RD Travel Limited, Inc.

Where can we travel safely? The most important thing to do, get vaccinated. If traveling outside the US, Mexico and Jamaica are the easiest. The CVS Pharmacy near me says 1 to 2 days for Covid-19 test results. That opens up lots of places. Hawaii doesn’t seem to be able to get its act together. Alaska has ended travel restrictions. There are National Park Tours. Las Vegas and the Florida Theme Parks are open. Washington and New York have great Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tours. You c...an always drive. Colorado is beautiful in the summer. Here’s what’s happening. Airline pricing is on the rise. There is a shortage of rental cars in certain areas. When the cruise lines begin sailing in July, they will be facing the height of Hurricane Season from mid-August to mid-October. This is true for all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico as well. Let’s get everyone vaccinated, reach herd immunity and return to some form of normalcy. I am so ready to say, Happy Travel. #travel #tourism #vacation #allinclusiveresorts #travelagents

News to Cruise. Finally, the CDC says cruising from the United States can begin. The exact date has yet to be announce. To board your favorite cruise line, you will need to be fully vaccinated and carry your passport. If you don’t have a passport, apply today. Right now, normal return time is 10 to 12 weeks. You can speed that up to 4 to 6 weeks with a $60.00 extra fee. As of May 1st, the Bahamas are allowing Fully Vaccinated Travels to arrive without a Covid-19 test. ...This is great for Royal Caribbean sailing from Nassau. Let’s hope some of the other Caribbean Islands will do the same. Royal Caribbean is also sailing from Bermuda and from the Mediterranean. Who else is requiring Fully Vaccinated Guests? Celebrity and Norwegian Cruise Lines are sailing from the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Small ships are sailing US Rivers and Alaskan waters. Call me for more information on these. 816-454-3800 Great news for those who want to visit Europe. The EU (European Union Countries) have agreed to open-up travel for those who are vaccinated. The opening date will be announced soon. The key to all of this, get everyone Vaccinated!

Cruising begins but not from the US. The majors have canceled all cruises originating from the US until the end of June. Originating is the key word. Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will sail from Nassau, The Bahamas beginning June 12th. Vision of the Seas will sail from Bermuda and the Jewel of the Seas will sail from Limassol, Cyprus. All adult passengers and crew must be vaccinated. Children 17 and under will need a negative PCR Test for the cruise. All tho...se entering the Bahamas and Bermuda must have a PCR Test within 5 days of departure. Cyrus wants the viral test results within 72 hours. The cruise lines will pay for testing to return to the US. I checked with my local CVS Pharmacy. They said no more than 2 days for test results. Call to make sure this information is correct. Changes are occurring every day. Tired of being nickel and dimed to death and screaming kids in dining rooms, Google Virgin Voyages. This the only all-adult cruise line and is owned by Richard Branson. You might want to consider their drink package. That’s one of the few extra charges. When cruising begins from the US, Virgin Voyages will require all crew members and all sailors (passengers) to be vaccinated. I send a monthly travel email newsletter. If you would like to receive it and keep up with travel, call or email me with your contact information. Happy Travels.

Where to and what’s next? Here’s the latest. Alaska has lifted all travel restrictions. Land tours are available. Hawaii wants 72 hours for the Covid PCR Test and an up-loaded form. Mexico continues their no entrance test policy. Jamaica has dropped their 10-day time period to 3 days. They want the Antigen or Rapid Test. St. Lucia, the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands ask for 5 days before departure for a Covid-19 PCR Test. For the rest of the islands, it’s 3 days. ...New news. I have checked with the CVS Pharmacy near me. The Pharmacist told me the time is now no more than 2 days to receive PCR test results. Whatever the case might be, call me for the latest on where you want to travel and what their travel requirements might be. A Covid Antigen Test is still needed to re-enter the US. All the major resorts are providing on site testing. Some charge. Just remember, I’m as close as a phone call away to help make sure you are a Happy Traveler.

