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I fell in LOVE with the parks at…

I fell in LOVE with the Parks at Universal Studios Florida!

A few weeks ago I talked about my resort experience at the Loew’s Royal Pacific Hotel on Universal Orlando™ property. This week I want to talk about the changes I saw at the parks since having been there last in 1994.

One thing I like to do when I travel to a place that I haven’t been in a really long time is to imagine that I have never been there. Why do I do this? Easy, then I won’t be disappointed. If I really liked a place, and it changed into something hugely commercial, tacky, with poor customer service, then I tend to be disappointed. Now 23 years ago there was no Islands of Adventure™ and Universal Studios Florida™ could be done in only 6 hours. Not on this trip! It took us a good 2 days to get through everything, but we also had a secret in our pockets, Unlimited Express Passes!

When you stay at the Loew’s Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, or Portofino Bay Resort you will automatically receive complimentary Unlimited Express Passes. This pass allows you to go to the front of the line on select rides an unlimited amount of times during your visit. (Shhh, don’t tell anyone I am comparing this but for Disney people this is like having FastPasses for almost every ride!) If you aren’t staying at one of those resorts, but are at one of the other resorts you can pay an additional fee for this Unlimited Express Pass or the Express Pass, which allows you to skip the line once per ride. I prefer the Unlimited Express Pass because you are able to go to the front of the line an unlimited number of times for your favorite rides.

Having the extra passes was very helpful on our first day in Islands of Adventure™. When I first walked through the gates, which had no lines because security is handled way before you get to the gates, I was amazed by the façade. For me it felt like I was at the North Pole and Moroccan trading marketing at the same time, which gave me a very warm happy feeling. Being on property resort guests, we were able to enter Islands of Adventure™ at 8am but we were directed to Harry Potter® world of Hogsmeade. If you are a Harry Potter® fan, walking into Hogsmeade is like the very first time you sat down to watch the first Harry Potter® movie, AMAZING! I felt like I was actually in the world of Harry Potter® . Now Harry Potter® world is split over both parks and if you want to ride Hogwarts Express you must have the park to park ticket, and as much as I loved riding the train, it was not my favorite part of the Harry Potter® worlds. My favorite part was in Universal Studios Florida™ the ride Escape from Gringotts. A 3-D roller coaster taking you on a journey through Gringotts bank while escaping from He Who Must Not Be Named! But first you have to find Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida™, which is hidden behind a huge façade.

Let’s head back over to Islands of Adventure™ because I really was amazed at how real, authentic, and alive the attractions felt to me. The amount of thought, care, and detail to plan out each attraction was the most surprising and exciting part of being there. In Jurassic World™ the dinosaurs looked so real, and the ride made me feel like I was in the movie. On the Kong ride, there were many times I felt like the truck was falling but it was just the 3D effects and mechanics of the ride. I can go into each section of Islands but this would begin to get long. One last thing I will say about Islands of Adventure™ is that no matter which section you are in, you really, truly feel like you are part of that world.

Now, let’s dive into Universal Studios Florida™, the originally built portion. It is so much larger than it was 23 years ago, but to me the attention to detail was not as strong as the Islands. It felt more like an amusement park than an experience, except when you are in Diagon Alley. However, that all changes once you enter a building to get on a ride. WOW, you are thrown head first into that attraction. You feel like you are talking to Jimmy Fallon while racing around the streets of New York City, or looking down on the headquarters of Men in Black while waiting in line to shoot aliens with lasers. The details that go into the rides, are like no other amusement park I have ever been to.

Overall, I loved my experience as Universal Orlando® and we will be taking the kids there soon. Most rides you need to be 40 inches or taller to ride, but the play lands in Islands will keep those under 40 inches entertained for hours. I must warn those who experience motion sickness on 3D simulator rides, this may not be the destination for you. There are several rides where you have to wear 3D glasses to experience the full effect. The effects are amazing, but will make you feel a bit off the rest of the day.

