Albert Travel

06/11/2024

If you are looking to fly in the US between mid August and mid December, the latest Southwest BDAY 50% off promo is worth checking out.
It’s only good through Thursday 6/13!
I normally have no luck with Southwest promotions, but this time it was worth it!

04/19/2024

Our second visit to the Azores, this time to Sao Miguel. A bit rainy to start a tour with Miguel but ended in a beautiful sunny day.
Two more sea days and then to Porto, Portugal where I hear they make wine! 🍷🛳️

04/14/2024

Two full beautiful days at sea. We had the bonus of seeing Karen Grainger perform on the ship, remembered her from the Bemus Bay Pops years ago!
We arrived in Bermuda today (Sunday). Picture perfect weather, blue skies and temps in the 70’s!
We took a nice tour of the entire island and now we begin 4 days at sea before our arrival in the Azores.

04/11/2024

04/11/2024

Ready to begin our 12 night Transatlantic Repositioning Cruise. First stop will be Bermuda on Sunday so looking forward to a few days at sea!
The wine and strawberries were such a nice surprise!

03/08/2024

Honored to assist in an incentive cruise celebrating the success of L’Oréal Professionels and SalonCentric! ⚓️🌴🧉☀️

01/18/2023

Celebrity Infinity’s first Antarctic Cruise since 2019! Happy to be aboard and sharing pictures of this experience!
If you are interested in any cruises or land vacations - I’m happy to give you pricing!

08/26/2022

Let me quote you some amazing pricing from Celestyal Cruises. We enjoyed seeing a Celestyal ship while on Milos, Greece.
A great smaller cruise line for seeing many of the islands in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic.

07/21/2022

Travel Tips:
I just read a few articles about the chaotic air travel/luggage situations and there were some great tips!
Instead of packing one suitcase with "his" and one with "hers", pack half and half in each suitcase. That way if one suitcase doesn't make it, at least you'll both have some clothes in the other suitcase.
Consider investing in Apple Air Tags or Tile GPS to place in your suitcases. We met a couple at the airport whose luggage was lost in Paris and they “found” it before the airlines did because they had an Air Tag in the suitcase.
A single Air Tag or Tile is under $30, 4 packs are about $80. Money well spent - and they can be used for other things once your suitcases are in your possession!
🧳🎒🔎

05/21/2022

I can help “make up for lost time” travel or “testing the waters” travel. So many options out there! 🛩🚘🛳🏖🏔

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/revenge-travel-started-in-2021-but-its-really-coming-back-with-a-vengeance-in-summer-2022-11653064399

Tourists are thirsty for experiences, according to new research.

04/27/2022

04/27/2022

The thought of vacations and travel have been on the back burner for many as the protocols for COVID seem to change week to week (sometimes day to day).
As you start to think of dipping your toe in the water (or pool, or ocean) please let me know if I can be of any assistance in helping with your travel plans. I can help navigate what the requirements are for your destination. And, as with any supply and demand products, there are some good prices to be had...but the floodgates are starting to open for pent-up travelers so where there may have been deals in the past, there might not be now. I can do the searching for you and now is the time to start planning!

04/28/2021

"Vacation"...those getaways that were cancelled or put on hold are now looking more promising!
If you have a cancelled cruise to re-book (and use those Future Cruise Credits) or would like to consider booking a New cruise be aware that RATES ARE INCREASING EVERY DAY! Availability is going DOWN Very Quickly. Due to reduced capacity for appropriate social distancing, many sailings are already sold out for the remainder of the year going in to early 2022.
Don't waiting until the last minute, there are Plenty of Great Offers still available!
Check out our website at www.Albert-Travel.com
and give me a call/text at 716-499-4004. I'll be happy to provide you with a quote and cabin availability!

Brazil Whether you go during Carnival or not, Brazil is always a party. You can tan and mingle with the locals… Learn More & See Deals › Japan Tradition and modernity share space in this island nation where ancient shrines bump up against skyscrapers. Castles and palaces whisper… Learn More & ...

