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THE FINE PRINT IN TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Before you even Buy That Vacation
Do you have the proper documentation to travel? Travel
out of the U.S.A. requires a passport with a few
exceptions. If you plan to travel frequently, a Passport
is a must! you should plan on applying for your passport
at least 3 months before your travel date. Otherwise,
you will have to apply for an expedited passport which
costs extra. See our Travel Links page for Passport link
information.
Understand what you are buying
People frequently tell me that they do not need a
Travel Agent to buy their $2000 cruise. I ask why – it
doesn’t cost you anything! They often don’t understand
that buying a trip entails reading a lot of fine print
and some joke, almost requires a law degree. You
shouldn’t have to work that hard going on vacation.
Especially when using a Travel Agent doesn’t generally
cost you anything extra. There are exceptions to that
rule of course.
Always Buy Trip Protection (Insurance)
To protect your vacation investment, it is important to
purchase Trip Protection. While a lot of travelers scoff
at this an unnecessary cost, it may save your life.
Depending on the coverage your by, Trip protection can
get you life-flighted off a Cruise Ship at
a remote port to a modern hospital in case of serious
illness or trauma. Or, it can protect your Vacation from
covered unanticipated interruptions or delays for
covered reasons. It may allow you to cancel your trip up
to the last moment for just the price of the policy due
to family emergency or other covered reason. So when you
are spending your hard earned money, do you really want
to have to worry about which way the hurricane is
blowing or how much the visit to the ship's doctor is
going to cost to treat the injuries from the six Sea
Urchins that your mother sat on at the beach? (Yes my
mother really did. Please watch that beach sea-wall in
Zihuatenejo!).
Resort prepares for Hurricane in Cancun. . That night
Sea water came up to our hallway door.
Turns out, hurricane just brushed us. This is just one reason to
buy Travel Protection.
In General
Vacations are subject to availability of the hotels and
airfare. If you see a travel special in the newspaper,
don’t wait three weeks before you call your Travel
Agent, those specials are usually gone within 3-5
business days. Plan ahead! Booking 4-6 months ahead can
ensure you get the airline and resort of your choice on
your selected vacation dates. Travelers often hope for
last minute specials, but unless you have very flexible
travel dates and can snap them up fast, don’t count on
this method.
Keep in mind that Cruises, Hotel rooms, and all
Vacations are always quoted “Per Person” Double
Occupancy.
The single rate is often higher, although discounted
hotel rates can be obtained for seniors, AAA members,
and government travelers. Always ask if there is a
discounted rate.
Cruises
A lot of Cruise advertisements show cruises “starting
from “$799”. Did you know that price is the only the
“cruise fare“ price. The Port Charges and Taxes can
increase that price over $100.00, depending on what city
that cruise ship is departing from. That means you will
need a vacation partner or you will pay around $1500 to
have that cabin to yourself. That’s the example of the
fine print. A Travel Agent has the Cruise Ship map, and
should be double-checking whether the cabin is
an “obstructed view” cabin for you. If you purchase an
ocean view cabin on the Internet without any customer
support, you may in fact get a view of a lifeboat. And a
peak of the ocean through that lifeboat. So ask your
Travel Agent.
A lot of folks have been asking me if they should wait
until the last minute, hoping to buy heavily discounted
cruise fares. Because the Cruise Lines are reporting
demand is significantly up this year so don't count on
it.
Last year, I purchased an day Mexican Riviera cruise for
my mother and myself at regular prices, two months after
other friends purchased their cabins. The cruise fare
quoted to me was about $200 higher than our friends.
If your vacation time is not flexible, or you desire a
specific type of cabin such as balcony, don't wait until
the last minute.
Resorts
At Vacations and Voyages Travel, we try to find you the
best hotel for your lifestyle and budget.
Specializing in the Mexican Riviera (Cancun, Cozumel,
Mayan Riviera coast), we are branching our knowledge
base out to the Caribbean. Vacations and Voyages Travel
try to stay at hotels at least 7-8 nights to get a real
taste of the resort, local dining, and the culture.
Travel Agents, generally needing to see as many
destinations as possible, only visit hotels for 30
minutes – 3 days.
Conclusion
Vacations and Voyages Travel knows that a good vacation
is a necessity to unwind from our busy stressful lives.
Let Vacations and Voyages Travel help you plan your next
vacation so you can start it off right, worry-free!
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