Call me to book your next Universal Orlando vacation with your family. If you are thinking you want to split your time between Universal Orlando and Disney, that’s easy! We can easily set that up for you.

Mary is a graduate of the Disney’s College of Knowledge and a Universal Orlando Specialist.

NOTE: All Photos taken by Mary Yohannan, Rights Reserved

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

How Universal!

Mary Yohannan on

What a UNIVERSAL Destination…

I am excited about this newsletter because this is the first time I am writing about something that has changed so much since I had previously been there. As with all high school band students, the trip to Walt Disney World® to showcase your talents was something I really looked forward to doing. On my 1994 band trip, our group also had a chance to head over to Universal Studios® for the day. At that time It was not a large park by any means, but the rides were thrilling.

When an opportunity to attend a travel agent conference at Universal Orlando® came up, I quickly took the opportunity and booked my room at the on-property Loews Royal Pacific Resort. It took all of two seconds to convince my husband to come down with me for a few days so we could run around the parks like teenagers. But I will get to that a bit later.

Since my band adventures 23 years ago, Universal Orlando® is now a destination. With five on-property hotels, two theme parks, and CityWalk™, shopping, restaurants, and activities, there is so much to keep you occupied that it is hard figuring out where to start. They are also opening their own waterpark, Volcano Bay™ next week, and building another hotel, Adventura set to open soon. Again, it is no longer just a theme park, it is a destination.

Seeing all of this “destination” while pulling up to our resort was confusing for me, but the moment we stepped out of our transfer from the airport, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort made us feel like we stepped into the French Polynesia. Lush greens, waterfalls, blue water, tiki torches, and animal totems. Everyone says “aloha,” and the lobby and check-in are very welcoming with all the natural light that floods in. Our room was exceptional clean, and large for two people. Since we were staying at this particular property, we had access to the Unlimited Express Pass for the parks, and boat transportation to take us to the parks and CityWalk™.

The resort offered plenty of dining options from burgers and salads at Jake’s American Bar to top notch cuisine at the Emeril’s restaurant, Tchoup Chop. The pool area was much larger than I expected. The main pool itself was long and curvy, with a separate kid splash area. There were plenty of chairs around the pool area so you didn’t feel like you had to claim your space. Seeing a state of art fitness center was something that I had not seen before at any resort I have stayed. When I say state of the art, I mean several treadmills, elliptical machines, weights, etc, and you they had an attendant on hand to make sure the equipment was clean. For a rainy day with the kids, the game room would be able to keep them occupied for a few hours.

My overall impression of the resort was that it was quite large, but when I was attending the conference, it felt even larger. The conference space that our travel agent group was in took up an entire wing, and there were two other conferences going on while we were there. I didn’t venture to see where they were meeting, but I imagine that area was quite large also.

Being that I was extremely curious how the other resorts faired in comparison to the Loews Royal Pacific, I checked out each resort. I loved them all for different reasons, but one thing they all had in common was that they will not disappoint. They all offered a different vacationing experience, and depending on the needs of your family, I can say with confidence that I will be able to pair the hotel perfectly for your family’s Universal Orlando® vacation needs.

Stay tuned for my next article where I will get into the difference in the theme parks since 23 years ago, until then, remember…Life is Better Traveling.

Loews Portofino Bay

Hard Rock Hotel

Loews Saffire Falls

Cabana Bay

All Photos in this article taken by Mary Yohannan

Hotel Rooms, how to tell if they are clean

Mary Yohannan on

What is REALLY in your hotel room?

