product and you get a 30 day money-back sleep trialSee our full review of OOLER by clicking here! 

      Use code HOLIDAY30 to take 30% off this holiday season!






      2.  Vuzix Smart Swim



      Another product we saw at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in 2020 and used throughout 2020 and 2021!  We're sure you know that LTD loves swimming for health and this is one of the most innovative products we have ever used!  The Vuzix Smart Swim is a heads-up display for swimmers, providing workout status and information about their swim. This enables users to continue uninterrupted and reach optimum performance. Used for open water and lap (pool) training.  Luxury Travel Doc reviewer, Glenn Paige says, "Vuzix is one of the most unique swim training devices I have ever used. Besides allowing you to view and analyze your swim data real-time, it allows for open water navigation guidance, entertainment and training viewing options during your workouts. Try it to believe it!"

      3.  Our Favorite Smart Watch for the Active Traveler just got better with a New Display!



      The Garmin Venu has an enormous number of features, a long-lasting battery and an attractive build. The original round version was introduced in 2019 with an amazing response from users and in 2020 Garmin introduced a less expensive square version that has all of the same features at a fraction of the price. For serious outdoor travel or fitness enthusiasts, it's hard to beat.  The GPS features of this watch are unrivaled and work all over the world.  This is a high-performance timepiece that meets big challenges and fits smaller wrists. During the pandemic many Venu users are happy to have their pulse oximetry tracked on their wrist! The new AMOLED vibrant display is perfect for aging eyes and rivals the Apple Watch display! Anyone would love to receive this special gift!

      Saturday, October 16, 2021

      The New JW Marriott in Uptown Charlotte is Another Great Addition to the Queen City’s growing Luxury Market


      Right in the heart of Uptown—the downtown district of Charlotte—sits the JW Marriott Charlotte Hotel. This luxury hotel in Charlotte overlooks Panthers Bank of America Stadium, is mere steps away from the Mint Museum Uptown, Hornets Spectrum Center and Knights BB&T Ballpark, and is surrounded by fantastic restaurants, museums and theaters.


      JW Marriott Hotels is one of Bonvoy's lifestyle brands, named after Marriott's founder, and this newer Charlotte hotel and rooftop bar is sure to please travelers of all styles.  Inspired by Queen Charlotte, the city's namesake, the JW Marriott Charlotte evokes the 18th century British queen consort through classic textiles balanced with a modern sensibility. While we loved the Kimpton Tryon Park hotel, there is some new competition in the Queen City. Noticeably absent from the Charlotte luxury market? Hilton Hotels. 







      1. Location


      This location is outstanding to attend sporting events in Charlotte being directly adjacent to Bank of America Stadium and the Spectrum Center. Not a sports fan? There are plenty of other activities nearby with frequent concerts, live stage productions, opera, symphony and museums. Charlotte is a great destination for foodies and the uptown area is loaded with options within walking distance or a short Uber.  The front auto entrance and valet isn't easy to find so look closely at the corner of S. College Street and E. Stonewall Street on your left on College, immediately before you stop at the light for Stonewall. Since this is a popular location with a small valet, there may be a line to enter! 




      2. Check-in


      We were greeted promptly and checked in without difficulty from very accommodating employees wearing masks appropriately. The hotel had only opened one month before and managerial staff was everywhere. Appropriately, we were recognized as elite Bonvoy member, and thanked for our loyalty.  The staff oriented us to the hotel and the surrounding area. The hotel itself had COVID restrictions such as not providing housekeeping services, but this was not relayed to us. Finding the check in desk isn't easy if you self park which we attempted initially. We walked everywhere to find the entrance and ultimately found access to an upper floor through one of the restaurants - our advice if you self park...ask directions from anyone you may see because there are no signs directing you to the lobby.  Even better, use valet parking.  The price is pretty much the same but if you want quick access to your vehicle, use the self parking option.  The valet stand was pretty slow and due to the small size of the valet area, we waited for significant time to leave our car or have car brought to us. The hotel is busy with guests and locals visiting the bars and restaurants. 





      Wednesday, September 15, 2021

      MSC Virtuosa Passenger Dies of COVID-19 after Super Spreader Cruise

      "COVID has got a hold of me. I love you": were the veteran's heartbreaking final words before he died from coronavirus after cruise with family on board the MSC Virtuosa.




      The MSC Virtuosa had significant outbreaks on board with multiple passengers (counts have been estimated to be over 100) complaining of COVID-19 after returning from their European cruise.  This went virtually unnoticed in the US press since most of the passengers were British. 

