New RS Tours Email about completing Health and Safety Pledge

Carol, thanks for posting. I did get the first one about the vax's but didn't get this one. I'll wait a bit and see if it comes thru but I appreciate the alert on it.

I received 2 emails today, mine and my wife's. Logged in and process the request. Does make me feel much better about our two trips next year (Portugal and Turkey) that RS is going to require proof of vaccination.

Oh yea....just got mine. Maybe they are sending out in batches?

All reasonable things to agree to, in my mind.

Done and dusted.

We are doing additional tours with RS next year. We signed the pledge for the first tour. It looks like it’s a one and done and you don’t need to sign a pledge for the others. Do I have that correct?

We did not receive the email but found the pledge in our tour account and were able to sign it there.

Has any one seen what will happen if you test positive for Covid before you leave on the trip? Will Travel Guard pay out if you bought it within 15 days of making your down payment on your trip? Or will you be able to reschedule with another Rick Steves trip.

I do think that Rick Steves Tours is very responsible. Part of motivating people so they are willing to follow through and stay home when they test positive, is to eliminate as much financial penalty as possible. Cruise lines issue future cruise credit when this situation occurs. I can see this being a possibility for RS tours as well.

I am guessing that almost any travel company (airlines, hotels, tours) would be willing to work with a person who calls and says, "I am supposed to travel with you in 3 days but I just tested positive for Covid." It is in the travel company's best interest to keep people with Covid from traveling.

I don't buy the Travel Guard Insurance so I don't know what the policy is there. If you bought the policy, you should be able to look this up in your documents.

Mary,
We are taking two tours and only had to sign one form as well. Our second tour shows a chec next to it. So I think it’s one and done.

Mary, our experience is the same as Diane's. We're signed up for two tours next year, but only had to sign one Covid waiver.

Peggy, I thought a bit more about your question about what travel insurance should cover if a positive covid test would require you to cancel your RS tour at the last moment. I looked up my travel insurance ( I use the coverage that comes with my Chase Sapphire Reserve Card).

Both trip interruption and trip cancellation included an illness that prevented any member of the traveling party from traveling as a covered reason for a claim. I would have to guess that most travel insurance would have similar wording.

We have the received the emails too and are glad to hear that vaccinations will be required of all tour members. But as I read the new document, I noticed", I will be able to present an authentic COVID-19 vaccination certificate (such as a CDC issued vaccine card or equivalent) showing date(s) and time(s) of vaccination(s) When I checked my card, it shows the kind of vaccine used, the date it was given and the place where the vaccination was given. Nowhere on the card does it say anything about the TIME I received the vaccination. Any suggestions? did anyone else notice this and wonder what they should do? I did contact RS Europe but am waiting to hear from them.

Charlie, I also have an email out to RS staff questioning the TIME - which is not listed on my CDC card.

Relax everyone. The date is the time.........

and I just received an email from RS staff that the TIME was not needed and the form would be updated. certainly less confusion with an update to the form.

I am very happy to see and agree to the covid-19 health and safety pledge. All the checkbox items seem reasonable, understandable, appropriate to the situation. However, I am puzzled by the statement, "You further acknowledge that you understand that by signing this Pledge you voluntarily surrender certain legal rights." Anyone want to venture a guess as to what those certain legal rights would be?

Anyone want to venture a guess as to what those certain legal rights would be?

My guess (I'm no lawyer) is the right to sue if you contract COVID or if you are forced to miss part of the tour due to health issues and would wish to try to recoup some of the cost of your tour.

CSsocial, thanks for your thoughts on the vague "legal rights". Not being the litigious sort, I didn't have that on my radar.

dplaunderville, good points.