Current FAQs (and answers) about Covid and other items on the Tours page

It would be nice if the CDC would define “fully vaccinated” to include current boosters.

It’s interesting to note that masks aren’t now required, but that since situations may change, a guide may ask participants to mask up - sounds like folks should bring a mask, just in case.

Thank you Carol.

Carol, thank you for this link. I was expecting some changes in policy but not sure when they might happen, plus I hadn’t checked the website in a while. Of course, everything is always subject to change!

Glad that RSE Covid protocols are now more aligned with other tour companies and cruise lines. I recall that several posters on this forum said they would not take a RS tour until the protocols were dropped. Others said they would only tour if the protocols were retained. Will be curious about their reaction to these changes.

I see there is change in refund policy if someone has to leave the trip due to covid. It has been reduced to $200 a day. The previous policy was extremely generous and was probably not sustainable for the company.

Even before I read about the changes in Covid policy we decided to book two back to back tours ( VFR and best of Rome) yes I know some of the same stuff is in both but enough extra is inBest of Rome that I wanted to do anyway that I thought it would be fine. The first time through the Vatican and the Colosseum will probably be overwhelming to me anyway .it’s my first time to a Italy!

Others said they would only tour if the protocols were retained. Will
be curious about their reaction to these changes.

I was one of those, now I can check if there is space in any Fall Sicily tours or if I wait until next year.

Carol, sincere thanks for posting this update in policy.

I will respect your request to refrain from commenting or offering an option on the new RS protocols, other than to say that obviously the RS organization to trying to "strike a balance." There is no "perfect" solution/no "perfect balance." More learning will take place as the world goes forward.

I agree that I wish the CDC would update guidelines to include booster shots, especially as future boosters continue to better targeted toward more currently morphed covid variants.

I do hope the RS organization will continue in 2023 to post its weekly experience with # of tour goers who have had to leave tours due to covid. I like how transparent that has been.

Again, thanks for the heads-up on the changed policies.

Safe, healthy travels to all.

I received an email today from RS in advance of my upcoming tour in April regarding their updated Covid policy.

I'm signed up for an April tour and did not receive notice about this. So thank you for posting.

I found it interesting that tonight on his zoomcast highlighting 2023 tours that Rick Steves said that masks are required on their tours buses, tour members are required to be vaccinated and boosted and tour members contracting Covid will be required to leave the tour but will be refunded for those days missed. And as I just posted on another section, I’m sure the email we received today will be their policy going forward. It would just be less confusing and more credible if everyone was putting out the same message. We had back to back tours scheduled for April. We just cancelled one of them because the cost of travel insurance, if one of us contracts Covid, to cover both tours with the new policies would be ridiculously high.

Margie's correct that Rick misquoted the policy last night during the Festival of Europe (Monday Night Travel). We're trying to help him make the switch from what he's been used to saying throughout 2022. Boosters are recommended, but not required in 2023, according to the CDC's definition of "fully vaccinated." Masks are not required on the bus unless a special situation arises. The refund for missed tour days due to Covid is a cash refund, not a Tour Credit, but the amount is the set $200/day. https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/coronavirus-faq

Hard not to comment on how comfortable I am with these new protocols. I know the company is trying to come to fair balance. Not sure how they align with my personal protocols. Being that I am a young senior citizen, I continue to follow some doctors' guidance and wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces around strangers. I know I can still wear a mask on the bus, but just as with airplane travel, I feel more comfortable when others do as well as it cuts my risk. It is amazing during this pandemic that some people don't cover their coughs or wash their hands. Losing the cost of the single supplement and a set refund of $200 a day I am not sure about. Does travel insurance make up the difference? I would like the choice to get a credit for future travel. I personally surround myself with like minded friends who are not only vaccinated, but also boosted.
C'est la vie.

Travel insurance covers……what you insure.

I did a little math. Should I come down with Covid on the first day of my 13 day tour, I would receive a refund of $2600 from RS Tours. With my single supplement, I will have paid 5220. In this “worst case scenario” I would be out around $2600 out of pocket. I would need to decide my comfort level with that amount of risk and decide whether or not to purchase travel insurance to make up that difference. It won’t happen automatically, you need to decide the amount and type of coverage. Not all policies are the same.

I am not in any way complaining about the new RS policy. I think it is fair because I have been given ample notice to either assume that risk or purchase travel insurance. Guides, bus drivers, etc, still need to be paid!

Carol, what you are not adding in is the added expenses that you will incur from that point on until your flight home. Of course, it all depends on what type of insurance you have and how much they will now charge for specific coverage after the last couple of years of large payouts. And then for a couple, you multiply that by two. The circumstances of traveling by tour group has, unfortunately, now gotten extremely expensive especially for a retired couple.

