Please sign in to post.

If you had a trip cancelled this year, will you do the exact trip next year (or year after?)

I was just wondering how many of us will just set aside our plans, and dust them off when the time is right, and how many of us will change the plan entirely?

We are changing entirely. I just feel "over" the plan that we had for this year. I can't pinpoint why. Maybe I can't hold that much interest in it for so long (the plan partly included a cruise, which was booked in January 2018 for November 2020 -- though the same itinerary is running in 2021 I just can't get excited anymore [and not because I've turned anti-cruise]).

Are you going to execute your plans exactly? Or change it up? If so, how much change?

Posted by
3940 posts

I planned the hell out of my Scotland trip (we were to leave tomorrow - sigh) and I have been wanting to go for so long, but Italy kept calling me. I spent hours researching hotels, airbnb's, Rabbies tours, opening and closing hours of sights (yes, I have a spreadsheet of what is open when so we could optimize), restaurants to visit, which trains to catch at what time - you betcha I'm gonna do it ASAP.

The only thing I'm changing - will actually add 2 more nights to the trip - I couldn't figure out how to squeeze the Kelpies in with our limited time in Glasgow, so an extra day there will give us the opportunity to see the Kelpies and hopefully Falkirk Wheel; and hubby wants an extra night in London. Luckily, he retired in early March, so a few more nights is easy to do.

And if things are back to normal next year, we might just do two trips. Scotland was to be this year and Amalfi Coast redo with my mom next year. Well, she isn't getting any younger (nor am I) so if we can do Scotland the exact same time next year and Italy in Sept, consider it done.

Posted by
888 posts

We have a tour booked for Sep 2020 that I figure is unlikely to happen and have already put a refundable deposit on the same tour for 2021. May change our plans for after the tour is over ( add more days/locations) but the tour itself I still want to go on.

Posted by
4024 posts

I planned the hell out of my Scotland trip

What Nicole said. We were supposed to leave for Scotland on May 31st and our hope is to keep the same itinerary, reservations, etc. for the same 2 weeks next year. This was a carefully planned out trip with several Bucket-list items that have been long time ambitions of ours.

Posted by
8261 posts

No, my plans will be something different. I don’t know what yet. There are just a few too many uncertainties out there about both the pandemic and my original plan to retire in 2021 that I don’t want to get my hopes up once again too early.

Posted by
1103 posts

We were planning on a trip to England in September 2020 with a couple we met on our last RS tour - Village Italy. We will probably reschedule this trip for some future year.

Posted by
8378 posts

We had been thinking about an RS tour in the fall 2020. Assuming unrestricted travel in 2021 and economic stability, we will likely do one, maybe two next year, but not necessarily the same ones we were looking at. But those are two pretty big qualifiers so we'll remain flexible.

Posted by
1473 posts

I was planning a Paris city tour with a week on my own this September and then a spring GAS trip with my son. What I do will depend on circumstances. If things are close to "back to normal" will likely do the trip with my son in 2021 as planned and move Paris back.

Posted by
11247 posts

This year’s 8-week trip, planned to start Aug 31, has 3 city stays — Torino, Paris, and London — and several weeks in less-populated areas (Dolomites, Swiss Alps, Yorkshire). I am rethinking the cities if we even get to go this fall. We would reorient as much as possible to smaller towns, perhaps stay outside of London before our flight home.

If we are forced to delay to 2021, we will add a spring trip of 5 or 6 weeks to different locations (rural Italy and maybe Swiss Alps) and rethink the usual fall trip a bit. Perhaps shorten it to 5 weeks of mountains only. Not sure when I am willing to go back to big population centers although I long to eat my way through Rome and Paris.

Posted by
6265 posts

Andrea, that's what I've been pondering.

Funny, but like Nicole P, I "planned the hell out of" our planned 2020 trip. It's funny because I never do that much advance planning. We always have destinations in mind, and I'll book hotels, but almost never do we book other activities.

Well. This time, in addition to the Rick Steves Best of South Italy tour, I booked a food tour in Rome, a wine tour in Siena, hotels in Rome, Naples, Siena, Bologna, and Fiumicino. And restaurants - 5 of them, in Rome, Bologna, and Fiumicino. And trains, from Naples to Siena and from Bologna to Fiumicino. I was just about to book a bus from Siena to Bologna when it became obvious that things were starting to fall apart.

So the trip I spent the most time on became the tour to nowhere. We are on the waiting list for the same RS tour that begins August 31, but I'm fairly confident it will be cancelled. In addition, we won't have any free time after that tour, should it happen, so the 10 days in Siena and Bologna are out.