5 Places You NEED to be Checking

Recently I have been traveling a lot which means I have been staying in a lot of hotel rooms. Some of the hotels received not so good reviews, so I was cautious as to what to expect in staying there. For one of the hotels, the reviews consistently said that it wasn’t the cleanest. I understand everyone has different perspectives as what is clean, but I always like to be prepared. After seeing several shows on what actually gets cleaned in hotels, I have started a cleaning and checking routine when I walk into any hotel room. Here is what I do:

1. Check the bed/mattress for bed bugs. I look for reddish coloration, tiny black marks, and yellowish small dots around the edges where the mattress is sewn. You can also move the mattress back from the wall to see if anything starts to move up the wall. Needless to say, if I see any of this, I immediately ask for another room.

2. Check the sheets. If there are hairs, discoloration, or any visible stains this to me is a clear indication that the sheets have not been changed since the last person occupied that room. It has been known for years that the top spread does not get changed between guests, but the sheets must be changed for me to stay in that room.

3. Check bathroom. There are several things in the bathroom that need to checked.

a. The shower/bathtub needs to be looked at closely. Is there hair in the drain still? Is there mold anywhere including on the shower curtain? Are the last person’s shower items still there?

b. I also lift the toilet set to see if there are any stains under the seat and also to see if the toilet bowl has been cleaned. There are many times I have walked into someone else’s “stuff” still in the toilet.

c. I check the towels to see if they are damp. They may not have been used by the last person, but were in there when they showered and got ready.

d. Is the sink area clean? Is there a new soap dish or is it a re-usable one? I also bring my own toiletries so I don’t have to worry about the ones they provide, but you should check them to see if they have been used by someone else.

4. Make sure the locks on the doors work. This sounds simple but I can’t tell you how many times I have been in a hotel room and the dead bolt to the door doesn’t work, or the lock on the patio door doesn’t work. I don’t take those things lightly, as anyone can easily get into my room when I am not there or when I am sleeping.

5. Clean all touchable items in the room. Once most of my checks have passed and I have decided it is a good room to stay in, I get out my antibacterial wipes or a nice cleaning wipe and start to wipe down all things that people touch. The remote control, the phone, any light switches, all door handles, mini-refrigerators, coffee-makers, etc. I try to wipe down as many things as I can especially when the kids are in the room because they tend to touch everything!

6. Check under the bed! Some beds you can’t check under, but the ones that you can you will find the most interesting things people leave behind. I check under the bed because I want to make sure there are no cleaning products stored under there or anything like old food. This can turn into a bad situation when you have kids who like to play on the floor.

These are a just a few things that I do to make sure that I have a pleasant stay at any hotels, and to make sure that my family and I are safe.

Photos by Mary Yohannan

I use a Travel Agent for the same reasons you do…

Mary Yohannan on

I use a Travel Agent for the same reasons you do…

I have not always been a travel agent. Before I was a travel agent, I used a travel agent to book my vacations. I needed help, support, and understanding of the “W’s.” Where, What, and WOW. I always wanted to make the most of my time while I was on the vacation, but for me the problem was that I didn’t have the time to do all the research.

I always knew where I wanted to go whether it was a region, country, or city, but I didn’t know the logistics of the best routes to get there, where to stay, what to see, and what was one thing that was going to WOW me while I was there. Now, when I say WOW me I don’t mean that I needed my adrenaline at the highest level. I just wanted one thing while on the vacation that for me to look at it, taste it, or feel it and I would say WOW. Something that would leave such an impression on me that every time I would think about it I would experience that same feeling over and over again. Even with all the guide books that I purchased, there was always one suggestion from our travel agent that gave us the WOW.

Today, I will still use a travel agent to book a vacation for me if it is a place that I have never been to and want to make sure I get the full experience. How do I find a good travel agent? If I don’t personally know someone who I met at a professional development conference, then I go online. A survey done in 2016 found that of those asked how they found a good travel agent, 47% of the people said online and 31% said through word of mouth. So how did they find a good travel agent online? There are many websites where you can put in your zip code and find travel agents in your area and who specialize in the area where you want to take your vacation. You may still get a long list of agents to weed through, but the best way to determine who is the best to work with is by their reviews.

