Avoiding Vacation Surprises (Part I)

It's been in the planning stages for months, you've checked every detail over and over again, your vacation will be picture perfect. With great anticipation you are looking over your "to do" list, what you''ll bring with you, how you'll get therer, where you have to be, what you plan to do each day, everything imaginagble is covered. No surprises on this vacation.
Unfortunately many of us find out we could have done a better job before we got on that flight, boarded the ship or arrived at the resort.
Some vacations surprises are great (see my previous blog on our Disney Dream vacation), but some are not, they could ruin your long anticipated trip of a lifetime, the one you researched, saved and talked about for over a year, maybe even longer. Can all surprises, blips in the plans, bumps in the road, etc be avoided? Absolutely not buts most can be, especially the big ones that could turn your dream into a nightmare.
In my earlier days of travel I did not even think of these things, I made my reservation, paid up and set sail. Travel insurance? What's that? I did not have a clue. I would not even think twice about my "no" answer when it was offered to me by the travel agent. "Why bother, worst that can happen is I'm out the price of the vacation right?" SO WRONG!!!
It's funny but that is how most think, including me until recently when a client of ours was ready to go until their teenage daughter suddenly came down with an infection that required hospitalization 2 days before their sailing. Fortunately, they bought the travel insurance so their trip cancellation was covered, they did not lose the $5,000 price of the trip,  There are many examples like this. This was travel insurance from an outside vendor ( we offer policies from this company with every vacation), had it been the cruise line insurance that is offered thsi occurence would not have been covered and even with an insurance battle they probably would have lost all of their money. Travel insurance from a source other than the cruise line in most cases will cover many, many more situations and usually costs less  (they even cover medical expenses if needed while away, most people's medical benefits do not cover expenses outside the country).
The majority of travelers think the only thing that can happen is a missed flight, lost luggage, and the like but there are many other things that can happen that will ruin their dream, things that just cannot be so easily rationalized away. Particularly medical issues, if you are on a cruise or at a resort in a foreighn country without coverage you could come home (hopefully, well and in one piece), $30,000 or $40,000 in debt due to medical evacuation and care. Okay the biggest argument to this is I am a healthy person this probably will not happen. Great, but what if you are attacking that climbing wall, or dancing the night away in the nightclub and happen to fall, twist an ankle (ladies you looked great in those gowns and heals but it can easily happen), the medical staff on a ship is not equipped in most cases for most of the injuries that can occur. They can stabilize you but if you need major medical attention you will be either evacuated via helicopter or brought to the hospital in the next port.
Most cruise line insurance is piece of mind if you happen to miss the ship.With comprehensive travel insurance from a reputable company (we use Access America) your coverage begins the minute you leave the house until you get back there at the end of the trip. If you have a fender beder on the way to the airport, miss your flight and your ship you are covered, the cruise line will probably not cover a scene like this.
What if your job suddenly does not let you take that vacation you planned and paid for a year ago? Again, vendor insurance can cover this, cruise line insurance, not likely and that would mean you would have to cancel your entire family vacation...the dollars pile up. What if...? You can fill in the blanks, beware, anything can happen while on vacation, why not prepare for it.
Don't let your dream vacation turn into a nightmare vacation, add the cost of travel insurance to your vacation budget right from the start and put your mind at ease so you can enjoy the trip you were so looking forward to.
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