Antarctica!

[llachance]

Started to watch the Vlog and it is certainly fun to watch. Interesting that the boxes that ABD sends are different. No beanies, hand sanitizer, wipes or lanyards in ours Going to watch the rest later today.

 

[sayhello]

Started to watch the Vlog and it is certainly fun to watch. Interesting that the boxes that ABD sends are different. No beanies, hand sanitizer, wipes or lanyards in ours Going to watch the rest later today.

It is fun! But I have to tell you, I got about 1/2 way through the 3rd one (first day on the Drake Passage) and I started to get super nauseous!! I had to stop watching! I'll tell you, if I'm getting nauseous from a video, I don't hold out much hope for me on the real thing!

Sayhello

 

[llachance]

I have vertigo so I am hoping that the waves counteract it If not seabands and dramamine and/or ginger.

 

[llachance]

So I have received my third ABD box. 2nd box was lanyards and pins for the Buenos Aires portion of the trip and the third box contained the pins and lanyards for the Expedition portion of the trip. Makes everything seem really real at this point. Also exciting that since we are going to Buenos Aires first it makes the expedition our second ABD adventure and I wasn't even sure I would ever get to go on one....continuing to face mask, stay out of crowds and count the minutes to departure.

 

[vitacura]

We received the second AbD box containing the bag, masks, sanitizer, wipes etc.. very exciting! Yet the CDC just raised Argentina to level 4; do not travel and I had another flight change from American.
What a roller coaster of emotions.. if this trip goes smoothly it will be a miracle!

 

[llachance]

We received the second AbD box containing the bag, masks, sanitizer, wipes etc.. very exciting! Yet the CDC just raised Argentina to level 4; do not travel and I had another flight change from American.
What a roller coaster of emotions.. if this trip goes smoothly it will be a miracle!

You made me look to see if American had changed our flight. It hasn't as of now. Are you doing the Buenos Aires escape first. When I initially made my reservations a year ago American flew directly to Buenos Aires. Since Covid they have changed things and now we have to fly through Miami (we are leaving from DFW). They put un on a flight with a one hour connecting time. Anyone that has flown through Miami knows better then that Got it changed so that we have a four hour layover and hope for the best. I am thinking of taking the dogs to the kennel a day early and trying to same day change my flight to get to Miami earlier - just in case. Our flight home is direct. Yes this has been, is a crazy roller coaster of emotions.

 

[Mathmagicland]

The State Dept also moved Argentina to Level 4 today -

https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...aveladvisories/argentina-travel-advisory.html

 

[llachance]

Do we know what that means to our trip? Which is a silly question because travel isn't banned, it just says don't go.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Do we know what that means to our trip? Which is a silly question because travel isn't banned, it just says don't go.

I’m sure Disney is in conversations now, but others have posted in other AbD trip threads that Disney has not been going to Level 4 countries.

 

[Magnum_PI]

I’m sure Disney is in conversations now, but others have posted in other AbD trip threads that Disney has not been going to Level 4 countries.

When we say they don't go to Level 4 countries, do we know if that means CDC Level 4 or State Department Level 4? Or is it that either one hitting Level 4 is a problem?

 

[Mathmagicland]

When we say they don't go to Level 4 countries, do we know if that means CDC Level 4 or State Department Level 4? Or is it that either one hitting Level 4 is a problem?

I’m sorry I don’t really know. I was trying to remember comments from other thread posts. Hopefully someone else with more info will post something here.

 

[Mathmagicland]

When we say they don't go to Level 4 countries, do we know if that means CDC Level 4 or State Department Level 4? Or is it that either one hitting Level 4 is a problem?

Inconsistencies are puzzling, though - CDC moves 22 countries to Level 4 today yet State Dept only moves 14 to level 4 today. Egypt and Bahamas are two that are now level 4 at CDC but still show as level 3 with State Dept.

 

[Magnum_PI]

Inconsistencies are puzzling, though - CDC moves 22 countries to Level 4 today yet State Dept only moves 14 to level 4 today. Egypt and Bahamas are two that are now level 4 at CDC but still show as level 3 with State Dept.

I think the State Dept is just manually adding them and doing it slowly. They've got more than 14 new Level 4s from today now (I've been refreshing throughout the afternoon haha), but Egypt still isn't on there. Bahamas are, though. Definitely ambiguous!

EDIT: Egypt is now also Level 4 per State Dept

 

[vitacura]

You made me look to see if American had changed our flight. It hasn't as of now. Are you doing the Buenos Aires escape first. When I initially made my reservations a year ago American flew directly to Buenos Aires. Since Covid they have changed things and now we have to fly through Miami (we are leaving from DFW). They put un on a flight with a one hour connecting time. Anyone that has flown through Miami knows better then that Got it changed so that we have a four hour layover and hope for the best. I am thinking of taking the dogs to the kennel a day early and trying to same day change my flight to get to Miami earlier - just in case. Our flight home is direct. Yes this has been, is a crazy roller coaster of emotions.

Not on the BA Escape, just added an extra night through AbD prior to the trip start.

American did the same to us, placing us on a later flight into MIA which then gave us a layover of about 70 minutes prior to our EZE flight, no thanks! Looking at the flight they gave us within the last week to get an idea of on time performance, on three days the flight into MIA has been delayed by at least 30 minutes, no way I would want to stress about it the day of. The next earlier flight causes us to have a 6.5-hour layover, which we chose over the possibility of missing our connection and losing a day in BA. I will take the longer layover and maybe hang out at a lounge to spend the layover than to stress and possibly miss our flight.

 

[AquaDame]

This made me check Ecuador... still sitting at level 3. I'm so glad after our trip this week we have no more international trips for awhile again. I'm stressed and tired.

Fingers crossed for all of you its too close for ABD to cancel...!

 

[aggiedog]

Good luck to everyone. I have a friend in South America now who's had 2 antarctic cruises canceled in the last month due to covid. I'd give y'all more specifics but I don't have them. Just offering that even if ABD says its a go, the cruise company may not.

I had a trip to Greece get canceled last week for March. I pushed it back to October. International travel is too uncertain right now. Bah.

 

[CaliKris]

I think the State Dept is just manually adding them and doing it slowly. They've got more than 14 new Level 4s from today now (I've been refreshing throughout the afternoon haha), but Egypt still isn't on there. Bahamas are, though. Definitely ambiguous!

EDIT: Egypt is now also Level 4 per State Dept

I am thinking our February Egypt ABD is gonna get cancelled due to the Level 4. Going to check in with our travel agent. I will let you know if I hear anything.

 

[Magnum_PI]

I am thinking our February Egypt ABD is gonna get cancelled due to the Level 4. Going to check in with our travel agent. I will let you know if I hear anything.

Thanks! We’re also expecting a cancellation call, just not sure how long it’ll take them to reach out. Sigh. I think we will take the refund this time and try again some other year.

Hoping the Antartica folks still get to go…!

 

[CaliKris]

Thanks! We’re also expecting a cancellation call, just not sure how long it’ll take them to reach out. Sigh. I think we will take the refund this time and try again some other year.

Hoping the Antartica folks still get to go…!

Yes, exactly! After having this trip rescheduled four times now, we are ready to take the refund and decide when to go to Egypt at a later time.

 

[MrsJonl]

I am worried about our airfare if ABD cancels. Delta has been so hard to reach. Wonder how this will go.... praying we still get to go!