Travel is still fun! It's still safe and it all depends on where you go. On December 17th, I flew American Airlines to Montego Bay, Jamaica and spent 5 days at Sandals South Coast. Here is an important fact - These were not weekend flights. The airport was not busy! Everyone was wearing masks and practicing social distancing as much as possible. Being a single traveler, I was lucky enough to have a row to myself on all flights. Jamaica’s Covid-19 requirements are easy f...or us in Kansas City. The resort is wonderful, the staff is marvelous and the food is great. The trip from the airport to the resort can be a bit tiresome, but after a couple of drinks, it doesn’t matter. The latest from the CDC has mandated that passengers on all incoming flights to the US must present a negative Covid-19 Test within 72 hours of their departure. The good news is that test can be the Rapid Antigen Test and that the the major resorts in the Caribbean, including Sandals and Beaches Resorts, plus those in and around the Cancun area are offering the tests. Most at no charge. So, where can we go? Mexico is requiring no tests. Jamaica is 10 days to get test results back. St. Lucia is 7 days. Most of the rest of the Caribbean Islands are 3 days. Here in the US, Vegas is open with great mid-week rates. Disney and Universal are open in Florida. Hawaii doesn’t seem to be able to make up its mind what it wants to do. When traveling outside the US, always purchase Travel Insurance from a reputable company. Know what Covid-19 coverage is offered. Some countries are offering their own insurance. Purchase theirs separately. Travel insurance pays for monies spent. If the policy you’re considering offers Cancel For Any Reason it only pays 75% of what you spent. Just remember, when you are ready to travel, I’m here to help you get there. #travel #travelinsurance #covid #sandalsresorts #beachesresorts #vacation

Want to get away? Is a cruise the answer? Finally, there’s light at the end of the tunnel! Hopefully, the new start-up date will be Oct. 31st. This makes perfect sense. Oct. 31st is close to the end of Hurricane Season. Remember that the final payment date is 90 days prior to departure on most every cruise line. I think that anyone who books a cruise departing from mid-April on should sail. Right now, cruise pricing is excellent and deposits are small. For me, Royal ...Caribbean has done the best job with refunds and cruise credits. Call me if you are interested. Here is food for thought. Before the cruise lines resume sailing, they will have done everything possible to create a safe environment: sanitation methods, social distancing, air filtration processes, some type of pre-cruise testing and so on. They can’t afford to make a mistake. We also know that the majority of those who have cancelled sailings are rebooking into 2021. We also know that the cruise lines are going to be sailing with limited capacity and the start-up will be gradual. If you are thinking about cruising in 2021, booking a cruise soon might not be a bad idea. Let’s hope that vaccines become available soon and we can return to some form of normality. Please call or email me if I can help. Have a great day.

Finally, positive news for those who are ready to travel. Mexico’s Resorts are waiting for us to return. No Covid-19 tests required! The Cancun and area resorts have instigated outstanding safety and cleaning protocols. I have an article that describes everything that is being done to protect you and their staff. I’ll be happy to email it to you. The Palace Resort Group has a collection of excellent family-friendly and all-adult... properties. The Valentin Imperial is all-adult, is absolutely gorgeous and caters to a slightly older crowd. I have visited these and can highly recommend them. Of the many resorts that I have been to over the years, those are my favorites. But I’ll book whichever is your favorite. I’ve never been one to suggest Holiday travel or January thru March travel. This year is different. Pricing is excellent! Now is the time to book because resort occupancy is reduced and there won’t be any last-minute reservations that are reasonably priced. Remember, final payment is 45 days prior to departure. The airlines will fill up quickly as well. We still face this ridiculous lag time of 10 days between taking the Covid-19 test and receiving results. If you know of faster results, please call. Faster results open up more travel opportunities. Otherwise, there’s no Caribbean or Hawaiian Islands and no European Travel at the moment. Let’s hope that vaccines become available soon and we can return to some form of normality. Please call or email if I can help. Have a great day.

