Red Sea (Egypt) closed (covid-19 confined)

[JustSurfaceInterval]

@P-Dog
Yes, Emergency Coverage together with DAN should be fine. But get confirmation that they you will get cover in Egypt. I heard of some pandemich clause preventing full cover.
I guess an Egyption Customs Officer may not be familiar with the details by states but will only look at your passport.

 

[KidDocDMC]

So, yesterday I saw a post about Belize opening up on August 15. We were supposed to have gone to Roatan in April, so I checked to see if Honduras was following Belize’s lead. Turns out they are! I rebooked our hotel and we will hit the reefs with Duna Divers. I’ll save Sharm for another time.

 

[Sunn]

Both Egypt and French Polynesia will be open. Trying to figure out which is better for a relatively new teen diver who has only been to the Bahamas. Sharm El Sheikh is certainly the better value, but FP seems like their opening plan is better with more rigorous testing requirements. Which has more life and better coral?

Not sure they will let you enter French Polynesia... USA is now internationally blacklisted in terms of covid-19.

@ P-Dog, I confirm the egyptian border control will only look at your passport....

 

[divezonescuba]

We are scheduled to do a week at Dahab and then a week on a liveaboard out of Sharm. Our departure was originally on 30 July. Our tickets were cancelled as the Istanbul to sharm flight does not fly until 2 Aug. we had to rebook our flights.

Most hotels in Dahab are not open. When 1 July hits hopefully more will apply for inspection.

the liveaboard is only allowing 50% capacity during the phase 1 period which starts 1 July. Nobody knows how long phase 1 will last. Fortunately we are on a large boat and all our people will be able to go.

 

[Youssef]

Many hotels in Dahab (and elsewhere) are now open at reduced capacity, as are dive centers.

 

[P-Dog]

Many hotels in Dahab (and elsewhere) are now open at reduced capacity, as are dive centers.

I'm getting stung by that right now, but mainly by people's fear of traveling. The first week of my liveaboard has enough reservations to go, but the second week does not. The company has two boats running the same itinerary that second week, so I've emailed and asked if they would combine us together. I'm hoping they will.

Otherwise, there is a chance that my trip will be canceled again.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

I'm getting stung by that right now, but mainly by people's fear of traveling. The first week of my liveaboard has enough reservations to go, but the second week does not. The company has two boats running the same itinerary that second week, so I've emailed and asked if they would combine us together. I'm hoping they will.

Otherwise, there is a chance that my trip will be canceled again.

this one really is a struggle. I fear/suspect that Egypt will end up being like ‘liveaboard bingo’ for a while as boats get cancelled with late notice and everyone then scrambles to find the alternate boats that are sailing on that date and move to those before they fill up with others who have had boats cancelled...There will be a few who get their boats cancelled for not being full enough, but they can’t find a spot on another boat as they are all ‘half full’

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

Will it be an option to do half of the trip as LOB and then stay one week somewhere for shore dives/day trips?
Don't know, just spontaneous reaction. Perhaps better than a full cancel...

 

[P-Dog]

Will it be an option to do half of the trip as LOB and then stay one week somewhere for shore dives/day trips?
Don't know, just spontaneous reaction. Perhaps better than a full cancel...

I thought the same thing, but then I'd still have a week on the the liveaboard as a credit to go back. It takes me three days to get to Egypt from Hawaii. That's why I booked for two weeks in the first place. The length of travel time is so long it doesn't make any sense to go for only one week.

I guess this is what happens when you insist on traveling when most of the world is shut down.

this one really is a struggle. I fear/suspect that Egypt will end up being like ‘liveaboard bingo’ for a while as boats get cancelled with late notice and everyone then scrambles to find the alternate boats that are sailing on that date and move to those before they fill up with others who have had boats cancelled...There will be a few who get their boats cancelled for not being full enough, but they can’t find a spot on another boat as they are all ‘half full’

I fear that you are correct. I don't want to pay to go with another company when I have a fully booked (and paid) trip already. So...for the moment I'm crossing my fingers and holding my breath that it will work out. I'm still taking the position that the trip is going to go, but I think I need to prepare for the worst case scenario, too. I just haven't decided how I'm going to handle it yet. :-(

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

I thought the same thing, but then I'd still have a week on the the liveaboard as a credit to go back. It takes me three days to get to Egypt from Hawaii. That's why I booked for two weeks in the first place. The length of travel time is so long it doesn't make any sense to go for only one week.

I guess this is what happens when you insist on traveling when most of the world is shut down.




I fear that you are correct. I don't want to pay to go with another company when I have a fully booked (and paid) trip already. So...for the moment I'm crossing my fingers and holding my breath that it will work out. I'm still taking the position that the trip is going to go, but I think I need to prepare for the worst case scenario, too. I just haven't decided how I'm going to handle it yet. :-(

Where is your trip due to leave from? If hurghadha, I have a solution.