Cancelled/postponed trips due to COVID - please share your outcomes

[outofofficebrb]

Looking back to what's happening during Covid, I was fortunate to book all of those cancelled trips through travel agent such as Tim Yeo of Bluewater Dive Travel. He was able to reschedule all of the trips to our satisfaction and what was fair.

I had an issue with a liveaboard and he was our advocate. He had sway with them since they do a lot of business with them for their own group trips and refer a lot of business to them. We ended up getting what was fair and right, which was our original deal. He's great to work with. He has helped me with travel insurance claims by providing the paperwork/documentation I needed quickly and was my liason while I was in the air and there was an earthquake that had hit my destination which created some issues. It doesn't cost me anything more to book with him than booking direct and I also get the benefit of 3X points with my credit card since they're considered "travel". (Not all places, even if you are booking travel, are considered a travel merchant.) I did not lose any money or trips as a result of COVID, including on the air side. Thankful for the end result for the various trips and things I had booked.

 

[Dan]

I had an issue with a liveaboard and he was our advocate. He had sway with them since they do a lot of business with them for their own group trips and refer a lot of business to them. We ended up getting what was fair and right, which was our original deal. He's great to work with. He has helped me with travel insurance claims by providing the paperwork/documentation I needed quickly and was my liason while I was in the air and there was an earthquake that had hit my destination which created some issues. It doesn't cost me anything more to book with him than booking direct and I also get the benefit of 3X points with my credit card since they're considered "travel". (Not all places, even if you are booking travel, are considered a travel merchant.) I did not lose any money or trips as a result of COVID, including on the air side. Thankful for the end result for the various trips and things I had booked.

Thanks for referring him to me, BTW.

 

[pclark2]

I was extremely lucky with my trip. The lockdowns all happened the week I was set to depart and I didn't have trip insurance. Sorido Bay was excellent and gave me a credit for a future stay, which I did last year in December. I remember talking to the management that they were doing their best to get as many of the rescheduled trips as possible completed so they could get those off their balance sheets and start bringing in revenue again, especially as fuel prices were going up. But yeah, a fantastic company and the trip itself was absolutely amazing. Now I just need to figure out how to afford going back!

 

[EdC]

I had good luck for the most part.

Atlantis in PHI just moved us to this spring without issue although Philippine air upcharged us, not sure if it was them though or the LDS that put it together.

Our Guadalupe shark trip obviously was cancelled and never to be rescheduled. Initially I thought it would be a straight swap onto a Socorro boat after speaking with the boat agency but there ended up being a 1500.00 up charge. Again not sure who gets that since it is the same dive shop that put it together.

 

[EdC]

Is anyone else hesitant to book too far out in fear of a repeat of 2020?

I know I am not booking anything crazy expensive, especially in places that locked down hard during the pandemic. Going to Cayman Brac in February which looks safe and Carnival in Cozumel but I am leery of booking another Philippines trip for next fall.

 

[Centrals]

Some airlines are better than others.
Cebu Pacific: Options for full refund or travel fund and I took the former.
China Airlines: Excellent, full refund took less than a week.
Korean Air: No penalty for rebooking.

Air Asia: suck big time. Travel fund and with time limit only and by the time flights were resumed so was the fare.
Malindo Air: Travel fund and eventually the airline was took over by Batik. There was time limit on the travel fund and I could not use it because Batik did not have any flight out from HK during that period!!!!!

I am glad LoB is history long time ago.
Travel fund is a big joke and do NOT accept it if you can.

Happy diving.

 

[Centrals]

but I am leery of booking another Philippines trip for next fall.

Your "fall" is the typhoon season in the country. Best time is Jan to Mar but water will be relatively cold.
Where would you like to go?
There are many places that advanced reservation is NOT necessary particularly over the period that I had mentioned.
Unless it was LoB or involving private transfer I had never paid deposit in SE Asia.

 

[EdC]

Your "fall" is the typhoon season in the country. Best time is Jan to Mar but water will be relatively cold.
Where would you like to go?
There are many places that advanced reservation is NOT necessary particularly over the period that I had mentioned.
Unless it was LoB or involving private transfer I had never paid deposit in SE Asia.

So far I have been twice to the standard Atlantis resort itinerary of a stay in PG and then transfer to Dauin. I think other than APO island I have seen enough muck at this point and can cross Dumaguete off the list. I would welcome suggestions on pretty reefs, large animals, wrecks.

 

[Dan]

So far I have been twice to the standard Atlantis resort itinerary of a stay in PG and then transfer to Dauin. I think other than APO island I have seen enough muck at this point and can cross Dumaguete off the list. I would welcome suggestions on pretty reefs, large animals, wrecks.

Malapascua.

 

[Centrals]

So far I have been twice to the standard Atlantis resort itinerary of a stay in PG and then transfer to Dauin. I think other than APO island I have seen enough muck at this point and can cross Dumaguete off the list. I would welcome suggestions on pretty reefs, large animals, wrecks.

You did not see thresher shark when you were with Atlantis in PG. Pity.
Malapascua does has few big wrecks and of course the thresher shark.

Wreck Diving in Malapascua - Evolution Diving Resort

Wreck diving is a passion for us at Evolution. As technical divers we like to explore, and wreck diving is a great way to use our skills to venture to exciting dive sites and explore new areas.

evolution.com.ph

I have only done Dona Marilyn(rec) and Mogami Maru(tec dive).

Camotes Island
Nice reefs especially around Talong Island and one pretty deep wreck: Boholana Princess. Did a quick bounce dive on her many yrs ago.

Sipalay:
Very nice reefs.
Two wrecks not too far away:

SS Panay Wrack - SS Panay Wrack Sipalay, Campomanes Bay, Negros, Philippinen

Tauchplatz Beschreibung vom Wrack der SS Panay in der Campomanes Bay in Sipalay, Negros, Philippinen. Mehr Informationen hier auf der Webseite.

ss-panay.com

It still has gas mask(WWII) on the deck when I last dived her many yrs ago.

MS Jojo is also inside the bay.

Malapascua is the most developed of the three. But if you are looking for something slightly off the beaten track then it is hard to beat Sipalay especially for the wreck. I would had suggested Southern Leyte but there is NO wreck there but does have the largest fish in the world(during the season).

Plenty of this on you tube. Snorkelling ONLY.