Therefore, I'm taking a serious look at 2021. We still want to do the Best of South Italy, and I would still like to spend time in Siena and Bologna. However, my husband says "What about Lucca?" and I'm remembering that we've been promising ourselves that we would revisit Florence and Venice sometime when we had at least 3 nights to spend in each city.

Stan said last night, "What if we add the Best of Tuscany" to the South Italy trip. "That would add Florence and Lucca, and you could add on time in Siena and Ravenna after that. And then we can go to the Netherlands to finish up!"

LOL! Not at all practical, but fun to think about.

Posted by
398 posts

Similar, but maybe not identical. We had planned, mid March, on going back to Emilia Romagna: A week in Ferrara (I've never been there) and a few days in Bologna.

Becaue AirBnB is so common, and you can normally find places quite late, the main planning issue for me is flights.
Once I have found an inexpensive flight, the rest follows from there.

Posted by
456 posts

I planned the hell out of my Scotland trip (we were to leave tomorrow - sigh) and I have been wanting to go for so long, but Italy kept calling me. I spent hours researching hotels, airbnb's, Rabbies tours, opening and closing hours of sights (yes, I have a spreadsheet of what is open when so we could optimize), restaurants to visit, which trains to catch at what time

Right there with you Nicole (and Allan) ... had a London/Netherlands/Belgium trip all set with places to stay, train times, car rental, open/close times of sights/museums, roads to travel (with distances between places and even approx departure/arrival times so we stay on track) ... all on an nice (but kinda small print so it would all fit) Excel spreadsheet (ok boomer). Luckily all the dates match up in 2021 so it's ready to go ... will start the (refundable) hotel reservations early next year if things go back to close to normal (whatever that will be).

Also had a short Germany Christmas Market trip that was supposed to be last Thanksgiving all planned and ready to execute but it fell through at the last minute ... ready to just plug and play this year but not sure what is going to happen.

Posted by
10178 posts

Some of the same and some different. Nothing is quite certain yet. We had an 8+ week trip planned for September/October. A week in Budapest with just myself and hubby, then meeting friends in Germany. With them we were going to Oktoberfest. We had about 5 weeks planned with them - Austrian lakes (near Salzburg), Bavaria, Switzerland (BO), Alsace, Bruges and Amsterdam. From there they were going home and we would have 2 1/2 weeks to spend with my family in Germany. This trip has been cancelled. I almost bought seats for a tent during Oktoberfest. I'm so glad I didn't! Next year we will travel at the same time presumably. I want to keep the week in Budapest, but since we aren't working around a specific event like Oktoberfest I think we will start with our family time in Germany when the weather will be nice, as opposed to the last half of October. From there Budapest. We are considering Sicily. I would also like to go to Sorrento, since my two previous trips to Italy the plans to go there were sacrificed for other things. Maybe more of Italy? Everything depends on what is happening in the world.

Posted by
2431 posts

I just got done cancelling a Fall Italy trip - I think I would like to recreate it mostly, but with more days in fewer places. It really wasn’t rushed in the first place, but could be less so.

Posted by
65 posts

I sure hope by this time next year we can do the Greece trip I had planned.

2 of the 3 hotels gave me vouchers for up to 18 months...so that alone is reason to go!

Posted by
682 posts

Sadly, I had to cut short a wonderful trip to Egypt when the Covid crisis exploded in mid-March. My game plan is to go back and finish/redo the trip as soon as is practical, whenever that may be. I was just beginning to settle into the rhythm of the culture, and I feel like I still have unfinished business there.

I will make a few changes in the itinerary, and I am enjoying tinkering with possible modifications. There are a few places that I am glad I saw but don't necessarily need to see a second time, and there are some other places that I would have liked to have explored in more depth.

Djed, the Egyptian travel company that we worked with, was amazing throughout. Essentially, it was a private tour -- a guide, a driver, my friend and me -- completely tailored to what we wanted to see and do. I would work with them again in a heartbeat. It was one of the best trips I have ever taken -- at least until Covid intervened.

Of course, it may well be years before I get a chance to return, but I am definitely looking forward to that day.

Posted by
200 posts

Delta cancelled my direct flight from Boston to Rome for 8/31. I was planning on spending a good week immersed in just Rome with a very loose itinerary. Had I been able to make this trip I was planning on France for 2021. However my love for Italy is just too great and so I will plan on spring of 2021 as a goal for Italy but not do anything concrete until there is a reasonable sense that it can go off without fear of this virus and the issues it brings. Since I probably won't be using all my vacation time this year I may actually extend my trip to Italy next year still focusing on Rome. If I'm able to extend it out I may include France. I actually hadn't thought about that until I was typing this reply. I feel giddy again!