Travel Leaders has a really good site where you can find travel agents in your area and the agents will list their specialties including European vacations, Australia, etc. It will also show you if they have any reviews. The reviews are posted by actual clients of those agents who have used them to plan their vacations. Another good place to look for honest reviews from clients is on a travel agency’s Facebook page. These reviews are posted by actual clients as you can see their avatars next to their reviews.

When I am reading reviews, there are a few key things that I look for. Do the reviews talk about making the planning stage easy or effortless. Do the reviews say that the person will work with them again. Do the reviews explain what the travel agent did for them. Do the reviews include any WOW’s that occurred while they were on the vacation.

As I always say, if you find a good travel agent DON’T let them go!

P.S. I would love for you to check out my reviews from all of my amazing clients…CLICK HERE

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling team, you are supporting local families and business. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

All inclusive resort, what does it mean?

Mary Yohannan on

What does it REALLY mean to an “all-inclusive” resort?

You found an amazing deal on a travel website for an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, so you decide to go for it. You get to the resort and it is as beautiful as the pictures. After settling
into the room you decide to head down to the pool for a nice refreshing cocktail. You order your favorite drink over the rocks and the bartender asks you if you want to charge it to the room. With a confused look on your face, you say you have the all-inclusive package, but the bartender tells you that it doesn’t include top shelf liquor. With the drink in your hand, you agree to charge it to the room.

You start to wonder what you booked with this deal vacation you are on. Is it just the top shelf alcohol that is not included? What other items, activities, food, drinks, etc will you have to pay for? Often when someone books an all-inclusive resort, they truly believe that they are paying for everything upfront including premium alcohol, food, activities, transfers, and resort sharing to name a few. Unfortunately, the term all-inclusive can sometimes mean more exclusive. All of this is usually explained in the fine print when booking the vacation, but when you think you are getting an amazing deal who reads the fine print! I know I don’t.

The truth is, if you want an all-inclusive resort then you really do want to pay for everything upfront. You have set your budget, and you want the food, drinks, transfers, activities, and resort sharing to all be included in that cost. You don’t want to have to pull out your credit card for any extras. But how do you know that everything is TRULY included in the pricing? Besides reading the fine print, look for key words when a resort is advertising. Sometimes you will read alcohol is included but that doesn’t mean premium alcohol. When it comes to food, the advertisement may say that the resort is a la carte, but if you wanted to eat at one of the specialty dining restaurants at the resort it may not be included in the all-inclusive pricing. Many resorts boast about their onsite activities including water activities, but have you ever noticed that they do no specifically say “motorized” water activities or games such as bingo. Be cautious when the wording says “some” activities “may be included.” Many times when you book your vacation you forget that you will need transportation to and from the resort. Transfers can be very expensive once you get to the destination, so getting them included in the package pricing upfront will help save you money.

Trying to find the best all-inclusive resort for your next family vacation, one where you won’t have to pay more out of pocket when you get there, can become overwhelming and exhausting. The good news is I am going to give you 4 nuggets of advice to help you make it easier:

1. Give up on the deal. The saying “you get what you pay for” is always TRUE and when it comes to all-inclusive resorts it holds VERY TRUE!

2. Sit down and figure out a budget like you would for any other vacation. When you have a budget to work with you will find many more resorts that are going to fit your needs, without having to get out the credit card on vacation.

3. Look for key words on the resort’s website that would indicate what is NOT included in the all-inclusive pricing. These words include: some, limited, a la carte, minimal fee, varying, typically

4. Call a travel agent. Why make it harder on yourself than you have to. Pick the destination and then let a good travel agent do the research on which resorts will fit your needs.

Don’t forget to tell your travel agent at Life is Better Traveling to give you a quote for travel protection when planning your next vacation.

P.S. Call me this year to plan your AMAZING All-Inclusive vacation. I guarantee we will plan the perfect vacation for you!

Are the Disney Dining Plans Worth Your Money?

