Sneezy?

Remember a couple of years ago when Covid-19 fears shut down travel?

Those days are long gone.

Certainly, cruise lines and airlines are still concerned about Covid-19 and have protocols to deal with that.

Their amped-up air filtration systems and disinfecting routines are quite effective, but anywhere you go --- even the grocery store --- it's possible someone will be Sneezy.  If you happen to be Sneezy, don't expect some modern-day equivalent to Snow White to treat you lovingly.

By my personal observation, in public most of us avoid people who are obviously sick, and this has become more pronounced since Covid-19.

If you have some kind of allergy or hay fever that is not contagious, there's no way for strangers to know that, so take Claritin, Benadryl, Zyrtec or whatever your preferred symptom-relief product may be.  If you can't stop sneezing, then show consideration to the public by staying home.

On vacation, that may be a particularly hard pill to swallow.  You've paid for your trip, so you darn sure want to enjoy it, especially when you hear strangers in the showroom coughing and sneezing.  If they can go out in public, why can't you?

Because you are not rude and inconsiderate.

If you happen to sneeze when approaching a buffet, turn around and re-wash/disinfect your hands, even if you did so on your way in.  Trust me, there will still be food left after your short detour.  If that sneeze is just the first of a Sneezy episode, then go back to your room until you are fit to be in public.

While most of us are happy to no longer have mandatory Covid-19 testing before boarding a cruise, tour bus or flight, that doesn't relieve us of our inherent responsibility to be considerate of the health and well-being of others.  You may have a strong constitution, but someone else may not.

As recently as 2022, the norm in travel became that if you tested positive for Covid-19, you could not board a cruise or airplane.  You couldn't join a tour group.  And testing was mandatory.

However, while that policy was strict, you also would receive travel credits in compensation, so that you could re-book a trip with the same vendor, protecting your travel budget even if you had skipped travel insurance.

That is no longer the case, even though I wish it were.  Corporations have bottom lines to consider.

You are not obligated to test to see if you have Covid-19 now to travel most places, but being sick is no longer a valid reason to request reimbursement in the form of travel credits.

For similar coverage, you need to purchase travel insurance, as was the case prior to Covid-19 raising its ugly head.

In other words, if you have Covid-19, you can take your flight or cruise at your own risk.  In my opinion, that is blatantly irresponsible.

Not only is it unfair to fellow travelers who should not have to deal with your disease, but if you get sick on a cruise ship at sea or in a foreign country, your regular medical insurance likely will not cover all possible permutations of that situation.

Perhaps you've seen in the news that there is resurgence of Covid-19, and new vaccine boosters are coming out.  Pharmaceutical companies and the shows they sponsor...aka "the news" --- are not likely to let you forget it.  This time, the government won't be paying....and neither will travel vendors.

This will not slow down my travel plans, and I hope it won't deter you either. Life goes on, and I'm not too Bashful to make the most of my freedom to travel.

But I also understand more than ever the value of travel insurance.  As American Express used to say about their credit cards, don't leave home without it.

Wes