Sand Dollar Travel and Cruises

25/04/2024

Current passport processing times.

Heading overseas this summer? Think of what you can buy with the $60 of expedited passport processing fees you saved by planning ahead! Passport processing times are currently 6-8 weeks for routine service and 2-3 weeks for expedited service. travel.state.gov/passport

18/01/2023

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=545884440907944&set=a.227341039428954&type=3&mibextid=RAdLTY

Are you going on an international trip this spring or summer? It’s time to start planning! Check your passport expiration date and apply 6 months before travel. Check current processing times at travel.state.gov/passports and apply early.

11/01/2023

29/09/2022

Hurricane Ian Update for Walt Disney World Resort
UPDATE
As of September 29, at 3 P.M. ET
We continue to closely monitor weather conditions as we assess the impact of Hurricane Ian on our property. While theme parks and many operating areas remain closed to guests today, we anticipate weather conditions to improve this evening. Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, Sept. 30. Operating hours will be updated later today on

Before you visit Walt Disney World Resort, be sure to review important information about inclement weather, including thunderstorms, hurricanes and tropical storms.

12/01/2022

The following countries' Travel Advisories were raised to or reissued at Level 4 - Do Not Travel:
⛔️ Jamaica
⛔️ Indonesia
⛔️ Ethiopia
⛔️ Curacao
⛔️ Canada
⛔️ Belarus
⛔️ Kazakhstan
⛔️ Equatorial Guinea
⛔️ Aruba
See advisories: http://ow.ly/vbaC50HsKcs

22/12/2021

Travel Restriction Updates as of 12/22/21
Netherlands ~ Israel ~ Bonaire
The Netherlands
Effective Dec. 22, the Netherlands will require all travelers ages 12 and older departing from the U.S., to be fully vaccinated unless otherwise exempt.
Travelers must also present a negative COVID-19 test result; either a NAAT (PCR) test taken within 48 hours before departure, or an antigen test taken within 24 hours before departure.
In addition, the Netherlands has implemented a strict lockdown, ordering the closure of all but essential stores, as well as restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places until at least Jan. 14.

Israel
Effective Dec. 22, Israel will require all travelers departing from the U.S. (including those who departed on Dec. 21st) and certain countries of concern, to isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
Foreign travelers are not allowed to enter Israel unless they have a special entry permit from the Exceptions Committee. Please see Entry of Non-Israeli Citizens to Israel.
Also effective Dec. 22nd, Israeli citizens traveling from Israel to the U.S., or other countries of concern, will be required to obtain an approval from the Israeli Government Exceptions Committee.
Arriving passengers to Israel must present a negative COVID-19 test result; either a PCR test taken within 72 hours of the first point of departure, or a Rapid Antigen test taken within 24 hours of the first point of departure. The test must be in English and include the passenger’s passport details. A PCR test will be administered upon arrival.
All passengers must submit the online Israel Entry Statement Form within 48 hours prior to scheduled time of departure. Israeli citizens who are fully vaccinated and arriving from the U.S. or other countries of concern will have the option when submitting the Entry Statement to agree to electronic tracking in lieu of certain isolation measures.

Bonaire
Effective 22 December, all passengers aged 12 years and older from high-risk and very high-risk countries (including the U.S.) must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 48 hours of departure, as well as self-test upon arrival.
On day 5 after arrival, passengers must undergo a PCR test at their own expense at a commercial testing center. Unvaccinated travelers must quarantine for five days upon arrival and may only leave quarantine once they have a negative test result.
Passengers traveling to Bonaire must complete a Health Declaration form for the Public Health Department between 72 hours and 48 hours before departure.

15/12/2021

MSP - Unprecedented Storm Likely to Affect Runway Use

Unprecedented Storm Likely to Affect Runway Use Metropolitan Airports Commission sent this bulletin at 12/15/2021 02:15 PM CST Unprecedented Storm Likely to Affect Runway Use The National Weather Service in Chanhassen has alerted residents that an unprecedented outbreak of severe thunderstorms for t...

