I am going to share some of my personal experience traveling during the current COVID-19 pandemic in this post. In a previous post Traveling During the COVID-19 Pandemic, I laid out the thought processes that everyone should go through to determine if traveling now is appropriate for you. I encourage you to read the arguments for/against travel in that post to see what is right for you. However, I also know that actions and experiences provide some additional realism. Therefore in this post, I will describe my own personal pandemic traveling experience so that everyone can be prepared.
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Personal Experience Traveling During the Pandemic
Since the pandemic arrived in the United States in March 2020, I have personally traveled five times. All of these trips involved air travel. This travel consisted of four personal trips and one business trip deemed critical by my company. However, the vast majority of our business travel has been shut down. The four personal trips were for:
- A family funeral
- See family during the Christmas holiday
- Two personal vacations (including one international vacation)
During each of these trips, I did not feel that the risk to me personally was high. Therefore, I felt comfortable traveling. That is my personal opinion, and I recognize that others may have a different opinion given their unique circumstances.
Open Communication about Travel
With each of these vacations, I was open with all I was coming in contact with. Everyone knew that I was traveling so that they could make their own decisions about their health. They were able to weigh their own risk and their comfort in interacting with us during and after travel. In some cases, this meant that I was unable to visit some people like my grandfather (who is in his 90s). I was not upset at anyone who made these decisions given the circumstances. As I have said before, everyone should have the ability to make their own risk decisions as my grandfather did. This can be a difficult decision process, but this is what can keep others safe and comfortable. If you can’t provide this opportunity to others, I urge you to reconsider your travel.
In each of these travel instances, my work also knew that I was traveling. I worked from home for two weeks after I returned per our company policy. This was to prevent risk to those I work with. In addition to working from home, I quarantined for 10 – 14 days based on the guidance at that time from all activities and interactions. This was in lieu of getting a test simply due to the convenience and cost savings. The one exception to this rule was the one international trip where I did take a COVID test just prior to my return. My line of work, fortunately, has the ability to operate in a work-from-home environment fairly easily. Therefore, I took advantage of this when I could.
Pick Locations Conducive to COVID Travel
On the travel destination side, I continued to abide by protection measures like social distancing and mask-wearing, where required. Destination selection was also important for each of these trips. Beaches, where being outdoors and distancing is easy, were the logical choice for both personal vacations. Traveling during a pandemic is most conducive to outdoor and nature locations instead of urban areas.
International COVID Testing Experience
During my most recent vacation travel to an international destination, testing was required for re-entry to the United States. This testing requirement was implemented less than three weeks from our departure date. We performed some additional leg work to figure out how we were going to comply with the new rules. This is the first lesson that I can share, you will likely need to BE FLEXIBLE. Travel regulations are ever-changing as we move through this pandemic.
Coping with Changing Requirements
While testing requirements can be a burden (depending on where you are traveling from and the prevalence of testing in that country), many countries are making it easy to get a test. These countries are taking on the cost as a way of encouraging tourism dollars and stimulating their economies. Within a week of this testing policy being announced, I received multiple options for easily fulfilling the requirements allowing our international travel to continue stress-free. The second lesson after remaining flexible is DON’T PANIC. The vast majority of hotels, airlines, and travel companies are extremely accommodating. They will work with you to solve a potential issue to win your business and loyalty. In the ever-changing travel landscape, give these companies a could days to digest the changes themselves. They will likely be working on a solution for your situation.
Testing Communication prior to Arrival
My wife and I traveled in mid-February 2021 to the Dominican Republic to visit the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana all-inclusive resort. This was after the new testing requirements went into effect in the United States requiring a negative COVID test to return.
Prior to arriving at the resort, we received information from the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana resort that they would provide free rapid COVID-19 testing on-site for all guests with no minimum stay requirement. As mentioned above this made compliance with the new US requirements very easy. After this, we also received information that nationwide testing for tourists is provided by the Dominican Republic government to promote tourism.
Scheduling a Test
Upon checking into the resort, the front desk staff walked us to where the COVID tests were being conducted. We scheduled an appointment early to ensure the test would be ready in time for our return to the U.S. We secured a test appointment for 9 AM two days prior to our scheduled departure.
The Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana was using part of its convention center and conference rooms to provide private testing areas. Hyatt contracts with an outside company to provide the scheduling and testing. However, the operations of this company were so well integrated into the Hyatt that most will never know they are separate. The only way I knew was that the name tags and the test paperwork display a different company name.
Testing and Results
On the day of our test, we arrived and checked in with the nurse on-site. We waited approximately 10 minutes prior to being called back to the testing room. The nurse performing the test was very efficient and performed the rapid test nasal swap without any pain, just a little tickle. It took less than 5 minutes to perform the testing. The nurse instructed us to come back to the same place at 2 PM to collect our test results.
