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U.S. warns of travel to Colombia Resort
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Travel News
Final Passport Rule Issued for
Land & Sea Borders:::
On Thursday March 27,
2008, the
Departments of Homeland Security and of State
issued the final rulemaking concerning the
requirements of passports for land and sea border
crossings under the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative. After years of development following 9/11,
this ruling is the end of the process and can be
considered FINAL for the proper identification when
traveling.
Effective June 1, 2009, the following rules take
effect
for cruise passengers:
U.S. citizens on cruise voyages that begin and end at
the same U.S. port (closed-loop itineraries) must
show proof of citizenship* and government-issued
photo ID (such as a driver's license). A passport will
not be required for passengers that fall into this
category.
*Documents include: Original or certified copy of birth
certificate; Naturalization papers; Consular Report of
Birth Abroad issued by Department of State
All other passengers and/or itineraries (such as
cruises which begin in one U.S. port and return to a
different U.S. port or any cruise that begins or ends in
a foreign port) will require a passport or other
recognized document. For a list of accepted
documents, see www.travel.state.gov
.
The good news for a majority of cruise passengers -
American citizens that leave and return on their cruise
from the same U.S. port - is that the travel document
requirements will remain largely unchanged from
how the industry is operating today.
Chappelle's Travel Engine continues to
encourage travelers to obtain
passports to allow the broadest travel opportunities.
You can visit www.travel.state.gov
to obtain
information on how to apply at more than 9,000
passport acceptance facilities in the United States.
"Despite Concerns, More
Travelers Head to Africa"
THIS JUST IN: Although concerns about the dangers of visiting Africa are
rampant, more tourists are taking a chance and thus boosting the continent's tourism numbers. According to those with ties to
African safaris, misperceptions are common, especially when most people have a difficult time separating the dozens of
countries that make up the continent. "When the news shows problems in Darfur, Sudan, some people drop their plans
to visit South Africa," says Kent Redding of Denver-based Africa Adventure Consultants, adding that it is "thousands
of miles away and a world apart in terms of safety."
The Boston Globe (8.26.07)
Norovirus Gastroenteritis
Affected Passengers
Despite the sanitization onboard a cruise ship, norovirus gastroenteritis affected
passengers on more than one voyage. Noroviruses are the most common cause of infectious acute
gastroenteritis and are transmitted feco-orally through food and water; directly from person to
person and by environmental contamination. These viruses are often responsible for protracted
outbreaks in closed settings, such as cruise ships. In short, it was discovered that the virus “originated
from a common food or water source and then continued to spread from person to person,” causing a
chain reaction with all who were in contact. Simply touching surfaces or objects contaminated with
norovirus, and then placing your hand in your mouth is destructive. A person already sick may vomit
somewhere, not wash his hands after using the bathroom, or cough all over creation and start a chain
reaction. When you come behind that person in line after he has passed you the serving spoon to scoop
up some of that delicious seafood newburg, while up on the Lido deck, you sit down to eat, and it is finger
licking good! Now you go out on the upper deck, holding hands with your honey while watching the deep
blue sea float by for a moment of romance...are you seeing the chain reaction here?
It could happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Cruise ships are about as sanitized as any nursing home
that I’ve seen. I mean that they are nice and clean, sometimes more so than a nursing home. It is the
people that don’t always do as they should. Some choose to disobey the instructions of their mother
when she used to say, “always wash your hands after using the bathroom.” She also said to always
wash your hands before eating. And then there are the folks who weren’t taught those two important
cleanliness rules at all. So the next time that you are in a close setting with a lot of people that are from
all over creation, take some extra precautions when it comes to protecting your health. Carry and use
“hand sanitizer” more often. It kills 99.99% of germs. Remember that your hands should already be
washed. Hand sanitizers will kill any germs not wash off dirt. Try not to use hand rails if possible.
Thousands of hands run up and down those hand rails. Some of those hands belong to the folk that
don’t follow the cleanliness rules. Also when on a cruise, or in a close setting for a period of time, try
not to put your hands in your face. Don’t rub your eyes, or put your hands on your mouth. Don’t lick
the melting ice cream off of your hands no matter how yummy that ice cream cone is. And lastly, if
you are vacationing on a cruise ship, try not to use the public bath rooms located throughout the ship.
Go back to your cabin and use the one that has been cleaned more often. Those are just a few things
that I can think of right now. Just be mindful of germs while in close settings from now on. And for
more information about norovirus gastroenteritis
CLICK HERE, and contrary to misrepresentations
of the media, it’s not the ship, it is the people on the ship. Happy sailing!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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