Friday, January 31, 2014

Bon Voyage, Safe Sailing

The recent news about illness regarding the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas and Princess' Caribbean Princess has raised questions with some travelers. The main question seems to be, 'is cruising safe?' The answer in short is yes!

First, consider the population of passengers and crew onboard.  Some of the larger ship populations are the size of small cities, in some cases, larger than some towns. Unlike being at home after a day at the mall or at a major event, this population is in constant close contact with one and another. Virus, cold and flu germs are unknowingly being carried into public spaces, especially during the winter. No matter how clean your home, workplace or school, someone in the family is bound to pick up a bug and bring it home. A cruise ship, airline or vacation resort is no different. 

So many times when one flies long distances, 3 days later that crummy cold feeling arises. We tend to over look that and chalk it up to jet lag. Likewise when traveling to a foreign destination getting a stomach bug is blamed as food poisoning, but may well be a virus contracted before or during travel. 

Since the first outbreaks of what was once named the Norwalk Virus around  2002, new cleaning protocols have prevented entire ships from becoming ill. Also the outbreaks of Norovirus have greatly lessened. According to the CDC, since cruise ships adopted the Vessel Sanitation Program, shipboard illnesses have waned. This program calls for ships to be inspected at least twice yearly and they can also be inspected without prior notice. If they do not pass inspection they have between four to six weeks to meet the standards. 

I spoke recently with one of my clients who cruised on a ship when a virus was detected. He was so pleased to tell me how well the crew dealt with the salutation and curbed the spread of the disease. He mentioned sanitation stations where hand sanitizer was readily available, constant cleaning of the ship and food being handled by staff wearing gloves and other protective garments. No passenger was permitted to serve themselves at the buffets. 

Royal Caribbean International deserves high marks for the action they took to guard the well being of their passengers and crew. The Explorer of the Seas has a capacity (guests and crew) of 3840. Of that, 700 people, twenty percent, had taken ill to varying degrees on the ship. According to exit reports from passengers, they found Royal Caribbean did all they could to keep the population of ill guests and crew quarantined from the well population. Additionally, most said they would cruise again and were happy with the compensation from the cruise line due to the shortened itinerary.

According to CLIA, Cruise Lines International Association, 21.3 million people cruised worldwide in 2013. The CDC reported 7 Norovirus events in the same year affecting 1,238 people. This is less than one percent of the cruise population. Additionally they reported the CDC tracked about 20 million cases of the same virus on land in the US during a one year period. 

Of course no one likes to become ill when traveling. There are precautions you can take if you are concerned about being exposed. Be sure to stock up on your vitamins.You may also want to bring a few items from home to curb side effects from the virus. Ginger products work well to settle one's stomach along with other over-the-counter remedies. Always speak to your doctor first.

If you are curious about the grade the ships have before planning your next cruise, check with the CDC's Green Sheet Report. This document will reveal the name of the ship, date inspected and their score. Any ship scoring under 85 be cleaned again and inspected within 6 weeks. 

So, pack your bags and head for the pier. Bon Voyage






Saturday, January 4, 2014

Pre and Post Storm Travel


Travel is a way of life, whether pleasure or business. Unfortunately Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate with our plans.

Some plans are easier to change than others. The days before, during and after a major storm can really test your patience and the strength of your planning. You most likely sit hours by the computer/smart phone looking at your weather app, listening to the radio or watching breaking weather announcements on television. You wonder, "will I be able to travel and what if I can't?"

Sometimes weather interruptions are only regional and will have no effect on your plans. However, if your flight originates or ends in an airport or region having weather issues, your plans may be delayed or canceled. Many of the airlines will now send you a text message if your flight is impacted. Be sure your airline has your mobile number when you make your reservation for this service.

If cancellations are announced by your air carrier, you will be permitted to cancel your flights or change your dates of travel without penalty. If you must travel, the changes to a new flight can be a bit tough to reset, but let your travel agent help you with that. Your agent can view all of the new open flights very quickly through their computer system which has direct access to the airline inventory. If you have planned your travel on your own, you may be able to reschedule your flights via the airline's website. The airlines will work to help you the best they can, but keep in mind, many others have been bumped from flights and there is a finite amount of seats on every flight for each scheduled route.  Also, storm interruptions are considered force majeure, an event or situation out of reasonable control. Put simply, the airlines are not responsible for subsidizing meals or accommodations if you are stuck at the airport away from home. Do not expect them to help you with anything other than rescheduling your flight.