09/12/2021

The Dutch Minister of Health, Hugo de Jonge, has announced that starting from February 2022 the country’s authorities will only recognise COVID-19 vaccination certificates that indicate that the holder has received a booster shot. Accordingly, this means that the Netherlands will shorten the valid...

09/12/2021

Minneapolis/St. Paul weather waiver
SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES

Sun Country flights may experience delays due to forecasted weather conditions. Please be sure to check your flight status frequently.

Sun Country Airlines will allow passengers who purchased tickets to/from Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN (MSP) to rebook to another Sun Country flight one time with no additional cost if:

Original tickets were purchased prior to December 09, 2021
Travel was originally for December 10, 2021
New travel commences by December 14, 2021
Space is available within the same cabin as the original ticket.

In addition:

Tickets remain non-refundable.
Tickets must be rebooked prior to original scheduled departure and must be from the same departure city and to the same destination.

Passengers who wish to cancel can choose to:

Retain the full value of their ticket in the form of a Sun Country flight voucher for any un-flown segments. Flight vouchers expire one year from the date the original itinerary was booked and can be used towards travel beyond the date of expiration.

This waiver does not apply to any changes made prior to 11:00 am Central Time on December 09, 2021. If the original booking was for air and hotel package, change or cancel fees may apply.

For those passengers who have booked a reservation through Sun Country Airlines and would like to rebook or cancel, you may do so by logging into My Trips or can contact Sun Country Airlines Reservations Department at 651-905-2737 from 6:00am-11:00pm CT Monday – Sunday.

08/12/2021

REVISED TESTING REQUIREMENTS for the UNITED KINGDOM, SWITZERLAND and ANTIGUA
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Starting December 6, the United Kingdom is implementing changes to its testing requirements for all travelers ages 12 and above entering the U.K. All travelers arriving into the U.K., regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test taken within 2 days of departure of their final flight to the U.K.
Additionally, all vaccinated travelers must pre-book a post-arrival test no more than 2 days after arrival and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. Unvaccinated must continue to pre-book PCR tests for day 2 and 8 post-arrival and self-isolate for 10 days.
Travelers heading to the U.K. must fill out a Passenger Locator Form within 48 hours prior to arrival.

Switzerland 🇨🇭
Due to the new Omicron virus mutation, Switzerland amended its entry and test regulations. Starting December 4, the quarantine rule for red list countries (i.e. Canada) has been lifted, however, a stricter testing regime will apply for all arrivals into Switzerland.
Travelers entering Switzerland from the United States and Canada must meet the following entry and testing requirements:
Only fully vaccinated visitors from both U.S. and Canada will be allowed to travel to Switzerland.
Recovered and tested Americans are not allowed to enter Switzerland.
Mandatory PCR test before entry is required, taken within 72 hours before departure.
A second test (PCR test or rapid antigen test) must be carried out between the fourth and seventh day after entry. Please find here COVID-19 testing sites in Switzerland.
Travelers must complete, no earlier than 48 hours before departure, the online form of the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH.

Antigua 🇦🇬
Starting December 8, fully vaccinated travelers arriving to Antigua must present a negative PCR test taken within 3 days of departure. Travelers can no longer utilize rapid antigen tests.

04/12/2021

Starting Dec. 6: All international air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1 day before to the United States.

If you have questions, CDC’s Travel Assessment can help: https://bit.ly/3mi0932

04/12/2021

03/12/2021

REVISED TESTING REQUIREMENTS
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has revised the testing requirement for travelers boarding a flight in a foreign country bound for the United States. Effective Monday, December 6, 2021, testing requirements for all travelers 2 years of age or older boarding a flight to the United States are as follows:

• U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals and Permanent Residents entering the U.S. regardless of vaccination status, must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken within one (1) day of their flight to the U.S. prior to boarding.
• Non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. immigrants traveling to the U.S. will be required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 prior to boarding a flight to the U.S. Additionally, travelers entering the U.S. must also provide a negative viral test result taken withing one (1) day of their flights to the U.S. prior to boarding.