04/26/2021

I thought I would share some insights after our recent trip to Nassau, Bahamas. The Bahamas has great COVID protocols and we felt very comfortable during the whole trip (we are both fully vaccinated).
We stayed 4 Nights at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar https://www.bahamar.com/ 4 nights at Atlantis https://www.atlantisbahamas.com/. Each resort is very different from the other but both were ready for guests. Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is adult-oriented and Atlantis is more for families. That is not to say that there aren’t things to do for kids at Baha Mar or adults at Atlantis, but we immediately noticed the difference.
Neither resort is All-Inclusive and the meals and drinks can add up so that is something to consider! Some restaurants are still closed at each resort with gradual re-opening as tourist traffic increases.
I can’t say enough about the COVID protocols for visitors to the Bahamas. We had to fill out a Health Visa and get a NON Rapid test and send the results prior to our trip to get a QR code for entry. Other Caribbean islands are using a similar process. Upon arrival at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar we were immediately Rapid tested and taken to our room to await the test results. We could not leave our room until negative test results were received (about 20 minutes) and that is when they brought up our luggage and room keys...so they take this very seriously! We had another Rapid test on Day 5 of our stay and one more test before flying back to the United States. When checking in to Atlantis they requested the results of our Day 5 test.
Employees at both resorts and all taxi drivers said they are tested weekly, but none had been vaccinated yet. Health care workers and those over 65 are still being vaccinated.
There are hand sanitizers everywhere and masks are required in many situations, but not everywhere. You can be in the pool and seated just about anywhere without masks, but moving between buildings and ordering food (even outdoors) requires a mask.
If you are considering a trip I would highly recommend the Bahamas and would be glad to give you pricing...there are some great promotions but as demand increases the promotions will change.
One more bit of advise, pack your patience as you start venturing out and vacationing. One resort we booked decided to close for renovations and our flight out of Erie was cancelled and moved to Buffalo! As locations start to re-open there are situations that come up and I will work with you to adapt to any changes.

Bahamas Vacation Resort on Paradise Island.

02/15/2021

As more and more vaccines are administered, confidence is slowly beginning to return for those interested in travel.

This is just a selection of the latest information on entry requirements and new restrictions. If you are interested in a destination that is not listed, let me know and I’ll find more information.

The list of international travel destinations that you can safely travel to is ever-changing, so all outbound passengers should check with the U.S. Embassy or Canadian Government and their preferred airline before finalizing travel plans.
The Canadian government has halted access to its ports into 2022 (at the present time) and that has impacted the potential for any Alaska or Atlantic Coast Canada cruises in 2021. If anything changes on that front I’ll include that in the update.

This week’s highlighted destinations:

Caribbean:
Turks & Caicos: Open to Americans and Canadians with restrictions. Businesses close at 5:00pm daily. A curfew is currently in effect from 6:00pm to 6:00am daily until February 16, 2021. Restaurants at hotels and resorts can remain open for guests of the hotel and resort.

Bahamas: Open to Americans and Canadians with restrictions. All travelers are required to complete a health declaration form and upload a negative COVID-19 test issued no more than 5 days before arrival. All travelers will be required to present proof of health insurance with COVID-19 coverage during the completion of the health declaration form. All travelers must undergo COVID-19 and health testing upon arrival. On the 5th day after their arrival, they will be required to take a second COVID-19 test. Travelers staying longer than 4 nights will be required to take a rapid antigen test on day 5 of their stay (results within 60 mins via text or email).

Antigua: Open to Americans and Canadians with restrictions. All travelers arriving by air must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result taken within 7 days of their flight (not required for children under 12 years of age). Health checks will take place at the airport for incoming travelers. Fill out an online health form. All arriving passengers will be monitored for COVID-19 for periods of up to 14 days. Curfew in effect from 11:00pm to 5:00am. Bars are currently closed until February 19, 2021.

Africa:
Seychelles: Open to Americans and Canadians with a vaccine only. Traveler must show that they have taken the complete dose of the vaccine (for the 4 vaccines currently receiving heavy media exposure, this means 2 doses plus a 2 week wait after the second dose). Visitors need to submit an authentic certificate from their national health authority as proof of COVID-19 vaccination alongside a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate, obtained less than 72 hours prior to travel. Closed without a vaccine.

Important Note for Returning U.S. and Canadian Passengers:
U.S.: All American passengers over the age of 2 years must provide one of the following before boarding their flight back into the U.S.
A negative Covid-19 test result (PCR or Antigen) taken within 3-days prior to boarding.
Documentation of having recovered from Covid-19 and approved to travel by a doctor.