Posted by
23178 posts

For us it is simply a wait and see. We cancelled the Italy trip in October. If things appear to be settling down by end of year, we could reschedule for Oct 21. No reason not to do the same trip as had planned earlier. BUT --- we fall into the category of being very, very flexible with minimal planning. We are not rigid planners. We rarely have much fixed other than first day or so and last day so it is easy to move 2020 to 2021. So when 21 rolls around we will go with what it is available. This all assumes a functional vaccine. If not, then it is 2022.

Posted by
475 posts

We were supposed to leave for three weeks in Rome-Naples-Amalfi Coast in mid-March. When this trip finally DOES happen, we (DH and myself) will probably add a few days so we have more time to visit specific sites AND just relax. Returning to Italy is SO appealing! We are also thinking that, when travel is once again possible, we will do what we can to either take two trips in a year (lasting three-four weeks each) or one longer, extended trip. Until then, I dream....

Posted by
1090 posts

We are booked on the Portugal RS tour this October. We have a week planned in San Sebastián area first. If end up canceling that then we will likely move it to next October. Through all of this pandemic coverage my heart has been breaking for Italy, so we will be going there as soon as possible for a visit as well (likely next Spring).

Posted by
687 posts

Dad has already booked the river cruise we were supposed to go on in July for May of next year, I am glad as it gives us both something to look forward to. We haven't decided if we will still do the extra days in Amsterdam before the cruise we had planned on. My brother was meant to meet us after the cruise to travel with Dad to Normandy. Not sure what he will want to do.
TBH, I think so much is in flux; what will be allowed, whether there will be a vaccine, what our employment and retirement accounts will look like that we are deferring decisions till closer to cruise.

Posted by
6265 posts

Of course, if we move our 2020 plans to 2021, then what about our 2021 plans?

We were supposed to go to Germany with friends in 2021, and then by ourselves to France for a couple of weeks, possibly including the RS Loire Valley tour. Our friends decided to forego Germany in favor of a domestic cruise, so DH said "Let's do the RS Poland tour!" (He's been wanting to get back to Poland for over 30 years.)

So if we redo our Italian dream trip in 2021, when do we do France again? And will my poor guy ever get to see Poland again?

I'm kidding here, mostly, but lately I've been having feelings of the reality of mortality. The virus? Maybe, but I'm more reluctant to make plans for (or even dream about) trips more than a year ahead of time. I'm hoping this is a temporary mental state for me; it's not like me at all.

So 2022 anyone?

Posted by
2712 posts

We too had a Scotland-Belfast trip that would have happened the last 2 weeks of April. It was fully planned out some time back. We were able to reschedule in entirety for mid this-October, and amazingly transferred every reservation without a loss, were refunded the AA airfare and rebooked for about there same price. Will we get to take this trip? Time will tell. We have a similar London and Ireland trip for end of August that airfare has already been rebooked, but I strongly suspect that this trip will cancel. We really want to do both these trips, and it is entirely possible that both will wind up rescheduled to next year -at the same time points. I guess it is our "fault" for having worked out these trips and started arrangements in mid-September and mid-Novemeber of 2019.

Posted by
1200 posts

I don't know when I will travel again, ( family stuff) but if I am able and it is safe to do so, then yes, I will go on the trip I planned for this month, May 2020.

I was going to London and only London with some day trips planned for two weeks which would have been in two weeks. I was going to see and do all the things I had not done in London on past trips there. I was going to go to musuems and places I had not been to and a few musuems and places I had been to but had not been since 2005.

I have been to London as recently as 2017 and 2018. But found I needed to go back and see more of this great city. I had everything set for it, found a nice hotel, had tickets to see a musical, a concert at a church and four day trips. I was going to see Highclere Castle and a day trip to the Cotswolds. I was going to Kew Gardens and Greenwich and do some London walks, pub walks and daytime walks. I was going to several musuems, big and small I have never been to. I had all my days mapped out and made a list of restaurants and pubs. I even had a list of the addresses of the museums and tube line routes from my hotel. I was very much looking forward to this trip.

So with so much planning and knowing I wanted to do this trip a year ago May, I will do this trip, if I am able to go. It will be my next vacation, if all works out. I will do everything I planned to do this May. No changes.

Posted by
11056 posts

We have had to cancel four trips due to illnesses. We booked the exact same trips later, the next year or more. So easy as the work and research was done.