For more information or answers to common questions please contact the CDC for visit www.cdc.gov

CDC works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people.

02/12/2021

NEW TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS - Ireland
From Delta Vacations
12/2/21
In response to the new Omicron variant, Ireland has issued new precautionary measures to travel restrictions.

Starting Dec. 3, travelers aged 12 and over must adhere to the following measures:
Fully vaccinated travelers, or those who have recovered from COVID-19, must present proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival. Test must not be self-administered.
Unvaccinated travelers must present proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours of arrival. Test must not be self-administered.
Passengers who travel to Ireland must fill out a Passenger Locator Form prior to arrival.

30/11/2021

CRUISE CANCELLATIONS
Norwegian Cruise Line
Update as of 11/29/21
Due to the evolving public health concerns in South Africa, we’ve made the decision to cancel these sailings on the Norwegian Jade.
December 21, 2021
January 2, 2022
January 14, 2022
January 26, 2022

30/11/2021

NEW TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
From Delta Vacations
11/29/21 Update
In response to the new Omicron variant, several countries including the United Kingdom, South Africa and Israel have issued new temporary precautionary measures to travel restrictions.

The UNITED KINGDOM has implemented the following measures to slow the spread of the variant:
All international passengers arriving to the U.K. must take a Day 2 PCR test and self-isolate until they receive a negative test result.
All contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate, regardless of their vaccination status. They will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
Face coverings will be required in shops and on public transport. All hospitality settings will be exempt.

In addition, starting Nov. 29th, the UNITED STATES will prohibit entry to any foreign national who has been in South Africa (Lesotho, Eswatini) within 14 days preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. Only U.S. citizens, legal permanent resident (LPRs), and immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are excluded from the restriction.

ISRAEL has also issued a temporary travel ban from Nov. 29 to Dec. 12 prohibiting the entry of non-Israeli citizens, unless they have a special entry permit from the Exceptions Committee. Only citizens and residents of Israel may enter at this time. All Israelis returning from abroad must quarantine for at least three (3) days, regardless of vaccination status, in addition to providing a negative COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours before departure.

08/11/2021

UPDATE: COVID-19 testing requirements for passengers traveling to the United States by air have changed. Before you travel internationally, find out how these changes impact your travel plans. Learn more: https://bit.ly/39Az04X.

14/07/2021

Italy imposes Venice cruise ship ban
Published on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 by Travel Mole European Edition
https://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2047854

Italy imposes Venice cruise ship ban
Italy has finally decided to ban cruise liners from Venice lagoon.
The government has acted as UNESCO proposed putting Venice on a World Heritage watchlist due to its failure to ban large ships.
The ban takes effect from 1 August and bans ships weighing more than 25,000 tons from the Giudecca Canal. That effectively means all cruise ships large and small are forbidden.
Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the government acted 'to avoid the concrete risk' of being placed on the UNESCO blacklist. It also 'establishes an unbreakable principle, by declaring the urban waterways of St. Mark's Basin, St. Mark's Canal
and the Giudecca Canal a national monument,' the minister added.

For many years, sentiment on cruise ship visits has been quite evenly split between local businesses grateful for the revenue and environmentalists and concerned residents fed up with overcrowding and pollution.

"The decree adopted today represents an important step for the protection of the Venetian lagoon system," Italy Prime Minister Mario Draghi said.

Draghi said funds will be dispersed to businesses to mitigate the loss of revenues caused by the cruise ship ban

Although the ban becomes official, there is still no permanent alternative location for cruise ships to dock. For the short term, large ships will be diverted to the industrial port of Marghera.

Ban starts on 1 August

01/07/2021

https://www.google.com/amp/s/minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/07/01/sun-country-delaying-all-flights-following-third-party-outage/%3famp

Sun Country Airlines said Thursday that flights are being delayed until a third-party system outage can be resolved.

