Travel Updates: A Message from our President Kathleen Writer
UPDATE: 06/01/2022Travel Updates: A Message from our President
To our valued customers,
Every day we welcome a bit more normal. I am delighted three members of our team (that were on leave due to Covid) have returned to the office! So happy to welcome Jennifer Kelly, Bekki Pazul-Page and Alaine Hendrickson back to the office. Additionally, Maggie Noel has joined our group department as well! We are delighted to be growing again and having the staff to be there for you!
Starting today, June 01, we are re-instating our after hours help line. The new number is 518-486-8306 – this is for emergencies only. If calls received after hours are not emergencies, they will be directed to call back during normal business hours. This after-hours helpline is available almost 24/7 – with a small blackout time frame on Thursday from 6:30-9:30 and Saturndays from 9:30-12:30. During these times, should you experience an emergency, please leave a message and we will reply back once the service resumes.
While there are still some requirements in place to travel, restrictions have relaxed and people are once again enjoying their vacations!
Regarding vaccine mandates and testing; Celtic Tours follows the guidelines of the countries we service. Vaccines and/or negative testing is required by most if not all the countries we serve. Travel advisors, please check with our reservation agent at time of booking to know what guidelines are in place. Please note, that these can change at any time and it is wise to check the countries travel website before traveling to make sure you are up to date on the latest news.
When traveling on one of our SHARED coach departures, Celtic tours requires all guests to be fully vaccinated (as in having received all recommended doses recommended. Booster are recommended at this time as well). This is for the safety of all the tour participants.
For those traveling to Ireland, please see the latest from the Irish Government here: Traveling to Ireland - if you are traveling to another destination with Celtic Tours, please email us at info@celtictours.com and we will be delighted to send you the most recent information.
Masks may still mandated in some destinations or venues. While on the coaches, masks may be required. Your driver/guide will instruct you with the latest requirements of your destination. Please bring your masks to be prepared should you need them. Mask requirements are beyond our control.
With travel is possible at this time, our normal terms and conditions are now reinstated. Should travel restrictions occur again in the future, we will adjust our terms and conditions accordingly.
Keep in mind, every country is requiring a Passenger Location Form to be completed on arrival. This will track where you are traveling at all times. Each country has a different form. These forms can be found on the internet with a quick search or give us a call and we will point you in the right direction.
Airlines that presently require a negative COVID test before boarding, will require a negative RT-PCR test here in the US and abroad. Those testing negative, will have to remain quarantined until a positive test is achieved. Additional quarantine accommodations and transfers are at the traveler’s expense. Celtic Tours recommends anyone traveling purchase a comprehensive travel insurance plan before travel to assist with any unexpected costs.
As a positive test may require you to quarantine and delay your return home, please make sure you bring enough medication and are prepared financially for the additional added expense.
A negative test and/or a Letter of Recovery will allow you to rebook with the airline you have booked with. This link assists with obtaining that for Ireland: https://quick.md/blog/doctors-notes-medical-certificates/documentation-of-recovery-for-recent-covid-19-infection-cdc/
We welcome any feedback you have and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We welcome you to call our office at 800-833-4373 and we would be happy to relay the current status relating to the country you wish to travel too.
For 2022, we are continually developing new adventures and offerings for you to choose from, to bring you the best of Ireland and beyond. We have made some small itinerary changes to our signature Ireland escorted tours, but know for 2022, ALL tours have been designated “small group” to give you confidence and peace of mind!
We pride ourselves on our fair and flexible approach we have maintained during this pandemic. Know that if you book with Celtic Tours, you can always book with confidence. AT this point, we all know that COVID-19 can prevent travel. With that, for any new bookings from this date forward, should your you not be able to travel due to COVID-19 travel ban restrictions (imposed by the US or country of destination), Celtic Tours will move your travel dates as needed to accommodate you. We will be providing future travel credits in these instances. This does not apply to those that cannot travel due to their inability to travel. We do recommend travel insurance to protect yourself.
Celtic Tours will be celebrating 50 years in 2022! We will continue to offer fantastic service and products that bring your client's vacations of a lifetime. We would not be here without the dedicated travel advisors' support and can't thank them enough for their hard work. When traveling, don't go it alone...seek out a professional travel advisor!
Our recent Familiarization Tour of Ireland was a success! We will be offering more FAM tours for Travel Advisors in 2022. Please login to view the latest travel agent deals.
Please feel free to reach out by phone (800-833-4373) or email: reservations@celtictours.com or groups@celtictours.com with any questions or concerns or to find out the status of your booking. For general information requests, please email info@celtictours.com
Our 2022 brochure is now available! Please click here to request your copy: Brochure Request. Our office hours are currently Monday – Thursday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Friday 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.
We are continually updating our website with new and tried and true tours for 2022. Please visit www.celtictours.com for new tours and updates. Thank you again! We appreciate you.
Warmest Regards,
Kathleen Writer
President
Celtic Tours World Vacations