Anyone looking at preemptively changing plans for 2021?

[laceltris3]

After our Siene river cruise was cancelled this summer, we went ahead and booked the Alpine Adventure with Tauck for June 2021. Getting money back from Air France was a hassle. I have been thinking that it is very unlikely to go next year, and normally I would have booked flights already, but I am not interested in taking the chance. It seems that it is unlikely that vaccines will be sufficiently distributed to really make it the experience we want, even it we could get there.

I am considering pulling the plug on it and doing something in the US instead. Obviously not guaranteed to go either, but at least I don't have the stress of international airfare on a carrier we don't regularly use, and I could wait until 6 or 8 weeks out to get the flights at 20% of the cost, and if we do a national parks trip, most of the activities are outdoors, and seem more feasible with what is in the realm of possibility.

 

[aggiedog]

We have a Danube river cruise planned for September 2021, which I'm thinking is a 50/50 chance of going. I also have a trip to Morocco March 2021 which I think is much less likely, but is a deposit switch from a trip this summer which obviously did not happen.

I also have a trip to Glacier NP for July 2021, to make up for the one that also did not happen this July.

FWIW, many people had the same idea as you and many of the NP's had record attendance this year. In fact, my friend just got back from Jackson Hole, WY, where a local told him that many people who had summer houses have elected to stay in an effort to get away from too many people and now the school system is up 300+%.

Many of the NP in-park lodging reservations opened up 12 months prior, so if you are interested in staying in the parks, I'd start looking at lodging and at least making tentative plans. Or contact companies like Off the Beaten Path about tours.

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

Yes... we were also scheduled for the Danube river cruise + Budapest escape next July but moved to placeholder status. My family really wanted to go on the Japan ABD this past June but of course that didn't happen. Even if there is a vaccine by next summer we will take the cautious route and wait to see how things look before we travel internationally again (likely 2022). Whenever we feel comfortable travelling, Japan is still at the top of our list.

 

[sayhello]

I have a tentative reservation for an 8-day Rocky Mountaineer trip advertised as being with Samantha Brown in late May, 2021 in Southwestern Canada. So far, I only have a non-refundable $25 fee plus trip insurance invested. (The trip insurance was a bit ridiculously priced considering I was only covering $25 so far, but I guess they have a minimum, and I need that pre-existing condition waiver). The true deposit is due in 2 weeks. I'm thinking of pulling the plug on it, because I'm thinking that even if Canada lets us in by May, it's not going to be the experience I want. Plus, I found out Samantha Brown is only going to be on the trip for the first two days, which is the train portion. The rest of the trip looks pretty sparse, and not worth the premium I'd be paying. I really hadn't intended to make any plans until there was a vaccine, and this is why. I don't want to be making these decisions and having these disappointments again next year.

I figure I'm going to be traveling domestically for a while, to not have to worry about international flights, also.

Sayhello

 

[aggiedog]

I've done the Rocky Mountaineer. I decided it would be nice to repeat when I'm just a few years away from needing a walker. The train portion is VERY sedate. I mean, obviously, since you're sitting in a train, but actually doing that for 2 straight days while eating and drinking non-stop made me feel like a slug.

Great scenery, though.

 

[sayhello]

I've done the Rocky Mountaineer. I decided it would be nice to repeat when I'm just a few years away from needing a walker. The train portion is VERY sedate. I mean, obviously, since you're sitting in a train, but actually doing that for 2 straight days while eating and drinking non-stop made me feel like a slug.

Great scenery, though.

The more I started to read the detailed itinerary, the less I wanted to do this trip. I honestly don't mind the 2 days on the train; I'm a big fan of train travel. Plus Samantha *is* supposed to be talking some, and I believe they'll be filming some for an episode of her show. But we're not sleeping on the train, so we have to pack & unpack every night at a hotel along the way, and transfer from & to the train. Honestly, the big draw for me was the kind of excursions we might get with Samantha Brown, but since she's not staying after the train, the remainder of the trip is just a standard Rocky Mountaineer tour. For the remainder of the trip, the excursions all say "sightseeing" tours, which, to me, translates to looking at stuff from a motorcoach, and not getting out of the bus and doing stuff like I prefer. And a LOT of bus time and OYO time. So I'm 99.9% sure I'm cancelling. I may work a couple of days on the Rocky Mountaineer in with maybe an Alaska trip or something of that nature at some point in the future. But I'm becoming convinced this trip is not for me, and probably not worth the angst of planning a trip in 2Q 2021.