What Is Going On? Never in 1,000 years did I ever think that we be living in this kind of situation. Here is one of the major issues facing vacationers. Right now, it takes 10 days from the time you take the Covid-19 test until you receive your results. This from in and around Kansas City. The majority of the Caribbean Islands want you to have taken the test within 72 hours of departure, found negative, fill out their paperwork and email it to them for approval. No way. ... The good news for travel is that the tourist areas of Mexico are not requiring pre-Covid-19 tests as of this writing. That’s just one of the problems facing those who want to vacation. Are you interested in keeping up with the travel industry and want to vacation? Each month, I email a newsletter with travel tips and vacation specials that will include the latest on Ocean and River Cruises, European Vacations, All-Inclusive Resorts plus trips to all the World’s most popular Vacation, Wedding and Honeymoon Destinations. To add your name to my email list, just email me with your name, email address and phone number. I look forward to becoming your Personal Travel Advisor. Happy Travels Russ Dubuc [email protected] 816-454-3800

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/502157263467752460 Here is a special invitation just for you. I cordially invite you to join me, Russ Dubuc, and my special guest, Diana Ashton, our area’s Sandals & Beaches Resorts Representative, as we virtually tour the Caribbean and Award-Winning Sandals Resorts. Be sure to stay with us until the end. We have a Special Promotion just for You!!... See why we say that Sandals & Beaches Resorts have more Luxury Inclusions and have won more International Awards than any other of the many All-Inclusive Resorts. Register for this Free Webinar, Wednesday, June 24th from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/502157263467752460

Are you pent up and tired of being locked away at home? It appears the worst is over and travel is on the way back. There will be definite nuisance factors but it’s all in the name of safety. I have found it impossible to follow everyone who plans to open and when. I do feel confident in that fact that everything will be supper clean. Staffs will be wearing masks and social distancing will be practiced whenever possible. The biggest news is that Las Vegas is slowly openi...ng. Our National Parks are opening. Amtrak Vacations has some neat train tours to the National Parks. Alaska might be lost to the major cruise lines, but there are tour companies and small ships offering vacations. A US company offers River Cruises on the Mississippi and Columbia Rivers. Disney is hoping to open in mid-July with reservations required. Universal has just opened. Please call me if you are interested in booking any of these. What about traveling outside the US? Here are my thoughts. The idea of getting on an airplane and flying to Europe anytime soon, is not my idea of a good time. Mexico and the Caribbean Islands are beginning to open. As you know, I’m a Certified Sandals and Beaches Resorts Specialist plus a Palace Resorts Pro Specialist. Call me if you are interested in any of these. I’ll check on airfare and room availability. Remember, final payment is due 45 days prior to departure, the Caribbean becomes excessively hot from mid-July through mid-September and then there’s Hurricane Season. The best time to travel the Caribbean is from mid-October and beyond. That brings up the major cruise lines. I’ve seen a slow hopeful start around August 1st with a few ships in each fleet. Each cruise line has excellent cancellation and rebooking policies to take care of whatever happens. The best way to avoid the confusion is to call me with your vacation plans. We will discuss what is best for you and your family, so that Happy Travels will be yours.

Having been involved with the travel business since 2002, I never thought that I would ever see the circumstances facing us today. For those who have worked with me in the past, know that I am opinionated and know that I have their best interests at heart. Here is a major tip. If you’re thinking of traveling in the fall or earlier. Check your passport. Is it about to expire or has it expired? Do you have a passport? Whatever the case, take action today. The State Depa...rtment is saying there is a 2 to 3 month waiting period. To travel outside the US, you must have a valid passport. I checked Southwest for Cancun and Jamaica. Flights begin Sunday, June 7th for Cancun and Monday, June 29th for Montego Bay, Jamaica. American Airlines appears to have been flying to Cancun all along. Their reasonably priced flights begin June 6th to Montego Bay. Please remember, this is for your information only. Am I advocating traveling this early, absolutely not. My 2 favorite all-inclusive resort companies, Sandals and Beaches in Jamaica and Palace Resorts in and around Cancun are planning early June openings. If you are contemplating a June, July or early August vacation, call me first to see if there are seats available on flights. Don’t forget hurricane season is from mid-August to mid-October. Again, this is for your information. It’s your decision if there is a risk to be taken. As for the cruise lines, Carnival says they would like to begin sailing from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston by August 1st. Royal Caribbean has canceled cruises through the end of July. Both cruise lines are accepting bookings now for sailings thru 2021. Be sure to call me to see what ships are sailing to what destinations. Just remember, when you are ready to travel, I’m here to help!

