Safe International Travel with UnCruise Adventures
International travel brings wonderful adventures, and adventure is what we are all about. Traveling in a small boat, you can reach remote areas you could never get to alone. Waterfalls, wildlife above and below the water line, hikes and more. We love our international destinations. But most importantly, we make sure that you can travel safely internationally.
Safety is our top priority. Always has been. Our guides are the best in the business. The goofy engaging expedition leader who took you bushwhacking through the forest is trained in CPR, first aid, bear safety, Wilderness First Responder, and more. You will see the crew performing emergency drills during every cruise. And, even before COVID-19, you would see the crew cleaning surfaces religiously. Hand sanitizers are available throughout the boat. You are issued your own sanitized personal flotation device (life jacket) and snorkel equipment that you will keep in your cabin and use during your cruise. You will also receive a sterilized water bottle to use during your adventure.
As with our domestic cruises, all crew and guests must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster shot if eligible. We also require a negative molecular PCR/NAAT test taken within 3 days of departure. For a Saturday departure, test Wednesday or later.
On board, all crew and guests will wear masks indoors in public spaces unless seated and actively eating or drinking. Guests who are in their cabins, or outdoors and able to socially distance do not need to wear masks. Wear your mask on the skiff, wade ashore, then you can tuck it away and breathe in that forest air.
Once we depart, you are traveling in a vaccinated, screened bubble. We don’t visit ports – we visit coves, beaches, forests, and jungles. Our safety measures have been successful through the Alaska, Columbia & Snake River, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii seasons in 2021. We are excited to put these same policies in effect in our international destinations.
Safe International Travel to Baja California and the Sea of Cortes
Baja California Sur has a one level lower/ better CDC COVID travel risk assessment than the United States and Canada. (it's safer to travel there than it is at home!) Its vaccination rate, over 70%, is higher than much of the United States and Canada as well. Masks are required indoors, and this policy is enforced. When you get to the Cabo San Lucas airport, come through customs and outdoors to meet our agent with a sign. We will whisk you away from the crowds to the Barcelo Gran Faro. We check every guest’s COVID vaccination and testing documentation. At 4pm, we take our vaccinated and screened group on our private bus tour of the region (masks on unless eating or drinking some of our provided snacks and beverages), ending in La Paz, where we board the boat.
Now the fun begins. Mule rides at Agua Verde. Hiking at Isla San Francisco. Snorkeling with sea lions at Los Islotes. Magdalena Bay and the gray whales, or La Paz Bay and whale sharks. This is wilderness, freedom, fresh air, southern sun, and amazing sealife. All of this with experienced guides who enable you to do and see more than you dreamed.
The other thing that is safe about traveling with UnCruise to Mexico – the food. The water onboard is always potable – in fact at the bar, there’s likely an infused ice water of the day! The food is not only safe, but also gourmet and locally farmed and caught. We protect our oceans and serve only local, sustainable seafood, in partnership with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. You are safe with us if you have allergies or requirements as well – all of these can be managed with advanced notice (only exception is kosher and halal, regrettably, due to the size of the galley).
Per CDC requirements, guests returning to the United States must have a negative COVID-19 antigen test within one day of arrival in the United States. UnCruise will offer to test guests in La Paz on Friday for Saturday departures. That cost is included in your cruise fare.
Guests who come into Baja California early or extend their stay may need to test locally at their own expense before or after the cruise to meet requirements. The Mexican government has provided a list of providers for antigen and PCR testing. Baja California appears on page 3 of this document. If you are starting or ending elsewhere, other regions are also on the chart.
Safe International Travel to Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize
UnCruise’s vaccination and testing requirements are the same in all destinations. Fully vaccinated including boosters if eligible, with a negative PCR/NAAT test taken three days or less before getting on the boat. Our masking requirements are the same as well.
Belize has the same CDC COVID risk as the United States and Canada. Panama, like Baja California, has a risk rating one better than that. Costa Rica is two levels lower in risk than the United States and Canada. Paired with our UnCruise safety bubble, you can enjoy an amazing adventure in Latin America. Keep your feet protected with closed-toe shoes while hiking, and your gear safe from curious monkeys at the beach! We provide the safest way to see locations you simply cannot reach without a boat. Hike through the jungle with locals (also fully vaccinated) who know the calls of the birds and names of all the trees and flowers that you will see nowhere else. Snorkel in the Parque Nacional Isla Coiba protected areas in Coiba and Granito de Oro. In Belize, snorkel Laughing Bird Caye, a national park and World Heritage Site.
As in other international destinations, the CDC requires a negative antigen test within one day prior to arrival in the US. Antigen tests are available at the airports in Belize City, Belize; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Panama City , Panama for a fee of approximately $50. Always schedule in advance where possible.
Safe International Travel to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
UnCruise’s vaccination and testing requirements are the same in all destinations. Fully vaccinated including boosters if eligible, with a negative PCR/NAAT test within three days of getting on the boat. Our masking requirements are the same as well.
CDC COVID risk level, as with Baja California and Belize, is one level lower than the United States and Canada. Entrance requirements to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands are also complete vaccination; negative COVID test within three days of arrival in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos, and a health form. Note that if you are coming into Ecuador early to explore Quito, Guayaquil, or other areas, you may need to test again locally to provide a negative test within three days of your arrival to the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador government-approved testing providers are available in this document. Quito is in Pichincha province. Guayaquil is in Guayas province. The Galapagos are in their own province.
Travel within the Galapagos is even more remote than other destinations that we offer. Special permits are required. Your boat holds a maximum of 48 guests. There is a doctor on board. It is safe to explore one of the most amazing, isolated, and rare places on Earth. Flamingos, iguanas, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, the famous Galapagos tortoise, and so much more await. Be sure that you bring extra memory cards for your camera!
It is our goal to bring our guests to remote areas of our destinations, to see things that can only be seen by small boat, to explore, engage, and teach hands on, and to do it all in a safe and ethical way. The safety of our crew and guests; the safety of the locals and their economy; and the safety of the wildlife and environments that we visit are central to who we are and what we do. See more about our community impacts and thoughts about sustainable travel here.
All of the information that is in today’s blog is accurate at the time of writing, with links given to CDC and local government and embassy pages for your reference. During the time of a pandemic, it is crucial that guests stay on top of the requirements and conditions for their travel, domestically or internationally, as they can and do change frequently.
Check our latest COVID-19 policies here: https://uncruise.com/pages/covid-travel-updates
Check the latest CDC guidance here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html