Sayhello

 

[AquaDame]

If I could cancel our May trip I would, but ABD is holding our deposit hostage. As they're making people PIF in order to get a refund (if they continue to do what they have so far) I will likely have to eat it as I do not want to gamble even more thousands of dollars. For now I'm out the same amount whether or not I wait until February, so fingers crossed they show some mercy between now and then!

We also have a domestic trip booked for November of next year, but I have been careful to keep that fully refundable. I will only purchase airfare if something changes between now and then. The backup to that backup is in March of 2022, and same deal. Nothing that is nonrefundable... if we are still not able to travel by then... well I will be a shell of a human frankly. J/K... mostly.

 

[aggiedog]

Yes, train ride PLUS motor coach tours would tip me over the edge. I'm young enough at 52 to want to do more active trips now while I can. Hopefully I'll have many years where motorcoach sounds heavenly as well.

Nothing that is nonrefundable... if we are still not able to travel by then... well I will be a shell of a human frankly. J/K... mostly.

Amen to that.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

If I could cancel our May trip I would, but ABD is holding our deposit hostage. As they're making people PIF in order to get a refund (if they continue to do what they have so far) I will likely have to eat it as I do not want to gamble even more thousands of dollars. For now I'm out the same amount whether or not I wait until February, so fingers crossed they show some mercy between now and then!

I'm in the same boat as you. I'd cancel my October river cruise right now if I could get the deposits back. I may press about that as it gets closer. I was mostly interested in seeing the shipyard, and I suspect they won't be telling us for a long time whether that is still on the docket.

 

[sayhello]

Yes, train ride PLUS motor coach tours would tip me over the edge. I'm young enough at 52 to want to do more active trips now while I can. Hopefully I'll have many years where motorcoach sounds heavenly as well.

I'm significantly older than you, and I'm not ready for motorcoach tours yet. I'd have to have significant mobility issues to be ready for that!

The backup to that backup is in March of 2022, and same deal. Nothing that is nonrefundable... if we are still not able to travel by then... well I will be a shell of a human frankly. J/K... mostly.

I totally feel you with this! I was talking to the insurance folks, and they said I could hold onto the policy & re-use it as long as I traveled by September of 2023. I told her if I'm not traveling by September of 2023, it's going to be a lot worse than losing the deposit on this insurance policy!!

I'm in the same boat as you. I'd cancel my October river cruise right now if I could get the deposits back. I may press about that as it gets closer. I was mostly interested in seeing the shipyard, and I suspect they won't be telling us for a long time whether that is still on the docket.

Sigh. It's never easy, is it?

Sayhello

 

[StephHow83]

We have a Danube river cruise planned for September 2021, which I'm thinking is a 50/50 chance of going. I also have a trip to Morocco March 2021 which I think is much less likely, but is a deposit switch from a trip this summer which obviously did not happen.

I also have a trip to Glacier NP for July 2021, to make up for the one that also did not happen this July.

FWIW, many people had the same idea as you and many of the NP's had record attendance this year. In fact, my friend just got back from Jackson Hole, WY, where a local told him that many people who had summer houses have elected to stay in an effort to get away from too many people and now the school system is up 300+%.

Many of the NP in-park lodging reservations opened up 12 months prior, so if you are interested in staying in the parks, I'd start looking at lodging and at least making tentative plans. Or contact companies like Off the Beaten Path about tours.

Yes we spent 2 weeks in Jackson Hole at the end of September and we were blown away about how busy it was...we go yearly and it was miserable trying to have dinner at night...hoards if people EVERYWHERE!!!

 

[StephHow83]

So we have a big trip to Egypt planned for February 2021 with ABD but going to risk it, PIF, and hope that it cancels! We don’t want to go if it’s not a great experience!! We also have Peru booked for May 2021 as well but thank goodness we can cancel that with a full refund and will heavily look at that before paying in full date! We also have a Disney cruise scheduled for July and unsure about that but deposit is refundable!! We’re truly thinking about canceling all of them and just doing Montana or East Coast… We did Jackson Hole last month and had an amazing time other than the wild crowds.... and just hope for a better 2022!