Posted by
973 posts

If both sons are still available, it will be the exact same trip, down to a “T”.

Posted by
407 posts

I was planning a fairly quick (five nights) in Amsterdam with day trips for this past April. I hope to be able to go on the same trip in April 2021. I really want to go to Keukenhoff to see the tulips and also to the Corrie Ten Boom Museum in Haarlem, as well as see more of Amsterdam than my husband and I did before a cruise in October.

Posted by
88 posts

We were going to be starting our vacation in London, France and Germany today. Wanted to also see our daughter and family over there. Since we are retired we will wait till things are close to what they were and then make plans. Life goes on!

Posted by
4256 posts

We plan to do the same 3 trips(England, western US, Panama) whenever we can fit them in, but have no idea when that will be safe. We tentatively have a trip to Hawaii planned for Feb 2021, to coincide with a meeting my husband expects to attend, but I think this is very unlikely to happen. It would be extremely irresponsible for an organization to hold a large meeting while the virus is still circulating widely.

Posted by
2599 posts

For some reason I hadn't quite yet gotten into the intense planning phase of my ill-fated trip to Romania--I should be there now, consoling myself by seeing it's raining all the days in Cluj so far--I had rooms and was researching my connections between cities there but hadn't done an official itinerary. Now with all this uncertainty I am wondering if, when it's finally possible, I will still want to attempt this trip. I'd be happy just seeing my beloved Budapest & London again.

Posted by
2916 posts

We were to have returned from our 2 1/2 week France trip last Sunday. We're tentatively planning to do pretty much the same trip next spring. We have vouchers for the modest deposits we put down on 2 gites, but that's not enough to make us choose those two places; it's that we want to go there. One thing that will differ is that the start of our trip was to coincide with our Burgundian friend's art exhibit opening in her town. That was cancelled, and I doubt it will be rescheduled for when we're planning to go, if at all. But we'll still probably visit her anyway. So the set up of our trip might be the same.

Posted by
4540 posts

I would have left in 2 days for the Baltics and the RS tour to St Petersburg. I'd still like to do that itinerary next year, adding 2 or 3 days to allow for things that research uncovered.

I also have a Poland trip this fall that seems unlikely. I might combine the two trips into one long trip - continuing from Gdansk to the Baltics is an easy transition. To my thinking, the combined itinerary would only "count" as one trip, so I could do a "new" trip next fall to "catch up" on the places on my wish list.

Posted by
1541 posts

Thanks for your replies. They are mostly what I expected -- with a few tweaks here and there, mostly the same.

I'm going to end up with a $700 Future Cruise Credit, and not sure what to do with it. I don't normally cruise in Europe, unless its at the end of a Transatlantic, because its just not enough Europe for me. I've been looking at a few good itineraries for next year, but the pricing is insane! I'll eat the $700 before I'll pay the current prices.

Had this whole mess not happened, this year would have been the Barcelona to Buenos Aires cruise. For next year, DH and I were bickering over France (me) and Italy (him). If I was forced to do book something firm today, it would be Italy. He is pushing hard to get to Amalfi Coast.

We also have a deposit on two weeks in a condo on Grand Cayman in February but we were sharing that with some people who are over 70, so I expect them to back out, unless there's a big change in the current situation.

All this depends on our work situations, of course. It seems my work is going to keep me employed. His work has announced that they have applied for "work share". That is a scheme where he works fewer days per week, and EI covers 55% of the lost work days. His work has used it before. They haven't announced how many days he's likely to lose. His employer has been quick to use this on previous occasions, and very slow to pull them back off it.

All any of us can do is wait and see -- and I'm not so good at that!

Posted by
2767 posts

Honestly, I don’t think so. I was planning Portugal for June and I do still want to go someday. However, this has made me more likely to revisit favorites next time I can instead of trying something new. I kind of took it for granted that I could always go to Rome, and seeing that...maybe not was an eye opener.

Posted by
99 posts

Yes, we will definitely rebook our cancelled Jordan trip as soon as possible. Same itinerary, same tour company (assuming they’re still in business), same pre- and post-tour plans. I have been planning our Jordan trip for years - maybe even decades - to see Petra, float in the Dead Sea, camp in the desert. It helps that we got a refund for everything - flights, hotels, tour - so the money is just sitting there waiting to be used again.

Posted by
633 posts

We will either do the exact same trip (early June with about 9 nights in the Lot/Dordogne area plus 7 nights in Switzerland (Berner Oberland/Lucern) OR we will split it into two longer trips with more time in each country. Time will tell whether the trips will happen in 2021 or 2022.