06/03/2021

04/02/2021

Canada extends cruise ban until February 2022!
https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Canada-extends-cruise-ban-2022?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=eltrtopstory&oly_enc_id=1116I1530789D5F

CLIA- North West & Canada said it was "surprised by the length of the extension" of the cruise prohibition, which now goes until February 2022.

26/01/2021

A workstation that encourages toes in the sand?
Sounds fabulous!
https://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Workstation-setup-Boardwalk-Aruba?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=eltrcarib&ct=carib&oly_enc_id=1116I1530789D5F

The Boardwalk Boutique Hotel installed outdoor workstations that are guaranteed to make co-workers jealous.

21/01/2021

REMINDER... Starts Tuesday 1/26/21
CDC Requirements for International Airline Passengers Arriving into the United States:

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires all international airline passengers entering the U.S. from a foreign country on and after January 26, 2021 to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 infection from a licensed health care provider or public health official. All airline passengers, including U.S. Citizens, 2 years of age and older are required to get a viral test for current infection 3 calendar days preceding the flight departure from the foreign country.

No COVID-19 test is required for re-entry to the Continental United States from Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/fr-proof-negative-test.html?_ke=eyJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIlBUUjJNUSIsICJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJqZW5uaS5sYXBzbGV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbSJ9

The CDC within the HHS issued an Order on January 12, 2021 requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving from a foreign country to the US.

21/01/2021

From Royal Caribbean International:
1/21/21
Dear valued Travel Partners,
Royal Caribbean promises to bring you the latest news and updates as we evolve and plan our healthy and safe return to cruising. As you know, Quantum of the Seas resumed operations in Singapore last month and continues to offer short cruise getaways to local residents. Her success has prompted the decision to keep the ship in the Asia-Pacific region through the summer months and, therefore, we will be suspending Quantum of the Seas’ 2021 Alaska season, impacting sailings departing April 25- October 14, 2021. Please note that this decision does not affect Alaska sailings on Ovation, Serenade, and Radiance of the Seas, as we continue to work closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and government authorities in North America.

15/01/2021

Sunset of the Disneyland Resort (California) Annual Passport Program
January 14, 2021
Due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations around the reopening of our California theme parks, we will be issuing appropriate refunds for eligible Disneyland Resort Annual Passports and sunsetting the current Annual Passport program.

Current Annual Passport holders will receive communication from us directly. Please visit Disneyland.com/PassportRefund for refund information.

14/01/2021

And the travel industry has to pivot on a dime... again!
I AM THRILLED that many large resort brands are working hard on plans to provide easy, onsite COVID-19 testing at their resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean!

Here is the notice I just got from one of my favorites... Palace Resorts!
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CDC Expands Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement to All Air Passengers Entering the United States

To comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, that air passengers entering the United States will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight; Palace Resorts and Le Blanc Spa Resorts are pleased to expand our Purely Palace and Purely Le Blanc programs.
• Now all our resorts throughout Mexico & Jamaica will offer easy, onsite COVID-19 antigen (rapid) testing.
• Tests will be conducted on property at no cost to guests (for up to two guests per room) traveling to the United States.
• Testing and samples will be administered by experienced in-house lab teams
• Results will be received within 30 minutes, and documentation will be ready for guests to present at the airport for their journey back home.
• Guests can contact the concierge to schedule their departure test as soon as they check in.
For guests traveling to countries requiring PCR testing instead, our concierge teams will help facilitate testing onsite through a third party. Additional fees will apply.

Should a guest test positive, preventing departure, Palace Resorts and Le Blanc Spa Resorts will cover the cost of quarantine for up to 14 days at no cost to guests, for up to two guests per room should both guests test positive.

Additional rapid tests will be available at a minimal cost of $19 per guest.

At Palace Resorts, the safety and wellbeing of our guests and employees are our top priorities. Our goal is always to make your vacation as comfortable and memorable as it is safe.