Apr172020
“How do I love thee?” With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, we are counting (some of) the reasons why we love to cruise! read more
Enjoy cruising? Want to visit Antarctica? Ever thought of doing both, at once? Despite wanting to cruise around the world, this idea never crossed our minds, until we met the delightful Agness and Cez, who agreed to join us as … read more
If your summer plans included a Broadway Play...
While much of New York City is reopening, the longest shutdown in Broadway history is only getting longer. The Broadway League has announced that performances in New York City will be suspended for the remainder of 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns.
If you are a traveler who was brave enough to plan a trip to New York, and planned to see a Broadway play (only one of the city's top attractions), those plans will have to wait until 2021. If you had already purchased tickets for a performance through 3 January 2021, they will be refunded. The Broadway League says you should expect an email from your point of purchase with detailed refund and exchange options.
You can read more about the Broadway lockdown on BroadwayWorld: www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-Broadway-Shutdown-Extends-Until-2021-20200629
Broadway performance were suspended on 12 March 2020, for the safety of audiences as well as performers. At that time, there were 31 productions on Broadway, and eight more in rehearsals to open this year. Sadly, not all of them will be returning. Among the shows that closed during the shutdown are Beetlejuice, and Disney's Frozen.
Thankfully, many of the top shows will resume production when the lockdown ends, and several of this year's debuts have postponed until next season. That includes the highly anticipated revival of The Music Man with Hugh Grant (We are eagerly waiting for that box office to open!) and the Michael Jackson bio-musuical, MJ. Playbill has an updated listing of shows that have posted their status: www.playbill.com/article/check-the-statuses-of-broadway-shows-during-the-coronavirus-shutdown
And finally, you may be wondering who in their right mind would be traveling to New York City! Can't blame ya. The city that was once the center of the pandemic in the U.S. has made great strides, and is currently in Phase 2 of New York's four phases of reopening. That means many businesses are now open, including offices, storefront retail (meaning stand-alone stores, but not malls), barbershops and salons, and outdoor dining.
New York City is, as of the end of June, on the verge of Phase Three, which will allow the hospitality industry to reopen, meaning overnight visitors would have a place to stay. Phase Three also allows restaurants to open at 50% of capacity. Broadway theatres would not be allowed to open until Phase Four or later. The State's target for Broadway shows is currently 3 January 2021.
If New York (city or state) is still in your travel plans as the nation recovers, the Inteligencer has a good review of the state's phased reopening plans, including what regions are in which phase: nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/when-will-new-york-reopen-phases-and-full-plan-explained.html
Check the Statuses of Broadway Shows During the Coronavirus Shutdown | Playbill
www.playbill.com
Here are updates from shows during the extended closure of the New York theatre scene.Is Paris in your travel plans, now that countries are easing travel restrictions? Well, we’ve got good news, and bad news.
Starting with the bad, France’s borders are not yet open. If you happen to live in the EU (except Spain) or one of the EFTA nations (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), you can visit France. The restriction on Spanish travelers ends 21 June. Travelers from the UK can enter France, but have a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The rest of the world will have to wait. The Interior Ministry said it will ease restrictions for travelers from outside of the EU starting 1 July, but no firm dates as to who can visit when.
Now the good news that inspired this update in the first place: The Louvre joins the list of open attractions starting 6 July. Related: The Jardin du Carrousel and Jardin des Tuileries opened at the end of May, the Louvre-Lens in northern France opened on 3 June, and the Musee National Eugene-Delacroix (which the Louvre oversees) opens on 22 June.
Like most attractions, life at the Louvre will look a little different in the post-COVID era. Tickets went on sale this week, but in addition to reserving a specific day, visitors must choose a time slot for their visit. This will help officials manage attendance and social distancing. Tour groups will still be allowed, but will require guides to use headsets and a microphone to help maintain social distancing. Anyone over age 11 must wear a mask, and new directional signs will direct foot traffic through the museum.
Tickets are available through FNAC stores throughout France, but also online from the Paris Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Get Your Guide, and City Wonders.
The pandemic has forced some changes in the schedule of exhibits at the Louvre, too, which work out well for visitors. The current exhibit, “Advent of the Artist” was scheduled to close on 29 June, but will be extended through the summer. Two other exhibits, “Body & Soul: Sculpture in Italy from Donatello to Michelangelo,” and “Albrecht Altdorfer, a German Renaissance Master” have had their openings moved from this past spring, to October.
Unfortunately, some rooms at the Louvre will remain closed, including those featuring Renaissance-era decorative arts. Having the Louvre open, though, is a huge factor in welcoming tourism back to Paris. It will be interesting to see Social Distancing in action...Paris style. 😉
It's our Top 9 Instagram posts for the first half of 2020, with a twist: We're showing the post and the whole photo it came from! Just because we can. And because the rest of the picture deserves some love, too!
I’m excited to share 100 of my favorite travel memories in my new book, “For the Love of Europe.” http://www.ricksteves.com/floe. Your answers this week have been so fun and creative. What is your favorite souvenir from Europe? (doesn’t have to be a physical object!) #LoveEurope
This does not seem like an encouraging sign for the return of international #travel...
Qantas has stopped selling most international flights until March 2021 https://the.pointsg.uy/pKQa5p0
