I realize that the link below may be subject to firewall, but I will include it anyway in case someone is a subscriber.
Basically, many people are reported to have postponed their trip by a year and have gone ahead and made those reservations for the same trip already. African Safaris were one example where they are booking up far in advance of the usual times. Some destinations may fill up much earlier than usual reservation wise.
Carol, you're the first post here since the death blow was delivered this afternoon to Americans going to Europe anytime soon.
So your thinking is on the 2021 reservations filling up is...what? Help us out here, we're struggling after this afternoon's news.
Maybe I'm missing your point, Kent, and not to speak for Carol, but 2021 is a long way off when talking Covid news. So much can happen between now and then--both positive and negative. I see nothing wrong with planning/making reservations for next year (though if it were me I'd only be doing fully refundable things for now.)
This article is focused squarely on specialized packaged tours like safaris, and on a hypothetical future state which no one can reliably foresee right now. I assume that many people on this forum who take RS tours would gladly "pencil in " their reservation for next year too if possible (but looks like schedule is unknown now). My hypothesis on that is it's a way for people to feel like they're exerting control (over an uncertain future), and maybe the only option they have to exercise their IOU vouchers they've received from these vendors for having to cancel their trips in 2020. I would guess that cruise ship schedules are getting filled despite any certainty of what will happen in 2021. Anyhow, this FOMO (fear of missing out) doesn't affect me personally, as I don't partake of packaged tours (I took exactly one with RS). I also have no desire to make any travel decisions now, or even for next year, when things are so up-in-the-air, so to speak.
The article makes a good point. Bookings are only place holders; they may not end up reflecting reality. Lots of things can change at an unpredictable time like this (job losses, changes in health and other personal circumstances, tour availability, etc) that can affect whether those future trips actually come to fruition.
@ Eric: I agree, nothing wrong with it.
Just trying to generate some dialogue here in the wake of today's devastating news about no Americans in Europe.
Some companies, like OAT, when they cancel a tour they automatically book you on the same tour in 2021 (no option to get a refund). Oh, they no longer cancel a tour, they "postpone" it. So, of course, their tours for 2021 are going to be almost fully booked.
Yes, I am talking from experience.
Devastating news? Nah. Devastating news is more like your 2-year-old or your 4-year-old has leukemia.
Disappointing news? Sure.
Yes, 2021 tours with some companies are booking up. We tour with Tauck. Most/all of their 2021 schedule is out and prices set. If you had a reservation for a tour this year and they cancel it (all to the end of Aug so far) you can get a full refund, rebook or put the money in a dream saver/ travel wallet acct to apply to a future tour. If you don't take the refund, you get a $250 per person credit ($500 if the balance had been fully paid) that gets added to the rest.
We've been waiting to see if our Sep Switzerland tour would be cancelled and today's announcement pretty well ends that. Same tour on about the same date next year was already half filled in April so we put a deposit down for it expecting this to happen and not wanting to wait until the date had filled up.
Some of the cruise lines are offering "lift and shift", which allows you to move your deposit to the same/similar cruise next year, plus or minus four weeks on the departure date, for no charge. I'm sure that's filling up departures. Those people are obviously cruise enthusiasts who aren't going to stop cruising.
We did just that with a cruise booked for November. I doubt we will take the cruise next year but it buys us a year to consider options because we are in a non refundable deposit. That means next time we change the cruise, we lose $200.
I'm not going to change the now 2021 cruise because I'm afraid of cruising. I'm just lacking enthusiasm for the itinerary now. We booked so long ago and now its an additional twelve months... well its kind of killed it for me. I think we'll do a land vacation instead, either May/June or September/October.
We postponed our July 2020 safari in Kenya and Tanzania for July 2021. The safari company was great in allowing it and we didn't have much choice, since we can't fly to Europe or into Nairobi.
We're planning to replace our planned 2020 trip to France with basically the same trip in 2021. Fortunately, all we really have to do is make flight reservations as the time gets closer (if the borders are open). We have vouchers for 2 gites, but it's just for our modest deposits, so even if they are already booked, it won't be a major problem.
Did I miss something? Was there an official announcement from the EU or is this "devastating" news still newspaper speculation?
Once again, some people are taking speculation as fact.