Days directly before and after a major storm can become a nightmare at the airport. Passengers with a reservation on a flight which is expected to be canceled may change their plans to leave a day or two prior to the storm or days immediately after the storm. The airports are going to be serving a high volume of travelers. Lines will be long! Be properly prepared. If you are able to effect an online check-in with your carrier, this will get you into the baggage check line faster, even if you cannot print out the boarding pass. The lines for TSA security checks will also be longer. Have your passport and boarding pass out before you reach the security check point. Don't waste time looking for everything as you are called to be checked. Instead of getting to the airport  2 - 2-1/2 hours prior to your flight, add a half hour. If you get through the lines quickly, sit back, relax with a beverage and a good book. You may want to have some extra items with you in your carry-on to get you through a long wait like toothpaste/toothbrush, contact lens solution if you wear lenses, extra dose of medicines you need and even a change of clothes.

Another scenario, you have a connecting flight from your international destination to your home/gateway airport. You can leave the destination to your first connecting airport, but not to your home airport immediately. If you can find a hotel near the first domestic airport the best option is to leave your destination on your scheduled flight. Your chances of getting home sooner rather than later are greatly increased since you will have more flight options to reach your home airport. 

Most hotels will relax their cancellation policies and penalties if you are unable to arrive on time. They may have travelers also stuck at their hotel who need to remain in their rooms if they are in a region affected by the weather. When traveling outside the affected region, the hotel still may assess a small penalty since they held the reservation in good faith for you and did not open that room to another guest. Just remember to advise the hotel of your situation.  If you are prevented from leaving a destination, the hotel will more often that not try to offer the room you are in at the same nightly rate. If they cannot keep the room open for you, their staff will usually help relocate you nearby or close to the airport. Again, in a situation like this, contact your travel agent. They will also be able to help you either keep your reservation at your hotel or help you with making new arrangements.

One international resort with which I work closely often releases a storm statement. They reassure their guests detained at in the destination continued services at a greatly reduced rate until they can depart on their flight. They also offer guests expected to arrive, but cannot, the ability to reschedule their vacation within the same calendar year without penalty. Unfortunately there are resorts/hotels which do not follow suit or will charge a small penalty for cancellation. Always check the cancellation policies ahead of time.

Cruise lines are a bit more difficult. Since cruises depart on an unyielding schedule, the cancellation policies are much stricter. Unless the cruise line needs to cancel the entire cruise due to weather conditions at sea, your weather woes will not change their penalty policies. However, many cruise lines will see you get to the next closest port if your cruise sails without you if you have made your air reservations through the cruise line. This will depend upon the cruise line, conditions for delay and cruise ports on itinerary.

The best way to be sure you keep your money in your pocket while traveling is protecting yourself with a good travel insurance policy. Read the policy carefully though. In cases, such as the cruise lines, the policies may not refund your money in full. You might only get a partial refund or a credit for another cruise if you purchase the cruise line policy. Your airfare might not even be addressed at all.

When purchasing a travel insurance policy, it is highly recommended to buy an independent travel policy. Be sure to read the coverages. Many will also help you recover funds for travel delays as well as cancellation. Keep all of your receipts for expenses incurred during your delay if you plan on making a claim to your insurance company. You will also need proof of cancellation or delay from the airline.  Consider the travel insurance as part of your travel investment. We never expect bad things to happen like blizzards, hurricanes or bellowing volcanoes to put a wrench in our plans, but weather phenomena rears it's ugly head when we least expect.

Most importantly, when storm delays happen, please, bring your patience with you. Everyone is experiencing the same delay as you. They may be going on vacation, visiting a sick loved one or closing an important business deal. The staff trying to help you is usually doing all they can. With the overflow of people staff  will be overwhelmed too. They can't open the airports, clean the runways, or fly the plane. The nicer you are to them, the nicer they will be to you. Just smile and let them know you know they are trying to help. 

Hopefully you will never experience a long weather or emergency delay. If you do,please try to stay calm. It will make the inconvenience a little easier to bear for you and all around you.