Canada: All Canadian passengers over the age of 5 years must provide a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR or LAMP) taken within 72-hours prior to boarding their flight into Canada. Returning passengers will also be tested for COVID-19 on arrival and will be required to stay in a designated hotel for 3 nights at their own expense until the test result is obtained. Those testing positive will be required to quarantine in a designated government facility for 14 days. Those testing negative will be required to quarantine for 14 days at their own accommodation. Travelers with no adequate place to quarantine will be required to quarantine at a designated facility.

Please review the full order for the U.S. on the CDC’s website here. Canada issued a similar order earlier this month.

01/26/2021

I noticed that my last post to this site was one year ago when Dana and I took our last vacation out of the country. We miss not being able to travel and look forward to when we can do so again...safely.

As I get more information on travel updates, I will provide that so you can make informed decisions as you consider travelling again.

For now, please stay safe and hopefully the vaccine access will improve and we can look forward to resuming some sense of normalcy.

Travel information as of the week of January 25, 2021:

The list of international travel destinations that you can travel to is ever-changing, so all outbound U.S. or Canadian passengers should check with the U.S. Embassy or Canadian Government and their preferred airline before finalizing travel plans.

This week’s highlighted destinations for U.S. & Canadian travelers:

Caribbean/Mexico:
• Turks & Caicos: Open to Canadians and Americans with restrictions. Due to a rise in cases, a curfew is now imposed on Grand Turk from 8pm to 5am (until January 27, 2021).
• Antigua: Open to Canadians and Americans with restrictions. All travelers arriving by air must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within 7 days of their flight (not required for children under 12 years of age). Fill out an online health form. All arriving passengers will be monitored for Covid-19 for periods of up to 14 days. Curfew in effect from 11pm to 5am.
• Mexico: Open to Canadians and Americans with no restrictions.

Latin America:
• Costa Rica: Open to Canadians and Americans with restrictions. Our Destination Experts can facilitate PCR testing for clients before their return home to the U.S. or Canada.
• Ecuador/Galapagos: Open to Canadians and Americans with restrictions. As of January 11, 2021, antigen rapid test can be performed on a random basis to passengers arriving into Quito or Guayaquil.

Europe:
• Montenegro: Open to Canadians and Americans as of January 12, 2021. No test required.
• Turkey: Open to Canadians and Americans with restrictions. International passengers age 6 years and older traveling to Turkey are required to have taken a Covid-19 PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours prior to their flight. Passengers must submit their test results to the airline at the time of check-in. Borders open to all travelers with temperature check upon arrival. This requirement will remain in effect until March 1, 2021.
• Croatia: Open to Canadians and Americans. Entry allowed with a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours. Travelers also have the option of being tested upon entry at their own expense, but they must self-isolate until test results confirmed. Travelers must also prove they are traveling for urgent personal/family reasons, business reasons or other economic interest (Tourism is considered to be an economic interest).

Africa:
• Egypt: Open to Canadians and Americans with restrictions. All travelers must present a medical certificate issued 72 hours before entry on arrival proving they are not infected with Covid-19. Children under 6 years of age are exempt from this requirement. Travelers departing from Japan, China, Thailand, North America, South America and Canada, as well as London Heathrow, Paris Charles De Gaulle and Frankfurt airports, will be permitted to enter with a negative Covid-19 test no older than 96 hours. Tourists must hold a valid travel insurance to cover medical expenses in Egypt. Health checks may take place at the airport for all travelers entering Egypt.

Important Note for Returning U.S./Canada Passengers:
• U.S.: Starting January 26, 2021, all U.S. passengers over the age of 2 years must provide one of the following before boarding their flight back home:
o A negative Covid-19 test result (PCR or Antigen) taken within 72 hours prior.
o Documentation of having recovered from Covid-19 and approved to travel by a doctor.
• Canada: As of January 7, 2021, all Canadian passengers over the age of 5 years must provide a negative Covid-19 test result (PCR or LAMP) taken within the 72 hours prior.
• Please review the full order for the U.S. on the CDC’s website here. Canada issued a similar order earlier this month. Read here.