 

[Mathmagicland]

I have late May booked and am not looking to cancel, but am also not yet committing to airfare. For the first time, I may book air thru AbD as if they cancel they will refund the air. I feel it’s 50-50 at this point as to if it will happen. Lots can change in the next few months.

I also,have one booked for October & feel that is more likely to go.

 

[lovetotravel]

.

 

[Marthasor]

I have so many credits with so many different travel companies/airlines at this point. The only thing I've booked is a resort in Mexico that was kind enough to extend our credit through the end of June 2021 (we were originally supposed to use it by the end of the year) and I've booked that for mid-June. I have no clue if that will actually happen. Otherwise, I'm in wait-and-see mode. I just don't want to book anything and get my hopes up only to be dashed again.

 

[helenk]

I rebooked our Japan trip from July of this year to July of next year. I truly want to go on this trip. But who knows when any of these countries will allow Americans in.

 

[Woodview]

The more I started to read the detailed itinerary, the less I wanted to do this trip. I honestly don't mind the 2 days on the train; I'm a big fan of train travel. Plus Samantha *is* supposed to be talking some, and I believe they'll be filming some for an episode of her show. But we're not sleeping on the train, so we have to pack & unpack every night at a hotel along the way, and transfer from & to the train. Honestly, the big draw for me was the kind of excursions we might get with Samantha Brown, but since she's not staying after the train, the remainder of the trip is just a standard Rocky Mountain tour. For the remainder of the trip, the excursions all say "sightseeing" tours, which, to me, translates to looking at stuff from a motorcoach, and not getting out of the bus and doing stuff like I prefer. And a LOT of bus time and OYO time. So I'm 99.9% sure I'm cancelling. I may work a couple of days on the Rocky Mountaineer in with maybe an Alaska trip or something of that nature at some point in the future. But I'm becoming convinced this trip is not for me, and probably not worth the angst of planning a trip in 2Q 2021.

Sayhello

Sayhello do you drive And would you hire a car ? And would you take a friend with you ?

If yes then get to either Seattle or Vancouver & follow the Rocky Mountain

from Vancouver to Whistler > Kamloops ( See the Rail Yard ) and on to Nelson &

back to White Fish .... to Bonners Ferry to Priest River To Spokane To Grand Culle Dam to Yakima

And ????

This is the Trip we had planned to do in September this year . WE had pre booked the Hotels ourselves

and some of them we had used on our previous trips to that area .

We will do this trip Next September all going well

 

[AquaDame]

I rebooked our Japan trip from July of this year to July of next year. I truly want to go on this trip. But who knows when any of these countries will allow Americans in.

Currently Japan plans to reopen to international visitors in April of next year. They may of course push it back, but for now you technically would be allowed in July.

 

[st40]

After our Siene river cruise was cancelled this summer, we went ahead and booked the Alpine Adventure with Tauck for June 2021. Getting money back from Air France was a hassle. I have been thinking that it is very unlikely to go next year, and normally I would have booked flights already, but I am not interested in taking the chance. It seems that it is unlikely that vaccines will be sufficiently distributed to really make it the experience we want, even it we could get there.

I am considering pulling the plug on it and doing something in the US instead. Obviously not guaranteed to go either, but at least I don't have the stress of international airfare on a carrier we don't regularly use, and I could wait until 6 or 8 weeks out to get the flights at 20% of the cost, and if we do a national parks trip, most of the activities are outdoors, and seem more feasible with what is in the realm of possibility.

We are in the same situation...we have booked the Peru ABD for next June, but we have not yet booked flights. Usually we have all of this set well in advance, but we also think that the vaccines may not be widely available by that time. The vaccine(s) may also have uneven distributions across countries, so there's no way to guess where that will be. We are considering doing staying in the US as well.

 

[st40]

I rebooked our Japan trip from July of this year to July of next year. I truly want to go on this trip. But who knows when any of these countries will allow Americans in.

We also were planning on going to Japan in Mar/20, but have rescheduled it to Mar/21. I think we may have to bump this down the road as well!