As of March 15, Manitoba’s pandemic provincial response level is set to green. If regular winter travellers didn’t jet-set during the coldest months of the year like they usually do, many are now giving themselves the green light to do just that.

Manitoba’s government has made interprovincial travel easier, saying that domestic travellers are no longer required to self-isolate. However, they should self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days, and a new order officially lifts previous travel limits to northern Manitoba.

Between provinces, COVID-19 public health mandates may continue to differ.

For example, mask mandates have been lifted in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, and vaccine certificates have been lifted in some provinces, but not all. Ontario and British Columbia still have mask mandates, while hospitals and some settings where high-risk individuals are present still require mandatory masking throughout all of Canada.

Provincial1 and federal2 travel requirements are different, so if you want to travel outside of Canada it’s important to do some research before you go. For international travel by air, rail, or cruise ship, including travel to the United States, the government of Canada still requires having up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations.

Until April 1, a negative COVID-19 test is still required before returning to Canada.

A Florida Travel Story

Niverville resident Cassandra Falk and her family took a vacation to Orlando, Florida from February 4–11. At the time, there were minimal restrictions in Florida, while Manitoba was still under capacity restrictions, vaccine mandates, and mask requirements.

The group decided to cross into the U.S. by land and then take a flight from there to Orlando.

“The whole travel experience went well and it felt very safe,” says Falk. “Masks are required on airplanes and everyone was very compliant.”

The group’s ultimate destination was Disney World and the family reports having had a great time exploring the vast entertainment and activity options available. Masks were required at indoor spaces within the Disney parks.

“We had a fantastic experience in Florida,” Falk says. “The weather was up and down, but we got a couple very sunny and warm days… Overall, it was a fantastic trip and we would do it all over again tomorrow if we could.”

The return trip began easily enough, with the group able to secure appointments for free COVID-19 PCR tests at a local pharmacy.

“Our whole group did a drive-thru pharmacy appointment at Walgreens and received our PCR tests for free,” she says. “It was an easy process and results were returned within 30 hours.”

Successfully crossing back into Canada was a different story. After the flight to reclaim their vehicles, they rerouted after discovering there would be a delay at the land border at Emerson due to protests.

“Since we crossed the border by land and flew within the U.S., crossing back into Canada was challenging,” Falk says. “It was the same weekend that the main border crossing was blocked by the Freedom Convoy, so we needed to cross at a smaller crossing and they seemed overwhelmed and not sure what to do, as we did have a person in our party who tested positive. From there on, we received a lot of conflicting information and it was very unclear on what we were required to do.”

After arriving safely, Falk said the trip was worthwhile despite the confusion at the border.

“I would recommend traveling to anyone who is able, because life is short!” she says. “Go, experience and appreciate the different climates, cultures, and landscapes our planet has to offer.”

A Costly Christmas Cruise

Rachel Enns’ family followed through on travel plans that had been canceled from the fall of 2019. That’s when the family first made plans to fly into the U.S. and leave on an international Carribbean cruise.

After waiting nearly two years, the cases in Manitoba seemed low and holding steady leading up to Christmas 2021, and so the family decided to rebook.

When Omicron-related cases did start to rise immediately before the holidays, they decided to keep to their plans. For the Ennses, taking the time to create family memories was deemed important enough to navigate the risk, restrictions, and travel requirements.

“We went to New Orleans from December 29 to January 10,” Enns says. “We went a couple of days early, as we were taking a cruise out of New Orleans.”

At the time, a negative COVID test was required to board a flight in Canada, so the family completed their tests within 24 hours pre-flight. With a $150 price tag per person, the cost of the tests was significant for the family of four.

Then they had a problem with their flights.

“We got to the airport and we had all our paperwork in place, COVID shots, negative tests, etc.,” says Enns. “We were flying with WestJet. We had checked in the night before, but we got there and they had no reservations for us. It all had disappeared! They could see we had checked in, but there was no room for us. So we ended up waiting for six hours for new flights, and took four different flights, and got there by midnight! Long day!”

After the tiring and stressful experience just to arrive in New Orleans, they began to enjoy their trip.

“New Orleans was an amazing cultural experience. We chose to wear our masks, but you would not have known there was COVID there. No one wore masks. Resturants had signs that said you must be vaccinated, but no one checked or cared even though the COVID rates were extremely high at the time.”

To board their international cruise, the family had to produce another round of negative COVID tests, which they did, at an even heftier price tag of $200 per person.

The ship environment felt very safe to Enns, who said everyone she observed was following protocol, even in the cruise stops at destinations like Honduras and Mexico.

After the cruise, they had two more days to spend in New Orleans before taking yet another COVID test to fulfill the requirement to fly home. The cost of these tests was again significant.

This time, one of their family members tested positive.

“Our 14-year-old daughter tested positive, which shocked us as she seemed 100 percent healthy,” says Enns. “She had a headache. That was it. So my 20-year-old and I flew home through Toronto. They did random COVID testing on the flight to Toronto. Our whole flight was tested and thankfully we were fine. A week later, after negative tests for my 14-year-old and husband, they flew home.”

Enns agrees that the trip came with many unforeseen hiccups, creating many extra expenses along the way.

“It was a huge expense… but canceling our cruise—because it was all paid for, and we’d had to cancel numerous times already—would have cost us way more.”

Despite the increase in costs, the family was healthy and thankful for the opportunity to create new memories after enduring so many months of lockdowns and restrictions. Overall, the experience was a net positive.

“The trip, once there, was a fabulous bonding time as a family. It was warm and relaxing! We had such great experiences.”