COVID-era travel

Itineraries to Guam don’t usually pass through Phoenix, Arizona, but COVID-19 made it a necessary first stop this time. 

Six of our expedition party met here to be tested for the coronavirus at a laboratory in Scottsdale. We’re hunkered down at an expansive. elegant, and nearly deserted resort hotel. Shops, restaurant, fitness center, and multiple pools - all closed; housekeeping scaled back to “call if you need something.”  Everyone in our party has a serious face mask (N95 or KN95; no mere cotton fashion accessories), and our only foray off-property was to the testing lab this morning. Proof that we’re not carrying the virus will let us go directly to the ship when we arrive in Guam (the alternative is 14-days in supervised quarantine).

Maintaining social distance.

No handshakes!

Over in a flash and not painful. The trick is to close your eyes. 

Tonight we’ll comandeer a table in the deserted lobby area for a group dinner, delivered by GrubHub. It’s likely to be an early evening, since we leave for the airport at 4:45 am tomorrow.