Posted by
1075 posts

We'll hopefully do a similar trip, but it won't be the same. We had planned on doing London, then a cruise from London to Berlin (Hamburg) on Cunard, then Berlin, then Iceland. The London to Berlin cruise dates don't work for us next year, plus I still haven't gotten a refund from Cunard despite canceling almost 2 months ago, so that's beginning to leave a bad taste in my mouth for them.

I plan every trip far in advance. Part of the fun for me is the planning. But once you've been looking forward to something for sooooo long...and then it gets extended even longer....so that the planning, if we do get to go next summer, will be over 2.5 years long--it does feel a little "stale." And current canceled things feel a little "cursed."

Posted by
1321 posts

Maybe, but it has nothing to do with COVID. A close friend of mine and I did two domestic trips and we’re now talking about maybe a European one.

The solo European trip I had planned for this year is ancient history. I might do a solo 2021 trip or perhaps my friend and I may do a completely different trip next year.

Posted by
3953 posts

All other things being equal, it will be close to the same trip. Like Nicole and Allen, Scotland was fully planned. But I also had 5 days in York, 10 days or so driving through Wales, ending with a week in London. London will get cut and tacked on to a different trip but I feel like I want everything else included. However with the delay, I have the flexibility to add an extra day in several places - which will be better! Of course, I prefer to do this trip in May/June, so if 2021 doesn’t work it may be something else in the fall - if THAT will work. Plans A, B, C, and D......

Posted by
5697 posts

Well, the only trip actually cancelled was our annual family camp, so yes. we will do the exact same trip in 2021. The planned/ proposed trip to Germany will go on whenever it is prudent, but possibly extended and revised depending on our physical condition (not getting any younger.) Might as well add on Paris ... and Italy ... and....

Posted by
15560 posts

My only planned trip for this year was an 8-week visit to family and friends in various parts of the U.S. starting in 3 weeks. I manage to go every other year and 2020 was the one. I honestly don't know at this point if I will do it even in 2021, as I watch what's going on in the U.S.'s handling (??) of the situation, unless there's a very good vaccine available.

Right now I would be very inclined to repeat last fall's trip to the Greek isles, since Greece has managed the epidemic so well . . . and it's very close to home. James E's suggestion of a meet-up of forum members in Budapest is also very tempting. In the meantime I am not doing any planning at all. Like you Andrea, I just cant get excited anymore, though I've managed at least 3 trips a year for the last 10 years.

Posted by
2252 posts

Two trips cancelled; one I will "replace" with a different destination and one will be repeated almost exactly as planned for this year. For the first one, it was a trip I have done before and while the people I was going with are different, still the same itinerary. That was fine before because the first visit was 10 years ago and lots of things (including me!) change. And I would see everything with different eyes. So something I haven't done before! For the second trip, another repeat itinerary but this time with my adult kids and my (nearly) adult grandkids-all 12 of us! It's always a fun experience to see things I am familiar with through the eyes of different generations. Next year, two trips for sure!! (hopefully.....)

Posted by
3985 posts

No. I lost interest. My first trip back to Europe will be to visit close friends

Posted by
2380 posts

We had a month in Italy and a month in Morocco planned for this year. Italy was canceled and I am almost certain Morocco in Sept. is not going to happen. Right now my taste for travel is nil. Maybe in January 2021 I will feel differently. We are counting ourselves very fortunate to have traveled for 6 to 8 weeks every year for the last ten years.

Posted by
1017 posts

I was like Nicole. I planned the “hell” out of my 2020 trip. We were to leave May 23 for villages of so England. I hardly ever do much planning. We just go and do whatever sounds good ! In fact, this really was not our original trip for 2020. We wanted to go see the st louis Cardinals baseball game in London, so I chose a RS tour that would work with the game. My poor Scandinavia tour which we have been wanting to do for years keeps being put on the back burner. Our 2021 tour I want to do ... going to the Hebrides for about 9 days with our RS Scotland guide we had in 2018. Then I thought about tacking on 7 day trip to go back to the Shetland islands. My cottage I had reserved in the cotswolds is not giving me back my deposit but is being saved for a future use. Which I am ok with it, but I don’t know when we would try it again. My only thought would be tack that on for 4-5 days after shetland visit. Then head home from London . So everything is up in the air for travel right now.

