Caribbean Travel

11/12/2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10228505671137800&id=1563343928

Today I saying this, the Makana ferry service has been a God send connecting the islands of Statia, Saba, St. Maarten and now St. Kitts.
I cannot be a hypocrite I was critical of the start up of it, but I am man enough to say it’s a God send. Imagine you can travel from Saba to St. Kitts for the meager price of US$ 105.00 return. I traveled over to St. Kitts on Friday morning from Statia and I was very surprised to see the amount of passengers went over for the day and some for the weekend and the amount that traveled from St. Kitts to St. Maarten.
Saturday morning at my return from Statia again I was surprised to see the amount of persons that traveled over to St. Maarten mostly to do their Christmas shopping.
Strange thing though we never get to hear from any of the St. Maarten politicians saying how satisfied or happy they are for the amount of Sabans and Statians that travel to St. Maarten for various reasons. They act as if only American tourist visits St. Maarten.
All in all the Makana ferry service is a God send and it is my hope that the Dutch Government sees the need in extending the subsidy for another two years as of now. For me personally rough or calm I enjoy my boat ride. I absolutely had no complaints at all for the service being provided. It goes to also show that a good close family can do great things.

05/06/2020

When Caribbean islands plan to reopen to tourism this summer..Over the next few weeks, several Caribbean islands plan to cautiously reopen to international tourism, joining those destinations that have already reopened or that began phased operations in late May.

Border reopenings are accompanied by strict new public health protocols and procedures, some of which require air travelers to produce proof of a Covid-free test result administered within 48 hours prior to travel.

The first flights to the Caribbean are from U.S. gateways. American confirmed that it began daily service from Miami to Antigua on June 4, its first international Caribbean destination since airports closed in mid-March. (Throughout the pandemic, the carrier continued flying to San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Croix under the jurisdiction of the FAA, although service was limited.)

In mid-June, American will begin service to Kingston and Montego Bay with other destinations to follow shortly.

JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit are expected to announce flight schedules this month, while Delta plans to return to several Caribbean routes in a limited capacity.

Here are the latest developments across the region:

• Antigua and Barbuda: V.C. Bird Airport reopened June 4, and American began a daily flight from Miami on the same day. Arriving passengers must complete a health declaration form as part of the screening process and submit proof of a negative virus test taken 48 hours before boarding. Face masks are required in public.

• Aruba: The country's border and airport reopening is tentatively scheduled between June 15 and July 1.

• Bahamas: The country will reopen its borders, airports and seaports on July 1, according to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation. Extensive health and safety protocols, part of a new Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan, will be enforced to mitigate risks for all visitors and residents, according to Joy Jibrilu, director general.

Hotels will reopen on June 15 for staff to return to work and put in place measures required for the arrival of guests on July 1 when commercial airlines, both international and domestic, are expected to begin limited operations. Face masks will be required in public, and temperature screenings will be conducted daily.

• Barbados: The airport is closed to international flights through June 30. No timeline has been announced for the country's reopening. The cruise port is closed until further notice.

• Cayman Islands: The borders, airports and seaports on Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are closed till Sept. 1, according to tourism minister Moses Kirkconnell. A curfew remains in effect on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. The curfew has been lifted on Little Cayman.

• Dominican Republic: International airports throughout the country are closed to commercial traffic to July 1, according to the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation.

• Grenada: The government is working toward June 30 as the possible date for the reopening of the country's borders, according to Patricia Maher, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority.

"The national Covid task force, the tourism subcommittee and the Ministry for Tourism and Aviation are working with stakeholders to prepare for the reopening," Maher said. "Protocols are being implemented across the tourism subsectors for the health and safety of residents and visitors."

• Jamaica: Borders will reopen to international travelers on June 15. The Ministry of Health & Wellness will work in collaboration with the Airports Authority of Jamaica regarding screenings of arriving passengers. Tourists will undergo voluntary Covid tests but no quarantine.

Screenings will include electronic thermal scans. Face masks and social distancing in public spaces will be required of all persons, including visitors. This includes points of entry, ground transportation and accommodation facilities.

Within the next two weeks, Jamaica will review whether to reopen public beaches, water attractions and amusement parks.

The health and safety protocols run to more than 100 pages, and "are perhaps the most rigorous set available anywhere in the world to protect our workers and the whole country," said Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism.

While not all airlines have announced their schedules, it is expected that most of the major airlines will begin with limited service and will ramp up in the coming months, according to Bartlett.

• Puerto Rico: All commercial flights now use Luis Munoz Marin Airport in San Juan. The Puerto Rico National Guard is assisting with enhanced health screenings of arriving passengers, including the Rapid Covid-19 test. Arriving passengers may be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days, regardless of symptoms. Face masks are required in public. A curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. is in effect until June 15.

Restaurants are operating with a maximum occupancy of 25%, and temperature checks are performed before entering. Attractions remain closed except for many of Puerto Rico's 18 golf courses. Casinos have not reopened.

• St. Lucia: Hewanorra Airport reopened on June 4 in phase one of the country's reopening plan, meaning that the borders are now open to all international carriers and to visitors carrying all passports.

The first flights are scheduled to resume in early July with American's daily flight from Miami on July 7. Delta is posting early July departures from Atlanta and JetBlue from JFK.

St. Lucia requires proof of a Covid-free test prior to travel; temperature checks are taken upon arrival; visitors must wear face masks in public from arrival through departure, including during the hotel stay.

