I’ll start by saying I’ll be following this up with a full trip report of our vacation to Bermuda. But I’ve been traveling a lot lately and I wanted to discuss it.
In This Trip
1 :Vacationing During COVID: Our moral dilemma and what we ended up doing
1.1: Bermuda, how did we end up here?
1.2: Destination Requirements
1.3: Bermuda During Covid
1.4: Final Thoughts
Bermuda, how did we end up here?
We had 2 other vacations scheduled for this year. South of France in June was the original one, I booked that using skymiles back in December. It was obviously cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. In April, the writing was on the wall, so I booked a backup vacation to Hawaii for July. This was then delayed to September and eventually cancelled.
In August the signs were clear, we aren’t going to Hawaii. I started looking around for places to travel, on relatively short notice, that would accept US citizens, specifically South Carolina residents. Many states in our own country wouldn’t accept us without a quarantine period due to how poorly our state is performing.
I was hesitant to travel at all. I obviously didn’t want to be an asymptomatic carrier. I also was hesitant to travel during a pandemic, it somehow didn’t seem fair that I could travel yet others are struggling for basics. Once I did my research I figured I should travel so long as it was safe. I should also travel to places that have done a good job with the pandemic.
I narrowed it down to 3 options due to price and COVID situations. Aruba, Jamaica, and Bermuda were the finalists.
Destination Requirements
Aruba, Jamaica, and Bermuda all have(September 2020) pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirements. Then a day or two before the flight you upload a copy and receive travel authorization. But that’s about where the similarities ended.
Bermuda
To visit Bermuda we needed a recent negative COVID test, travel insurance that covers COVID, and then travel authorization. On arrival another COVID test was done, while waiting for the results we are quarantined. Then every 4th day on the island we would be tested again.
Bermuda also has a very aggressive contact tracing program in place. They have very few cases and they know the origin of all of them. Restaurants and bars are open, public transit is open, and the island is open for visitors.
We decided on Bermuda and I’ll have a full review of the hotel and flights coming soon.
https://www.gov.bm/coronavirus-travellers
Aruba
Because of our South Carolina residence we fall into the high risk category. This would require a pre-departure COVID test, travel insurance that covers COVID, travel authorization and then another test on arrival. So very similar to Bermuda.
Aruba has relatively few cases but doesn’t have quite as many options as Bermuda when it comes to entertainment options. It’s also significantly more “touristy” than Bermuda but less so than Jamaica. Restaurants are open but most bars are shut.
If we went to Aruba I would have likely stayed at “Holiday Inn Resort Aruba-Beach Resort & Casino” or the “Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino” Both looked nice(enough) and I have a good stash of points I could burn.
https://www.visitaruba.com/traveling-to-aruba/entry-requirements-and-visas/aruba-travel-restrictions-covid-19/
Jamaica
Jamaica’s entry requirements are similar to Aruba and Bermuda. They require a pre-departure COVID test then if you are staying in certain areas, you might require another on arrival. You would be limited to the “Resilient Corridors” and cannot freely roam the island.
You are limited to your particular area, fortunately there’s lots of activities in the Montego Bay area, unfortunately they are mostly resort based events. We wouldn’t be freely able to explore the island.
If we went to Jamaica I would have likely stayed at “Hilton Rose Hall Resort” Again, I have lots of Hilton points, but for an all inclusive it was pretty cheap with cash, so I would have strongly considered that.
https://www.visitjamaica.com/travelauthorization/
Bermuda During Covid
First off, Bermuda is beautiful. Absolutely lovely place with unbelievably friendly people. The public transit is good, the food is excellent(but expensive), and the island is amazing. As a non-resident we’re not allowed to rent a car, but visitors can rent scooters and small electric cars. We didn’t partake as the buses are very good, but we strongly considered it.
All restaurants, bars, and taxis are required to take your contact information. This is for contact tracing requirements. It was really refreshing to see Bermuda taking this so seriously. Because they’ve done such a good job, they are nearly completely open. It was great to enjoy a meal in a restaurant, something we haven’t done since March.
Mask are of course required in all indoor settings and public settings. In restaurants, you wear a mask until you are seated. Many are open air anyway, but it’s still required. The buses and ferries are operating at a slightly reduced rate, they also require masks.
The beaches are absolutely beautiful as expected. The towns are also lovely, but it’s odd being in areas with so few people.
Final Thoughts
I loved Bermuda. It was a beautiful and much needed vacation. I felt very safe the whole trip because of how well Bermuda had handled the pandemic.
I was also glad to support the island. We talked to quite a few people who had been out of work because of lack of tourism. I hope people realize that opening un-safely will only drive people away. I just wish the US and specifically my state had done what Bermuda did. I want to spend too much money on a beer at a bar.