Posted by
4137 posts

As our upcoming trip ( Autumn 2020 ) is likely an impossibility , I am simply going to set the paperwork aside , and re book the identical trip for Autumn 2021 . However , if things are improved by spring of 2021 , we will add in an additional sojourn , although somewhat shorter in addition . Travel withdrawal is hard to take !

Posted by
759 posts

Nope. I truly feel it is almost impossible to do. A lot of folks are sadly not understanding the new reality of the world. Until a vaccine is out and distributed I think long term planning is a fallacy. No one knows what the winter of 2020 will bring in terms of this virus and it’s impacts.

What I do clearly see over the next 2 yrs is “grab and go”. The summer heat, nature, etc drops the virus to its knees. Cities/countries open. Grab a jet and go! There is no way of knowing how long that door of opportunity will be open. The key will be keeping one’s eyes open and be prepared to alter or halt plans at the blink of an eye. Just because you have a ticket doesn’t mean you have to go. I’m the tough one with no empathy for those who got stuck in South American, Morocco who left as things were exploding because “they had a ticket” and said they had no choice but to go.. Yes, they had a choice. Grab and go when appropriate and enjoy.

Posted by
996 posts

This year we'd planned to stay in the US and do some domestic travel. It was passport renewal year, and I didn't want to feel stressed while waiting on the new passports to arrive. So we'd planned out a wonderful trip where we flew out west and then were going to drive back. I had so many !wow! things (wow, if you're me) for us to do.

I still want to do this trip and see/do those things. But I don't think it will be our first trip when travel is allowed. Of course, there are so many variables, it's hard to predict. But I'm now thinking I'd like to do something completely different which makes use of my new passport. (Thankfully ours were issued right as all of this was blowing up, so we do have valid passports.)

It's so hard to guess, but I think something different - at least different in terms of cities/experiences, even if not a new country - may be in order for us.

Posted by
3183 posts

I must be a true travel addict because I loved reading about everyone’s plans, even if they are not happening this year. So many great trips planned. Sigh.
We were supposed to do our second RS tour, Paris & HOF in April. Still hoping for the last tour in October, but if not, next spring for sure!

And just a comment about cruising. I followed several World Cruise blogs during this whole pandemic and although the cruises were cut short, none of the passengers on the Viking Sun or the Regent Mariner got the virus. When cruising resumes, we will cruise again. When my husband retires we plan to do a World Cruise.

Posted by
3387 posts

I will definitely replicate my summer next year if all of this has blown over by then.
My plan was to fly to Paris June 15, walk the Via Podiensis across France until July 13.
We had a home exchange in Amsterdam from the 13th of July to Aug 5.
Then I was going to fly with a friend to England to hike up in the Lake District for a week and then spend a few days in London before flying home.
I even have tickets to the Globe to see Much Ado About Nothing on Aug. 17 - my favorite Shakespeare play. Boo. If I can salvage the England part of the trip I will go. If not I'll send the tix to a friend in England who may want to see the play - if the season isn't totally cancelled. I can't even bring myself to check on their website. :(
So much organization and planning out the window.
But Europe will still be there, life will go on, and we will all the healthier - and alive - for it.

Posted by
1541 posts

Well funnily enough after I said I was "over" my plans for next year - which included a cruise - Celebrity has offered to move me to the same itinerary next year, at the same pricing, with the same inclusions. Arggh! I was going to let it go, but DH says he's still interested. I have some thinking to do about that.

Tammy, a world cruise?! Nice!

Posted by
22 posts

I was supposed to be in Scotland (based in Edinburgh with day trips) for a first visit there for 8 days in late April, followed by a few days in London to go to a couple new musicals and see some sites in and around London that I didn’t get to on my last trip in 2018. I’ve been wanting to go to Edinburgh for years and have been planning this trip for a long time, so I am determined to make it to Scotland some day! After all of that research, there are so many more places I want to see in Scotland that I think I will add other locations in Scotland instead of London whenever I do reschedule, but I don’t even want to research anything right now. I love travel planning and normally I’m always planning some sort of trip, even if it’s just a long weekend somewhere in the U.S. I usually spend a lot of time planning my Europe trips since I’m only able to go once every couple years, but it feels pointless to plan now when I just spent a month cancelling everything for this trip and have no idea what the situation will be like or when I will be able to reschedule. Trying to fill the void with just learning more about areas that interest me instead- taking a University of Glasgow online course on the Highland clans, watching movies and TV series filmed in the U.K., reading the new Erik Larsen book about Churchill and London during WWII, etc. By the time I can actually plan a trip again, I may have new ideas for places I want to see!

