Cruise Passengers Wowed By Total Solar Eclipse

Above, 2017's Great American Eclipse. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2017, I drove up to Idaho to see the Great American Eclipse. Although the drive was long, it was well worth it to see.

On Wednesday, a total solar eclipse took place and cruise lines had special cruises for people to travel to areas of optimal views. 

According to Travel Pulse:

On Wednesday, a total solar eclipse swept across portions of the Northern Hemisphere, as the Moon passed directly between Earth and the Sun and briefly blocked the Sun’s disk. The path of totality stretched from the Arctic through Greenland and Iceland and across Spain, with the surrounding regions experiencing a partial eclipse. 

The event drew millions of skywatchers, including many who watched from cruise ships positioned along the eclipse’s path. With ships able to move into areas offering favorable views—and the open ocean providing an unobstructed horizon—cruising offered a particularly memorable way to experience the brief darkness of totality.

To read more, go here. 

In the U.S., here are the upcoming solar eclipses (source: CBS News):

The next solar eclipse visible in the United States will occur on March 30, 2033, but totality will be limited to Alaska. The next total eclipse over the contiguous U.S. will happen on August 22, 2044.

Hawaii: Booster Shot Requirement May Be Added

Above, a luau dancer in Honolulu. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one is planning to vacation in Hawaii this year, they may have to have a booster shot to be allowed into the islands.

Travel Pulse has posted an article that Hawaii is possibly targeting a booster requirement on February 18.

They reported:

Hawaii is looking at February 18 as a possible target date for adding a booster shot as a requirement to its Safe Travels Hawaii and Safe Access Oahu programs, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi told KHON television.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige suggested as recently as a week ago that the booster would be added to the program adopted by the state to help stem the tide of COVID-19 transmission. That would also include any tourists visiting Hawaii.

To read more, go here. 

Cruise Lines to Tighten Mask Rules

Above, yours truly on a Royal Caribbean ship to Cuba in 2019. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

My experience on cruise ships is a bit limited. I've been on two cruise trips, one to Alaska and one to Cuba (with Royal Caribbean). Both times I caught a bug. To me, cruise ships are basically floating petri dishes because there's around 1,500+ people confined to the small area of a ship and that makes it easy to catch something.

The following is probably a good idea, even though I am tired of having wear a mask when out in public.

Travel Pulse reported that two cruise lines are tightening mask rules for passengers.

They wrote:

Two major cruise lines, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, have both tightened their policy on onboard face masks in the wake of a swift-moving Omicron.

The COVID-19 variant has forced the cruise companies to now require all passengers to wear masks while they are in indoor areas aboard the ship unless they are eating or drinking.

The updated rule goes into effect immediately and will be re-evaluated on January 5, 2022.

"We feel it prudent to temporarily add measures and require masks indoors at all times, unless actively eating or drinking," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Cruise Critic, which first broke the story. "This new update also applies to vaccinated areas and venues. Guests booked on these sailings are being reached out to and made aware of the change."

To read more, go here. 

Florida Keys Packed With Tourists

Above, a couple of islands near Key West, Florida. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that the pandemic is (hopefully) winding down, people are hitting the road in droves after months of imposed (by the government) exile at home.

This has changed things for different places.

For the Florida Keys, this is generally the "slower" time of the year. Not this summer.

Travel Pulse reported:

Typically, tourism in the Florida Keys is slower during summer months, before the snowbirds arrive, allowing many Floridians to enjoy a close-to-home escape that’s easily accessible, budget-friendly and relaxing—but not this summer.

This year, it’s quite a different story for the string of tropical islands scattered off the Sunshine State’s southern tip. Non-local visitors are flocking to the Florida Keys for their post-pandemic domestic vacations, sending hotel rates soaring and creating long lines at landmarks, attractions and restaurants.

“Every tourist attraction has a long line,” Boca Raton resident Dara Krauss, who visited Key West and Islamorada last week, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “The resorts were full and hotel prices were high. There was almost nothing to be had.” Her family is one of those that usually vacations abroad during the summer but has opted to stay stateside this year because of COVID-19 restrictions. “We’re taking a lot of smaller trips within the U.S.,” she said.

To read more, go here.