      Unfortunately one passenger died after this super spreader cruise. 

       

      A spokesperson for cruise line MSC said they were "devastated" to learn of Mr Broyden's death and that all members of his party tested negative, in line with their protocols, upon boarding the ship.

      The 81-year-old Navy veteran went on the cruise with his wife Carol, 74, her son Gary Shelley, Gary's eight-year-old son, his girlfriend Sue and her two daughters, aged nine and 11.

      While they were aboard the MSC Virtuosa - one of the world's largest cruise ships - signs started to emerge that COVID had broken out on board with their children asked to go for tests, staff suddenly wearing hazmat suits, and some isolated incidents of people seen coughing and apparently struggling to breathe around the lift areas.

      About five days into the cruise, Mr and Mrs Broyden began to feel unwell, and so spent the final portion of the trip confined to their cabin, although staff were not informed and therefore no tests were carried out.

      Mr Broyden, who suffered with Non Hodgkin lymphoma and was classed as "high risk", had been given the go ahead by his physician to go on the cruise after his lymphoma blood levels were checked and found to be good.

      Now MSC has announced increased COVID measures on board the Virtuosa. 

      Cruise companies have a vested interest to not report cases of COVID-19 to the media or to passengers.  While we sailed on Viking Jupiter in Iceland during July, a passenger tested positive for the virus.  As a result, some passengers were quarantined for the remainder of the cruise due to contact tracing.  Viking never told us as passengers, that there was a confirmed COVID case or that other passengers were in quarantine.  In fact, the rumor was circulated that the case was a false positive and was never confirmed.  We suspect that rumor was circulated intentionally.  The Viking Sky, on the same itinerary, three days ahead of us had the entire second half of their cruise cancelled due to a COVID-19 case. 

      Unfortunately the CDC does not require reporting of COVID cases on ships operating outside of US ports. Royal Caribbean recently had a passenger sent to the hospital in Italy due to COVID-19 as reported by an Italian news organization. 

      Thinking of cruising? What can you do?

      Good luck if you would like to know how many people infected with COVID-19 from being aboard cruise ships. Clearly you won't be provided that information by the cruise industry.  Fortunately, the CDC is making efforts to inform the public. 

      USA Today initially reported in early August that the CDC updated its guidance to recommend travelers (departing from U.S. ports) who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 avoid cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status. According to the CDC:

      "CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. That’s because the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships. It is especially important for people with an increased risk of severe illness to avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. CDC has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for cruise ship travelers who are not fully vaccinated."

      The new CDC guidance applies to older adults (defined as 65 and older), people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to this announcement, the CDC recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 completely avoid cruise ships. 

      A table on the CDC website, which promises to be updated several times a week, assigns each ship a color status—green, orange, yellow, red or gray. 

      The color-coding is based on both surveillance data collected over the previous 7-day period as well as the findings of any CDC investigations. (When cruise ships notify the CDC of a suspected or confirmed case of the virus, the agency determines whether an investigation is needed.) 

      • Green status means the ship has no reports of cases of COVID-19 or COVID-19-like illness.
      • Orange status means the ship has reported cases of COVID-19 but is below the threshold for CDC investigation.
      • Yellow status means the ship has met the threshold for CDC investigation, which includes one of the following criteria:
        • at or above the investigation threshold for crew COVID-19 cases,
        • at or above the investigation threshold for passenger COVID-19 cases; or
        • state or local health department notified CDC of passenger COVID-19 cases occurring within 5 days of disembarkation.
      • Red status means the ship is at or above the threshold for passenger and crew COVID-19 cases. Based on CDC’s investigation, additional public health precautions, such as returning to port immediately or delaying the next voyage, will be taken to help ensure the health and safety of onboard travelers or newly arriving travelers.
      • Gray status means CDC has not reviewed or confirmed the cruise ship operator’s health and safety protocols. This status only applies to cruise ships arriving in, located within, or departing from a port in Florida that chose to not follow the CSO on a voluntary basis.
      The major limitation of this system is that it only informs us about cruise ships operating or planning to operate in U.S. waters. For example, we cruised in Iceland during July 2021 on Viking Ocean and data on that line is not available.  Click here to see our series of videos from Iceland on YouTube. 


      Click below to check out these combined vaccine card and passport covers at Amazon! You can use them to organize all the documents needed to travel internationally these days! 