Posted by
15560 posts

Andrea - I saw on CNN that some cruise companies are offering more than originally paid for to keep people on the books. . . . one opinion was that it's a way for the lines to keep going at least for the short-term. You might get more if you hold out and see if they up the offer . . .

Something to think about - A friend told me she went on a cruise immediately after the ship had had some kind of outbreak. She said it was the worst cruise she'd been on. For instance, no buffets and at meals the waiters would dole out single rolls . . . no communal food at all. Makes one think the cruise experience may be a whole lot different in the near future.

Posted by
181 posts

We were supposed to be in Sicily this upcoming October but like many others, we canceled. We cannot replicate the same time period next year because I hope to be in nursing school so our plan is to go sometime in May 2021. My husband wants to return to Scotland and do a bit more exploring whereas I still want to go to Sicily. The destination will ultimately depend on airfare costs.

Posted by
1541 posts

Chani, the 125% is a bit of a fallacy, at least with Celebrity. The prices for next year are up more than 25%, so currently the extra 25% is meaningless. Cruise prices rise and fall more than airline prices, though these days they are only rising, which seems completely contrary to expectations. I'm better off moving my booking to next year's sailing, since they are allowing it without penalty and with maintaining my price and "perks". The price they are allowing me to lock into for next year is thousands less than the current pricing.

The other problem with the 125% is that THEY have to cancel. The first round of cancellations has come and gone, and they affected people who already passed final payment. I expect Celebrity won't officially cancel me until after final payment date (August 22), which would force me to pay the entire amount hoping for the cancellation. And what if I pay the whole amount and they close operations? Or, somehow run that cruise? --we know already this year is out of the question for us.

I discussed it with my husband and we are thinking we should move the deposit to next year's sailing. If we decide not to do that specific cruise, we can still move that deposit to a different cruise the following year. We are locked into a "non-refundable deposit", which means we have to cruise eventually or lose the deposit money.

I do expect the cruise experience to change, there's no option for it not to. I've been on one "sick ship", and the only thing we noticed were very enhanced and visible cleaning. Nobody talks about the thousands of sailings that proceed with no problems.

Posted by
2461 posts

I'm still hoping that the RS Poland tour will be running (9/08-9/17) which realistically is unlikely given that RS has cancelled all tours through 8/15. If it is cancelled, I will sign up if he offers the inaugural tour again. If I don't go to Poland, I may sign up for the RS 7 Paris tour Christmas week. That may not work either.

Other than these two options, I have lost interest in planning travel right now. This disinterest is likely only temporary but I don't know when my passion will return. For now, I'm savoring my travel memories.

Posted by
10122 posts

We were set to begin a Singapore to Dubai cruise March 17th. Celebrity isn’t doing that route again but a small, luxury ship is sailing next May with rates heavily reduced. If health allows, I’d go. My husband is now less enthusiastic.

Posted by
1541 posts

Bets, it might be worth calling. Over on cruise critic, people are reporting that they are getting the matching prices on similar, but not same, sailing.

Posted by
7129 posts

Andrea, this September is (was) plans for a 3-week Italy trip to take my 40-year old daughter for her first European trip. If we must cancel, I will plan the same trip for 2021. The only modification might be tweak one of the locations depending on festivals/events.

Posted by
200 posts

We were going on the Best of the Adriatic tour at the end of May. Since I originally booked the tour I've discovered just how beautiful Slovenia is so not only do I want to do this tour but I want to add some extra time before the tour starts to explore parts of Slovenia that the tour does not cover. Unfortunately, the way it is looking now that might not be until 2021.

Posted by
4138 posts

Probably not unless:
1. An effective vaccine is available to me. 🦙?
2. My 401K makes it through the next couple of years. 💰
3. I can get a haircut before I go. 💇‍♀️
4. I'm still on the right side of the grass. 😉

Posted by
1200 posts

I second what Lo said. It was said perfectly! Couldn't have said it any better.

Posted by
3940 posts

Just listened to a podcast and it made me a bit depressed about a possible vaccine timeline. First, they may not find one at all. If they do, it could take awhile. If they find an effective one the testing and making of it could take years. Not to mention distributing it to billions of people.

Anyone waiting to travel until there is an effective vaccine may be waiting for a long long time. I took from the interview that it could be at least 4-5 years before one could be found/tested/produced/distributed.

The guy did offer a bit of hope that if everything went well they could find a vaccine by this autumn, but he seemed to think the odds of that were slim.

This includes a link to the podcast. https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/05/13/coronavirus-vaccine-big-story-podcast/

The man they talked to was Robert Van Exan who knows a little bit about vaccines.