Thank you Carol for posting the above. I did not see this until January 7th, the day after we sent our final (non-refundable ) payment to Rick Steves for our early March tour. I did not get the email from RS tour department regarding the policy changes until Monday January 9th. You stated you "think it is fair because you received ample notice" . However, for some of us with February or early March tours, we did not receive ample notice. I agree with Kaydee - " it is hard not to comment on these new protocols", but I am in line with the rest of her post. This is our third attempt to go on this particular tour (first cancelled for Covid & second time a medical issue occurred before tour became non-refundable) so we are attempting to sort out the best insurance and go and (wear masks) and hope for the best. Your comment "Travel insurance covers.....what you insure" is not quite true with our company at least, so wanted to make people aware of this. We were going to cover the complete cost of our tour ($6500Cad) which would cost us approximately $650Cad, until I read the RS cancel policy conditions which stated they MAY issue a credit (not a refund) if we had to cancel for a creditable reason. Our broker told us that the insurance company only covers "non-refundable" items. So the dilemma is, RS wants you to get comprehensible travel coverage and claim from the insurance company first and the insurance company wants you to claim from the Tour company first and then issue a claim for any non-refundable expenses. I left a message for RS tour department on Monday morning to try & see if I was interpreting their policy correctly so that I could make a time sensitive decision on purchasing our insurance, and it is now Wednesday and I have not received a call back. I have until tomorrow to decide as they give you 7 days after final payment to make a decision. Perhaps I should have posted my blurb under your thread "Recalculating Travel insurance" I apologize if you think I should have, but just wanted people to be aware of the fine print on their policies. In your " Recalculating Insurance " post, Heidi from RS states with reference to their policy " it is not intended as a substitute for comprehensive travel and health insurance" -- well of course we will get health insurance but it sure isn't easy trying to figure out the cancellation/interruption part of it! I agree with Margee, "the circumstances of traveling by tour group has, unfortunately now gotten extremely expensive especially for a retired couple."
Hopefully, I will hear from the tour department soon and get some clarification.
Just received a phone call from the Tour department as I was about to sign off - basically I was advised to get travel insurance because that $200 a day reimbursement if you have to leave because of COVID is not guaranteed and that you must file a claim with your insurance company first . Then if your insurance company doesn't/ won't pay, you would make a claim to RS Tours. So it appears, as I said above, RS Tours wants you to claim from insurance company first and our insurance company will only pay for non-refundable expenses and wants you to claim against tour company first. Appears that we can pay through the nose for an insurance policy but the chances of receiving a pay out are slim and none by the looks of it.

One has to wonder if the right hand knows what the left hand is doing at Rick Steves Tours right now….. there is a great deal of conflicting information being given out, including by Rick himself. Nowhere does it state you “may” get a refund if you have to leave a RS tour due to Covid. Nowhere does it state you have to file with trip insurance first.

I think there is some major professional development that needs to be done to start giving a clear and consistent message.

Nowhere does it state you “may” get a refund if you have to leave a RS tour due to Covid. Nowhere does it state you have to file with trip insurance first.

I haven't seen those qualifications either and I wonder how RS would know that a tour member really had obtained travel insurance or had really attempted to file a claim with the insurance company? There's no actual requirement for the customer to purchase travel insurance and many of us will only have purchased medical and evacuation policies. I'd rather self insure the other expenses since senior travel policies are really costly.

I am signed up for a tour in April and as of now have not received any notice of the policy change. So thanks for this post.

I am signed up for an April tour & just received info about covid. Vaccines - yes, still need to show vax card to tour guide, masks - optional. No pre-tour testing. If you test positive on tour, follow local rules & you are reimbursed $200. per day for tour days missed. Of course everything is subject to change

RS Tour Conditions…….. If you must leave your tour after it has begun for a Creditable Event, a pro-rated credit of $200 per day may be issued.

The FAQ is inconsistent. On this page https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-help/tours-faq, it says

Will I recieve a refund if I must leave my tour due to a positive Covid test?
Yes, we provide a $200-per-day refund for you (and your travel partner if you choose to quarantine together) for the number of tour days missed due to Covid. This is not insurance and is not intended as a substitute for comprehensive travel and health insurance.

@ Laura. I read this as consistent because it is talking about a general set of circumstances in one and a specific circumstance in the other. The “May” word shows up under the broad category of events. When the policy specifically talks about leaving due to Covid, the word May is eliminated because it is focused on this one reason only.

Example 1: Death in family or other big event, they may provide $200/day refund. It is at their discretion.
Example 2: Traveler leaves tour due to Covid, $200/day will be refunded

Anyway, that is how I read their policies. If I am wrong, I hope someone from RS tours clarifies.