Canadian - with fingers crossed

[Inga]

Hi All

So many emotions going on for me while reading through this Forum!
- our province is in the third wave (worse one ever after a very tame Covid numbers throughout wave 1 and 2)
- haven’t travelled anywhere (ie outside our province) since March 2020, and currently we are in lockdown within regions within our province due to Covid numbers)
- any travel outside our province requires a 2 week quarantine when you return home - this has been in place since March 2020
- hopeful as vaccine rollout is ramping here, with everyone eligible to get first shot by end of June

So we bit the bullet, probably despite our better judgement, and booked a (rebookable) flight to Oahu, for February 2022. $700 CDN (which is cheap from the east coast of Canada!). We aren’t really telling anyone at home because people will think we’re nuts and we can’t deal with that. It is our first glimmer of possibility and positivity in so long!

We will book a week at Aulani with DVC points, then one week in Waikiki Beach. This will be our 4th trip to Hawaii, first time doing one island and staying put so long in 2 spots - but thought it might be better to be conservative for the first day out.

Feb 2022 is 8 months away, and we are hopeful that we will be able to get into Hawaii with our vax evidence - vs negative Covid test as they don’t have these centres where we live, although I understand they can be fedexed back and forth. I also hope we will be able to return to Canada post-trip without having to isolate.

Looking for (realistic) positive projections that this trip might happen...without too much pain . Know it won’t be the same but anything would be a blessing right now!!

Inga

 

[CaptainAmerica]

First, I predict you'll be fine. But as a backup plan...

How far from a land border are you? Hawaii will likely be the most strict state to reopen, so there's a chance that they'll be the last to allow international visitors. If they were still doing mandatory testing and not allowing proof of vaccination, could you drive to Boston or another American city, test there, and then fly a US "domestic" flight to Honolulu?

 

[Inga]

First, I predict you'll be fine. But as a backup plan...

How far from a land border are you? Hawaii will likely be the most strict state to reopen, so there's a chance that they'll be the last to allow international visitors. If they were still doing mandatory testing and not allowing proof of vaccination, could you drive to Boston or another American city, test there, and then fly a US "domestic" flight to Honolulu?

Long drive - 9hours maybe? They allow international (Canadian) visitors now, just need Covid test...

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Long drive - 9hours maybe? They allow international (Canadian) visitors now, just need Covid test...

And your local airport doesn't offer any kind of onsite testing?

 

[Inga]

And your local airport doesn't offer any kind of onsite testing?

Nope, not right now and testing currently within our health system doesn’t fall within the approved testing sites for Hawaii. We would have to get testing in another province to meet current requirements - but we can do that through the mail...

 

[Kristie71]

I read that Hawaii is currently looking into a vaccine passport and should be up and running sometime this summer…you should be ok by your trip unless things go south with COVID

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I read that Hawaii is currently looking into a vaccine passport and should be up and running sometime this summer…you should be ok by your trip unless things go south with COVID

They currently allow people who were vaccinated in Hawaii to travel interisland with proof of vaccination. They're expected to expand that to other American states traveling trans-Pacific in the summer. I haven't seen anything yet about international visitors.

 

[vacay77]

My guess is that you’ll be ok to travel to the Aulani in Feb 2022. Things starting quickly changing here in the U.S. once the vaccine became readily available.

 

[Inga]

Appreciate all your positive vibes

 

[LoveMickey]

We’re looking forward to vaccinated passports. Currently if you are vaccinated in Hawaii, you can travel with a vaccinated passports around the other islands.

 

[RJP77]

Check out the Air Canada and WestJet sites carefully or give them a call. They have made arrangements with Hawaii tourism to help facilitate travel for Canadians. I think there is a way through one of those airlines to get the test done without leaving the province. They want to stimulate travel again, so are working to help their customers find a way to get the needed tests. I think they have set up a partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart to get the needed test, at least they have in Ontario. But I'd give them a call anyways just to see what they say. even if you are flying with some other airline, you can pretend you are trying to plan and want to understand your options. Good Luck!

 

[bcwife76]

We are in BC and DVC owners at Aulani. We were last at Aulani in March 2020 just before everything shut down and are currently booked to return mid November. I'm crossing everything that we can make it! Dh and I will be fully vaccinated, as will our 12 (soon to be 13) year old. So that just leaves our 10(almost 11) year old. I'm hoping that as the summer goes on Hawaii will then shift to allowing vaccinated travelers without a test so that we only need a test for our youngest. We are flying WJ and as an above poster mentioned, WJ and AC have partnered with Life Labs I believe to organize tests that are Hawaii-approved. Good luck!! I have no doubt you will be able to go in Feb 2022!!

 

[Inga]

We are in BC and DVC owners at Aulani. We were last at Aulani in March 2020 just before everything shut down and are currently booked to return mid November. I'm crossing everything that we can make it!

hope to see a trip report from you and that all goes well!

 

[StarSeven7]

I'm in Ontario and we're planning a trip to Hawaii in November 2021 and we might add on 2 nights in Aulani. My family is all in Michigan and this trip is to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary, we've been planning it for years, since long before Covid. For everyone else in my family, the trip should be fine since they're all coming from the US and they're all fully vaccinated (except of course the children who are too young). For my family, coming from Canada and potentially having to do the 2 week quarantine still in November, is making us super anxious! My husband doesn't really have enough vacation time to do the quarantine on top of our trip to Hawaii so I have no idea what we will do if the quarantine is still in effect! At this point we haven't booked any flights and all of our hotels are free cancellation until september. Good to know about the testing through Life Labs since we will probably need to do that for our kids since they're too young to be vaccinated! My husband and I finally got our first shots last week, second shot is scheduled for the beginning of September so fingers crossed that it all works out!

I wish everyone the best!!!

 

[longboard55]

Japan is also having issues. Get the vaccine going, the county we live in has gone from 4000 cases a day Jan 1 to 26 yesterday

 

[Inga]

I'm in Ontario and we're planning a trip to Hawaii in November 2021 and we might add on 2 nights in Aulani. My family is all in Michigan and this trip is to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary, we've been planning it for years, since long before Covid. For everyone else in my family, the trip should be fine since they're all coming from the US and they're all fully vaccinated (except of course the children who are too young). For my family, coming from Canada and potentially having to do the 2 week quarantine still in November, is making us super anxious! My husband doesn't really have enough vacation time to do the quarantine on top of our trip to Hawaii so I have no idea what we will do if the quarantine is still in effect! At this point we haven't booked any flights and all of our hotels are free cancellation until september. Good to know about the testing through Life Labs since we will probably need to do that for our kids since they're too young to be vaccinated! My husband and I finally got our first shots last week, second shot is scheduled for the beginning of September so fingers crossed that it all works out!

I wish everyone the best!!!

I know, that return to Canada quarantine is a vacation time killer - hoping we’ll see changes to that sooner than your trip.

 

[bcwife76]

I know, that return to Canada quarantine is a vacation time killer - hoping we’ll see changes to that sooner than your trip.

Uh yes please. Otherwise my November trip is also No Bueno.