Posted by
1362 posts

Yesterday I cancelled my hotels & apartments reservations in Amsterdam, Munich, Strasbourg & Paris. Was taking my 74 yr. old mother to the Christmas Markets this year. The plan is to try again next year. Currently Delta is offering free cancellation or a voucher for flights departing through 30 September. Will have to wait until they extend it to cover my end of November timeframe, if not I have travel insurance.

Posted by
454 posts

The trip we had to cancel was 2 weeks in South Italy in April, traveling independently, with about half our time on the Amalfi coast and half in Puglia. We were looking forward to this shoulder-season travel. The Amalfi coast stay was to be in a VRBO vacation home. The owner of the home was so kind about refunding the entire deposit, instead of offering a voucher (or telling us that our cancellation was past the deadline and we had to forfeit the non-refundable deposit). He was so great to work with while planning our trip and especially when we had to cancel. We've already re-booked his place for April of 2021, but are going a week earlier because he emailed me mid-April photos of the wisteria in full bloom on the pergola on his terrace, and I don't want to miss that! I'm not so sure we'll still do Puglia for the second half of the vacation. I'm not making any more plans for now. The ones I've made are risk free, as the VRBO owner agreed to a full refund all the way up until 30 days before arrival for our 2021 booking. We might still head to Puglia for week no. 2, but Tuscany (a destination we've enjoyed twice in the past) may be calling my name again. There's lots of time to decide. The trip might end up being postponed until April of 2022, but eventually, we're going to get to the Amalfi Coast in the spring!

Posted by
6265 posts

I'm leaning toward doing the same trip, but if possible adding another week or so. A lot can change in the next year, however.

But I had designed about 4 weeks in Italy that I was very pleased with, starting with several days in Rome, followed by a RS tour, then a few days in Naples, followed by about 10 days split between Siena and Bologna. I'd still love to do that.

Posted by
11294 posts

Interesting question.

I was supposed to go to Japan (return trip) and Taiwan (first time) in April 2020. I'm not sure when this trip will take place, and if it does, exactly what contours it will have. As some have said, I have to see what my interests are, when travel from the US to these countries resumes in a way that I feel safe and comfortable doing (I agree with those saying that no one today knows when, or even if, that will happen). By that time, I may not be "feeling" Japan or Taiwan and will go somewhere else, or I may be wanting to see different places in these countries.

The next two trips I had tentatively planned were to a conference in Los Angeles in May 2021, and to Vietnam in February or March 2022. These are trips I think could actually happen. Anything before that, I'm not counting on, and even these two are not guaranteed.

Posted by
1321 posts

We were supposed to be on a flight May 24th heading to France and Italy. We've been to the region of France before but one day in Nice we were to meet my nephew off his cruise (which of course was also canceled) The region in Italy would have been new but I think if we travel in 2021 it will be a different trip not dependent on meeting anyone anywhere. I want to do a cycling trip which would be our 3rd in Europe or maybe head back to NZ which we've only been to once. We think we'd like to move there someday so it would be time to explore that idea more. For my this Covid 19 experience has made me a bot more philosophical and more committed to doing trips I really want to do - we are fortunate to have the means to "waste" on travel I'm not 100% committed to and for me that is going to change!

Posted by
1972 posts

We have a trip scheduled for the ring road of Iceland in August. Every last detail was planned and everything was booked. We had really been hoping we could still go, but not having medical insurance there makes me way too nervous since ours does not cover us overseas. We have an annual travel insurance plan, purchased last November, but even that excludes pandemics. So today we think we will just reschedule to next summer. As disappointing as it is, that's probably the best thing. I feel bad because our young adult kids and their SO were to come along and they were very much looking forward to it. Next year.

We will definitely do the same trip, but if the kids can take more vacation days, we will add to it.

To help offset the disappointment, I booked a cabin in the mountains for all of us for July. Not far from home, but feels a world away. We have stayed there before, and been to the area literally hundreds of times, so we know that will be a comfort for us during this time. Plus all the dogs can come with us:)

Posted by
304 posts

I would have been coming home tomorrow from Germany and Austria. I’ve spent the last two weeks posting the trip that should have been on Facebook. Rescheduling for 2022 with the postponement of the Oberammergau Passion Play. Will likely keep to the same plan mostly though I am considering reversing the order.

I cancelled one of the weeks of vacation and moved the other to the end of October. I’m hoping by then I’ll be able to go visit my sister in Massachusetts. I’m also reading up on our trip to Hawaii next year but not doing any actual planning at this point.