After a long break in operations during the pandemic, the two airlines will resume weekly Wednesday and Saturday flights. The news comes as a response to a strong demand from both US visitors longing to visit the Bonaire and from our tourism sector and entire community eagerly awaiting their arrival.
I’d like to nominate, Deborah Braham, a friend I made on a diving trip to Tobago.
Deborah is an NHS anaesthetist and early on when PPE was in short supply, she just went on WhatsApp and organised visors and more directly for her hospital. Deborah just made it happen.
Deborah married another diver not long after we met. With her in the UK and us in Switzerland, we haven’t managed to meet up since she had children. Whatever, in Yorkshire speak, she’s a “lovely lass” who definitely deserves a good holiday.Â
Master Liveaboards has announced a brand-new identity, website and e-commerce platform. This is momentous news for their customers as they now accept live bookings 24/7 - with immediate confirmations.  B2B customers can also make bookings and place their selections on option via the company’s Diving Portal.
After almost a year of restrictions and lockdowns, stir-crazy holidaymakers are eager to getaway. With vaccines now being administered and more on the way, travel is finally on the horizon. According to a recent report of the European Travel Commission (ETC), the number of European citizens planning to travel abroad during the spring of this year has marked a 20 per cent increase compared to November 2020 figures.
The Seychelles has reopened its borders and dropped quarantine requirements to travelers vaccinated against Covid-19. Vaccinated visitors can now enter the island nation without having to quarantine for 10 days provided they present a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of travel. Travelers must also submit a certificate from their national health authority to verify both doses of the vaccine have been administered.
The Galapagos Master has modern and spacious cabins, with just 16 guests on each trip. The vessel also has a generous outside space for you to relax after a day of diving. Enjoy a deluxe local menu prepared on the boat by our experienced chef. This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks throughout the day. So, if you are able to, why not take up our offer of 30% off? There has never been a better time to visit the Galapagos.
To re-open borders without quarantine and restart aviation governments need to be confident that they are effectively mitigating the risk of importing COVID-19. This means having accurate information on passengers’ COVID-19 health status.
IATA Travel Pass will manage and verify the secure flow of necessary testing or vaccine information among governments, airlines, laboratories, and travellers, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) writes in a press release.
In September 2019, off the coast of California, a fire aboard the MV Conception, a 23-meter (75-foot) scuba diving liveaboard, broke out during the night, killing 33 passengers and one crew member. The captain and four crew members barely escaped. After more than a year of speculations and rumors, the NTSB (the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board) published the results of its investigation and the U.S. Coast Guard issued a new policy on a few topics, including the charging of lithium-ion batteries aboard small vessels and liveaboards.
Despite the media doom and gloom, some destinations have opened up, especially regarding dive travel. These include the Bahamas, most Caribbean countries, Cocos, French Polynesia, Galapagos, Malpelo, Maldives, Red Sea, Sea of Cortez and Socorro. Others, like Indonesia, have opened to domestic tourism but remain closed to international visitors. However, restrictions remain stringent; travellers must be tested prior to their departure and upon arrival. In some cases, you will be quarantined until test results are available. The good news? If everything checks out, you can dive!
Why does it seem we need a horrendous accident for common sense safety changes to be made? Looking back in history, two tragedies come to mind, which resulted in significant changes to safety protocols. One was the sinking of the Titanic and another, more recently in 2010, the “Station” nightclub fire in the US state of Rhode Island. It took the loss of 100 souls for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to re-write policies, and issue new code provisions in 2006 for fire sprinklers and crowd management in nightclub-type venues.