If you read my article in March’s Newsletter, you know all about the Real ID. If you follow the news, you know that the deadline has been extended to Oct. 1, 2...021. I still recommend you check the expiration date on your driver’s license. If your license expires between now and Oct. 1, 2021, do get the Real ID when things re-open. Let’s talk Travel Insurance. The most important reason to purchase travel insurance is to have health and accident insurance protection when you are outside the US. If your work requires overseas travel, I assume your company supplies it. Otherwise, you have no coverage outside the US. There is another travel insurance issue. It’s called Cancel for Any Reason. Some travel venders, like a few cruise lines, have contracts with insurance companies that offer Cancel for Any Reason in the price of their insurance. There’s a catch. It’s not a full refund of monies paid. It’s mostly 75%. The hoops you have to jump through to make a claim can be unreal. When you are booking travel, find out who the insurance company is and read the fine print to be sure you know what you are paying for. I don’t recommend vender’s travel insurance. Why do you want to work with a reputable travel agent? There are people who go online looking for the best price they can find. These companies are what we call online travel agencies or OTA’s and the deals can be fantastic. The first one of these companies, Bookit.com, has gone out of business leaving customers high and dry. If you are receiving emails or phone calls about travel, please call me at 816-454-3800. I have opinions and will do the research for you to determine credibility. Hopefully, all of this will pass soon.

Needless to say, this one of the most trying times experienced in recent US history. Some might say that that the following information might be inappropriate now. Even so, I want everyone to be aware of one important fact: There is a federal law that requires everyone over the age of 18 have a Real ID or any other federally accepted ID such as a passport to board an airplane or enter a federal building by October 1, 2020. 1. What is it? It’s a star that is imprinted on y...our driver’s license. 2. How do you obtain it? There are certain documents that you must present. Here are the ways to obtain that information. A. Drop by your nearest driver’s license bureau and pick-up a brochure. Everything you need to know is printed there. B. The information is also on the internet. a. For Missouri it’s: https://dor.mo.gov/drivers/real-id-information b. For Kansas it’s: https://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/RealIDChecklist.pdf Look to see if your driver’s license expires between now and October 1st. If it does, renew now. Either way, take your documentation to your nearest driver’s license bureau and apply. I was told it take up to 30 days to receive my new license. In Missouri, the charge was $12.00 for the copy. If you are a Veteran, take your DD 214 with you to add that information to your driver’s license as well. Please tell all your family members, relatives and friends all about the Real ID! Here’s the rub. If someone books airfare after October 1st and doesn’t have a Real ID, they won’t be allowed to board the airplane or enter a federal building. There is no doubt in my mind that the situation we find ourselves in now will pass. When it does, it will be my pleasure to continue as your Personal Travel Agent and help you arrange your next Wonderful Vacation.

Do you enjoy trouble-free Travel? Here are a number of tips to make your trip that much more enjoyable! When you are in a crowd, guard against pickpockets. Women should wear purses that cannot be snatched. Men should not carry wallets in their hip pockets or jacket or coat pockets. There were reported cases of pickpockets at the resent Chief's festivities. Here is another case where problems can occur. There are electronic devices that can read the numbers on your credit ...cards as the thief walks buy. To avoid that, cut out a piece of aluminum foil the size of a dollar bill and put it in your wallet. For travel outside the US, make a couple of copies of the first page of your passport. Leave one with a trusted relative or friend. Carry the other with you in a secure place. Leave your passport locked in the safe in your room. Credit cards are used all over Europe. If it’s cash you need, use a debit card. ATM’s are plentiful in popular tourist areas. Fees are less using an ATM rather than a credit card for cash. Just remember your daily limit and don’t forget the exchange rate for dollars to Eros. Call your cell phone provider to find the best Roaming Plan for your specific destination. If you are traveling to Mexico or Canada, you may already have a plan! **Back at home, don't forget to have the Real ID added to your driver's license. You must have this done by October 1st. Without the Real Star, you won't be able to board a plane or enter a federal building. Please tell all your friends and relatives to pick up a brochure with all the information at their nearest DMV office.** For more information on any of these topics, please call me. Tipping in foreign countries is another story. Call me for more information on that as well. Happy Travels!