      Wednesday, September 8, 2021

      CDC updates COVID-19 Testing Guidance for Cruise Ship Industry

      Check your favorite cruise line! At least four cruise lines have shortened the time that guests have to get a negative COVID test before their cruise, after the Centers for Disease Control made changes to the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO).



      Even though the CSO and its accompanying guidance are now non-binding recommendations, several cruise lines have chosen to continue to adhere to its advice on a voluntary basis.

      Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Disney, and Holland America have announced newly-updated pre-cruise testing protocols set to begin on all sailings from the U.S. from Sept. 13, 2021. Princess Cruises will begin implementing its new pre-cruise testing requirements beginning Sept. 19, 2021.

      All of these lines are requiring a negative COVID test two days prior to embarkation.  For example if you sail on Saturday, you will need to provide proof of a negative test taken Thursday, Friday or Saturday. The only outlier from this list of cruise lines is Norwegian.  NCL recently updated their policy to PROVIDE  the test to passengers at the port prior to embarking:

      "All guests will be required to take a COVID-19 antigen test, administered and paid for by the cruise line, prior to boarding and receive a negative result. Guests are also responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements which may include additional testing."

      Princess Cruise Line has only indicated that they have partnered with Quest Diagnostics to facilitate a pre cruise COVID test, however be prepared that your insurance company will be billed.  Princess has indicated they will provide guests with a COVID test upon disembarking from a cruise vacation if required to reenter your home country. You should note that the CDC suggests ocean and river cruise guests get tested for COVID 3-5 days after disembarking from your ship. 

      Many cases of COVID have been reported since cruise ships began operating again.  Carnival Cruise Line has had the significant press regarding their voyages and one passenger passed away after being removed from her voyage in Belize. 

      The MSC Virtuosa had significant outbreaks on board with multiple passengers (counts have been estimated to be over 100) complaining of COVID-19 after returning from their European cruise.  This went virtually unnoticed in the US press since most of the passengers were British. Now MSC has announced increased COVID measures on board the Virtuosa. 

      Cruise companies have a vested interest to not report cases of COVID-19 to the media or to passengers.  While we sailed on Viking Jupiter in Iceland during July, a passenger tested positive for the virus.  As a result, some passengers were quarantined for the remainder of the cruise due to contact tracing.  Viking never told us as passengers, that there was a confirmed COVID case or that other passengers were in quarantine.  In fact, the rumor was circulated that the case was a false positive and was never confirmed.  We suspect that rumor was circulated intentionally.  The Viking Sky, on the same itinerary, three days ahead of us had the entire second half of their cruise cancelled due to a COVID-19 case. 

      Unfortunately the CDC does not require reporting of COVID cases on ships operating outside of US ports. Royal Caribbean recently had a passenger sent to the hospital in Italy due to COVID-19 as reported by an Italian news organization. 

      Thinking of cruising? What can you do?

      Good luck if you would like to know how many people infected with COVID-19 from being aboard cruise ships. Clearly you won't be provided that information by the cruise industry.  Fortunately, the CDC is making efforts to inform the public. 

      USA Today initially reported in early August that the CDC updated its guidance to recommend travelers (departing from U.S. ports) who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 avoid cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status. According to the CDC:

      "CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. That’s because the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships. It is especially important for people with an increased risk of severe illness to avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. CDC has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for cruise ship travelers who are not fully vaccinated."

      The new CDC guidance applies to older adults (defined as 65 and older), people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to this announcement, the CDC recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 completely avoid cruise ships. 

      A table on the CDC website, which promises to be updated several times a week, assigns each ship a color status—green, orange, yellow, red or gray. 

      The color-coding is based on both surveillance data collected over the previous 7-day period as well as the findings of any CDC investigations. (When cruise ships notify the CDC of a suspected or confirmed case of the virus, the agency determines whether an investigation is needed.) 

      • Green status means the ship has no reports of cases of COVID-19 or COVID-19-like illness.
      • Orange status means the ship has reported cases of COVID-19 but is below the threshold for CDC investigation.
      • Yellow status means the ship has met the threshold for CDC investigation, which includes one of the following criteria:
        • at or above the investigation threshold for crew COVID-19 cases,
        • at or above the investigation threshold for passenger COVID-19 cases; or
        • state or local health department notified CDC of passenger COVID-19 cases occurring within 5 days of disembarkation.
      • Red status means the ship is at or above the threshold for passenger and crew COVID-19 cases. Based on CDC’s investigation, additional public health precautions, such as returning to port immediately or delaying the next voyage, will be taken to help ensure the health and safety of onboard travelers or newly arriving travelers.
      • Gray status means CDC has not reviewed or confirmed the cruise ship operator’s health and safety protocols. This status only applies to cruise ships arriving in, located within, or departing from a port in Florida that chose to not follow the CSO on a voluntary basis.
      The major limitation of this system is that it only informs us about cruise ships operating or planning to operate in U.S. waters. For example, we cruised in Iceland during July 2021 on Viking Ocean and data on that line is not available.  Click here to see our series of videos from Iceland on YouTube. 