After enjoying the beach and the rest of what the resort had to offer, we came back after 2 PM to collect the results (which were thankfully negative). The only hiccup we had in the testing was that the result they gave us had the wrong date of the test printed on it. We pointed this out to them and they quickly fixed this by reprinting a new result with the corrected date.
All in all, it was a very easy process and not something to worry about. However, it was largely stress-free due to the testing setup put in place by the resort. This is a major positive for any resort offering the service. If I continue traveling during the pandemic, it would definitely be worth booking certain resorts over others if there are arranging and/or covering the cost of testing.
Resort COVID Handling
Outside of the testing described above, there were a couple of other items that were different about traveling now. I feel like these are necessary to address to have the full picture of what the experience is like.
Check-In
The check-in process was less face-to-face and more like a process of filling out a packet of papers. I appreciated that in the present climate, but it does take a little longer. Some of the paperwork is typical lodging agreements, but many of the papers were new relating to the COVID pandemic. Some examples of the extra information collected was:
- Dominican Republic Travel Insurance – The Dominican Republic provided complimentary travel insurance to all tourist arriving in the country and staying at an established hotel. To qualify for the coverage the hotel collected typical identification information and length of stay information to provide the coverage.
- COVID-19 Acknowledgement – Acknowledgements making all guest aware of the rules for mask-wearing and social distancing. Also acknowledges that guests will provide notice to the hotel staff should they develop any symptoms of COVID-19 during your stay.
- COVID-19 Quarantine Acknowledgement – Provides information on what would occur if you were to test positive for COVID-19 while at the property. See below for more details
Quarantining at the Location
Hopefully, no one reading this will have any of the following occur to them. However, part of accepting the risk of traveling during this time is understanding what could happen in all situations (including the worst). The quarantine policy will be highly variable depending on where you go (both country and hotel/resort property). The following is the specifics of the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic and should give you an idea of what to expect. If you are particularly concerned, reach out to your potential travel destination and ask for details on what they would require should you test positive for COVID-19.
Hyatt Ziva/Zilara Cap Cana Quarantine Policy
The details of the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana quarantine policy are:
- If a guest tests positive, that guest and all accompanying family members or friends staying in the same room will be transferred to a wing of the hotel used for quarantine.
- Once transferred to the quarantine, the occupants will be required to stay in the assigned room for the length of the quarantine.
- If quarantine is refused, the hotel is required by law to notify local health officials who may transfer the guest to a government quarantine facility.
Service in Quarantine Rooms
Travels who are quarantined are subject to the following rules:
- Guests may not leave the quarantine room at any time for any reason.
- Hotel staff will not enter the room at any time for any reason
- Food and beverage will be delivered via room service to the front door. No alcohol service will be provided.
- Clean bedroom linens will be delivered to the front door every three days. No room cleaning will be provided during the quarantine period.
- All service requests will be made via telephone.
- Guests must wear a face mask at all times when receiving service at the front door to the room.
- Medical consultations will be performed by medical servers available at the hotel via telephone or at the room as required.
Quarantine Cost
Guests have the option to purchase the hotel’s “Extended Stay Protection” program. If purchased, the guest will be provided guest room accommodations free of charge for 14 days exclusive of any incidental or ancillary charges if required to quarantine due to a positive test.
If the guest has not purchased the hotel’s “Extended Stay Protection” program, the guest will be charged $125/night/guest for double occupancy or $206/night for single occupancy. Children 12 and under are $45/night/child.
None of the above policies sound particularly appealing on their face. However, if you are able to withstand the financial impact of the 14-night charge and can work remotely this isn’t the worst way to spend a quarantine period. Given this, traveling during the pandemic isn’t completely out of the question. Again, if you have embarked on travel I must assume you are in a low-risk category and do not expect complications. Your health and safety should be your first and foremost priority before even considering the financials and inconvenience of quarantine.
Personal Plan for Future Travel
Let me start this by saying that the pandemic landscape is ever-changing. My plan that I describe today may be completely different in time due to new information, new strains, vaccination rollout, etc.… However, with that said I do plan to try to resume responsible travel going forward and increase the rate of travel in 2021. Here are the top reasons for traveling/increasing travel in 2021 despite the pandemic.
- Due to my health and age, I am at low risk for COVID-19 complications. I am willing to accept the personal risks of a possible increase in exposure for the ability to travel.
- My profession and lifestyle allow me to quarantine upon return for travel to ensure I am not increasing the risk of spread to others who don’t want to accept that risk. I will continue to quarantine and get tested as appropriate.
- Many economies and industries have been very hurt by the pandemic. Beginning to travel again will help some of the industries, economies, and individuals/families that they support to recover.
- I will continue to travel to areas and utilize businesses that are being responsible with respect to the pandemic. This means that beach and nature vacations are much more likely than cultural or urban vacations. This also means that I will utilize resorts that require reasonable mask usage, provide accommodations for distancing, and make quarantine/testing accommodations.
Traveling during the pandemic can be a polarizing topic. I encourage any comments on your plans or questions on the policies and experience described above.