A list of hotels that have met the new Covid-19 certification process will be announced shortly. Hotels must meet more than a dozen criteria for sanitization, social distancing and other protocols before they can reopen to guests. Any arrivals not booked into a certified property are required to go into a 14-day quarantine.

In phase one, which runs to July 31, no sites or attractions are open, although some shops are. A number of restaurants are open for delivery and takeout services, but none offer seated service.

Phase two runs from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, and phase three begins on Oct. 1.

• St. Maarten: July 1 is the earliest date that St. Maarten can reopen its airport, according to Lumila de Weever, minister of tourism. The tentative reopening date is dependent upon whether the island holds steady with no new Covid cases. The third phase of the reopening plan took effect June 1 and includes bars, dine-in restaurants with limited seating, hair salons, souvenir shops and retail stores. All remaining businesses are scheduled to reopen on June 15.

• Turks and Caicos: Borders, Providenciales Airport and private jet terminals will reopen on July 22. The Grand Turk Cruise Center will remain closed until Aug. 31.

Airline partners have confirmed flight service will resume from the U.S., Canada and Europe "as soon as the destination is ready," according to Pamela Ewing, director of tourism for the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board.

Hotels, resorts, villas, restaurants and tour operators are finalizing protocols prior to reopening.

• U.S. Virgin Islands: The territory reopened to visitors on June 1. New health and safety protocols for all tourism stakeholders have been rolled out in conjunction with the Department of Health and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Caribbean-readies-for-a-wave-of-reopenings

05/06/2020

Are we camping in the Netherlands or abroad this summer?
Yesterday, a large part of the Dutch population will have seen Prime Minister Rutte's speech. Rutte had good news for us: we can indeed go on holiday abroad this summer.

Travel advice for almost all Schengen countries will be changed from orange to yellow on 15 June. But, as he said, we have to "travel wise". After all, the virus is still around, so we have to be careful. Holidays in your own country remain the safest for everyone.

SCHENGEN COUNTRIES

We can go to most of the Schengen countries from 15 June. However, not all countries, such as Austria, Denmark and the United Kingdom, are accessible yet. France, Spain and other countries also still have to decide whether to let tourists in. We may be allowed to go to those countries from 1 July, but that is not yet certain. That depends on the situation in your own country and in those countries.

FAR COUNTRIES

We will probably also be allowed to travel to Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba, Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten from 15 June. We cannot yet go on holiday to countries outside Europe. The orange travel advice still applies to countries outside Europe. You can only go there if there is no other way. If you do go, you have to count on a compulsory extension of your holiday with two weeks of home quarantine after your return.

NO REPATRIATION

The prime minister was also very clear about repatriation: it will not be there. Those who are on holiday abroad, while unexpected measures are again being taken there because of the Corona pandemic, should not count on repatriation. Traveling abroad is therefore entirely at your own risk.

PREFER A HOLIDAY IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY

Rutte therefore added that a holiday in their own country is the safest for everyone. The question is also here and there, to what extent the holiday feeling is affected if you do not feel comfortable abroad, the attractions and sights are not open or are open to a limited extent and you are confronted everywhere with the obligation to wear a mask. Hence Rutte's 'wise journey'.

https://www.kampeerzaken.nl/kamperen-we-deze-zomer-in-nederland-of-het-buitenland/

01/06/2020

Phased reopening of border from June 1
The phased reopening of Jamaica’s border is to begin on Monday, June 1 with the repatriation of Jamaican nationals, while international travellers are to be welcomed as of June 15.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement on Sunday during a digital press conference from Jamaica House during which he updated the nation on steps being taken by the Government to relax restriction measures that have been put in place since March to stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the island.

He said the Government is to move to implement new controlled re-entry protocols based on risk assessments of the countries from which persons are seeking to re-enter Jamaica. The Administration is also considering the travel routes that these persons intend to take.

“Countries that have a similar management and profile result for the epidemic, regarding spread, death rate, infection prevention and control measures, contact tracing protocols and other such criteria, could constitute a travel bubble that determine the protocols that would apply to their re-entry,” Holness explained.

Such countries include those in the Caribbean, most likely those that make up the CARICOM bloc, as well as the Cayman Islands and Anguilla.

Holness said persons seeking to re-enter Jamaica from countries within this travel bubble may not need to be tested on arrival. However, they would be subjected to health status screening, including temperature checks and observation for any symptoms of the coronavirus.

Additionally, all persons entering the country must go through a sensitisation programme with public health officials using flyers as well as audio visual aids.

Holness said the Government is also considering the introduction of a pledge document that all persons entering the country would need to sign “just as a sign of good faith that they will observe the protocols here that all Jamaicans have been observing, and that have served us well.”

He said between June 1 and 14, all persons seeking to enter Jamaica will be subjected to testing, except for those entering from a country within the travel bubble. Jamaicans returning from countries that are not considered part of the travel bubble will be subjected to testing and home quarantine for 14 days with either phone or wrist band geofencing.

For non-Jamaicans entering the country as of June 15, testing upon arrival will be subject to the result of the public health screening at the port of entry.

All persons entering Jamaica, however, will be encouraged to undergo voluntary testing at the port of entry, or they can make an appointment on the Jam-Covid App to be tested.

The prime minister cautioned that the opening up of the border is likely to result in an increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases which up to Sunday, May 31, stood at 586.

“We must use our available resources in a targeted way to manage and mitigate the risk,” the prime minister said, adding that “We do not have the resources to entirely eliminate the risk”.
https://www.loopjamaica.com/content/phased-reopening-border-june-1