      Click below to check out these combined vaccine card and passport covers at Amazon! You can use them to organize all the documents needed to travel internationally these days! 




      Monday, September 6, 2021

      COVID-positive vaccinated passenger medevaced from Royal Caribbean's ship Harmony of the Seas in Italy

      On September 1, 2021 a passenger on board Harmony of the Seas was transferred to a hospital in La Spezia Italy after he complained of symptoms of COVID-19.  The vaccinated passenger boarded the ship on August 29, 2021 in Barcelona and shortly thereafter complained of symptoms consistent with the virus.    The day following a planned stop by the ship in Palma de Mallorca, it was arranged to have the passenger to be transported to the Sant’Andrea hospital in La Spezia. He was admitted into the infectious diseases ward and was accompanied by his wife who remained with him as the ship sailed on to the next port.  




      According to the Italian newspaper Il Secolo XIX who reported this on September 2, 2021, Royal Caribbean required all guests over the age of eighteen to be vaccinated and test negative before boarding. The entire crew is vaccinated. The article states that the guests also “suffered from other important pathologies.” He tested negative for COVID-19 shortly before embarking the ship. No further updates have been given. 

      After disembarking the infected guest, the Harmony called on ports in Civitavecchia (Rome) and Naples, Italy. There were no other public reports of COVID-19 infection among the crew or other guests. The ship returned to Barcelona tomorrow on September 5, 2021.

      Carnival Cruiseline has had their own issues with COVID-positive passengers and one elderly passenger removed from a Carnival ship in Belize later died of the virus. 

      Thinking of cruising? What can you do?

      Good luck if you would like to know how many people infected with COVID-19 from being aboard cruise ships. Clearly you won't be provided that information by the cruise industry.  Fortunately, the CDC is making efforts to inform the public. 

      USA Today initially reported in early August that the CDC updated its guidance to recommend travelers (departing from U.S. ports) who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 avoid cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status. According to the CDC:

      "CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. That’s because the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships. It is especially important for people with an increased risk of severe illness to avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. CDC has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for cruise ship travelers who are not fully vaccinated."

      The new CDC guidance applies to older adults (defined as 65 and older), people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to this announcement, the CDC recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 completely avoid cruise ships. 

      A table on the CDC website, which promises to be updated several times a week, assigns each ship a color status—green, orange, yellow, red or gray. 

      The color-coding is based on both surveillance data collected over the previous 7-day period as well as the findings of any CDC investigations. (When cruise ships notify the CDC of a suspected or confirmed case of the virus, the agency determines whether an investigation is needed.) 

      • Green status means the ship has no reports of cases of COVID-19 or COVID-19-like illness.
      • Orange status means the ship has reported cases of COVID-19 but is below the threshold for CDC investigation.
      • Yellow status means the ship has met the threshold for CDC investigation, which includes one of the following criteria:
        • at or above the investigation threshold for crew COVID-19 cases,
        • at or above the investigation threshold for passenger COVID-19 cases; or
        • state or local health department notified CDC of passenger COVID-19 cases occurring within 5 days of disembarkation.
      • Red status means the ship is at or above the threshold for passenger and crew COVID-19 cases. Based on CDC’s investigation, additional public health precautions, such as returning to port immediately or delaying the next voyage, will be taken to help ensure the health and safety of onboard travelers or newly arriving travelers.
      • Gray status means CDC has not reviewed or confirmed the cruise ship operator’s health and safety protocols. This status only applies to cruise ships arriving in, located within, or departing from a port in Florida that chose to not follow the CSO on a voluntary basis.
      The major limitation of this system is that it only informs us about cruise ships operating or planning to operate in U.S. waters. For example, we cruised in Iceland during July 2021 on Viking Ocean and data on that line is not available.  Click here to see our series of videos from Iceland on YouTube. 


      Click below to check out these combined vaccine card and passport covers at Amazon! You can use them to organize all the documents needed to travel internationally these days!