Did you know that we are right in the middle of Wave Season? It’s not quite what you think. It’s the Cruise Line Industry’s way of promoting Spring and Summer Sailings with excellent promotions. Not to be outdone, many of the all-inclusive resorts are offering specials as well. In other words, now is a great time to book! Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is boasting 60% off your second guest and kids sail free on select cruises. Princess Cruise Line says their sale that is o...ffering drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities is the best ever. Avalon Waterways, one of Europe’s top river cruise lines is offering free air up until March 8th on select cruises. My favorite all-inclusive resorts, Sandals and Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean and Palace Resorts in Mexico are also offering specials. The key to booking all vacations, especially when you are traveling outside the US, is to book as early as possible. This is when you will see the best pricing and the best cabin or room selection. Happy Travels.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, there will be loads of vacation travel specials! It’s easy to take advantage of them. Decide where and when you want to travel outside the US. Then, call me with that information, your names as they appear on your passports plus your birthdays. At that time, we will choose your room or cabin category. Once I have a hold on your choice, I will call you to make a deposit. As an example, let’s use Sandals Resorts. Go to my web...site, click on Sandals, scroll down, choose an island, scroll to the resort and click on view the resort. Then, call me, I’ve been there! We can then choose the room category. If you are interested in a cruise, it’s a little more FUN. Call me with your information. We can then determine which cruise line you are most interested in and decide what length of cruise, date and port of departure plus the cabin category you like the best. As I mentioned, once I have a hold on your trip, I will call you with deposit information. Don’t forget, I can send you to all the world’s most popular Vacation, Wedding and Honeymoon Destinations. I look forward to working with you. Happy Travels!

After so many years exclusively recommending Sandals and Beaches Resorts, I have decided to partner with Palace Resorts and Spa in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, Mexico to offer you more variety. These are mostly family-friendly resorts including a couple that are all-adult and a couple that are not that kid-friendly. Each resort, like Sandals, has a personality of its own, and like Sandals, I have visited them all. These resorts do weddings and honeymoons and their standard ...promotion is a $1500.00 resort credit. Travel safety in Mexico. Did you see the recent shoot-out clips on TV news where a Mexican Police Patrol was outnumbered by a Cartel Gang? Just remember this. Tourism is an economic driving force on both Mexican Coasts. The Cartel is smart enough to know to stay away from tourist areas. Travel safety in the DR. The truth has finally been revealed concerning the mysterious American deaths in the Dominican Republic. DR officials turned the investigation over to our FBI. Their findings: the deaths were of natural causes. To me, there are still 2 problems in the DR. There is litter all over their highways and they don’t teach English in their public schools. That’s a shame since their economy is based on English speaking tourists. Otherwise, their beaches as incredible. Here’s a hint. Many Mexican Resorts do not have ABC, CBS and NBC network TV Stations on their cable systems. If they do, the picture quality is awful. If you can’t live without American TV, subscribe to one of the internet streaming services and take a 9-foot HDMI cable with you to plug into your device and an HDMI Port in the back of the TV. Have a maintenance person at the resort do that for you. Call or email me for more information. Visit my Website: www.rdtravellimited.com Or just LIKE my page or follow me to see SPECIAL offers from time to time!

Here are pictures from my recent visit to Beach’s Negril in Jamaica. This resort is amazing. All of the rooms you see are ocean front or ocean view. It’s difficult to compare Sandals Resorts because each has a different personality. This one is definitely a favorite. Call me if you want firsthand information.