Mary Yohannan on

Disney easily comes up in conversations with random people I meet, but when they find out I am a travel consultant they always ask me if the Disney Dining Plan is worth the money. I have read so many different opinions on various Disney blogs, Facebook pages, and travel agent outlets about people’s views on this subject matter. It seems like people are split, some love it and some say it is a waste of money. Well, we recently went to Disney and I decided to add the Disney Dining Plan to our package so I could see if it is worth it.

Before I go into if is it worth or not, I must explain that there are several dining plans available through Disney. Because of the variety, I am wondering if those who feel that the Dining Plan is not worth the money may have been talked into the wrong Dining Plan for their family, see chart below for quick reference. Why so many options? It is easy to understand, there are many cultures and different types of families that go to Disney so they are really catering to everyone. One family may say that a particular plan has too many meals for their family while another may say this is the perfect amount for us. I will tell you, that no matter which plan you choose for your family, it will be perfect.

For my family we choose the Disney Dining Plan which includes 1 quick service, 1 table service, and, new for 2017, 2 snacks per person per night of stay and 1 resort refillable mug. The refillable mug can be used at your resort. You cannot use this mug in the parks to get refills, but I will tell you that we did take our mugs along with us to the parks and asked for ice water, which is free. We then transferred our ice water into the mugs. With each table service meal, we were able to choose one entrée from the menu, one dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage. When you choose an entrée you are not limited to a select menu specifically for those on the dining plan. You receive the same menu that everyone receives and get to choose any of the entrées including steak or salmon. Dessert at Disney is fantastic! It is gourmet and no matter what you choose it will not disappoint.

However, having dessert every day could be a lot for some people, as it was for me. There is a little known fact that isn’t shared by the wait staff, but some restaurants now allow you to substitute your dessert for an appetizer. You have to ask your server when you sit down if this is one of the participating restaurants and which appetizers are included, but you may have an option of a salad instead of the that rich chocolate cake.

Quick service meals are just like the combo meals that you get at any of your local fast food places, and snacks include a variety of foods including popcorn, cookies, cupcakes, a banana, or the famous Mickey Mouse ice cream bar.

When you purchase a dining plan that has several table services with it, you must make your reservations in advance. You can start to make your dining reservations up to 180 days prior to your arrival date for the entire length of your day, but not to exceed 10 days of stay. What this really means is on the 179th day you can call to make your reservations. I would recommend calling to make your reservations. It is much faster and you will also be able to make any additional reservations such as Pirate’s League or any tours, all with one phone call. If you don’t make a reservation in advance, you could be told that the restaurant is full for the day or you may have a two-hour wait. A two-hour wait with hungry children is not fun for anyone!

So are you ready to find out if the dining plan is worth the money? For a family of four going to Disney for seven nights, who elect the Disney Dining plan, it is a little over $1000. (Now that is just for the Dining plan, not including park tickets or resort stay.) For four people on this seven day Disney vacation, it comes to between $33 to $40 per person per day. One character meal is around this same cost, so if you do one character meal you have paid for your entire day right there! Even if you are doing non character meals, your meal cost with entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage can easily reach the $40 to $50 range per person. When you look at the numbers you really see that you are paying for table service but getting a quick service meal and snack for free. I, personally, find that the dining plan is worth the money and saves me time when we are there. My meals are planned out, they are paid for, and everyone is happy because the food is so good.

Now, one thing you must know is that tip/gratuity is not included. The suggested tip is based on your total meal cost prior to deducting your plan. It is up to you, how much you want to tip unless you are a party of six or more than 18% is automatically added to your bill. When you receive your bill it will tell you how many of that service you have left. So if you had six table services to start and just finished eating, then your bill will show that you have five remaining. You can always get your entire amount of allotted meals from the concierge or guest services area at your hotel. It is important to note that meals do not roll over after your stay. If you don’t use them up you will lose them so I highly recommend planning out your meals for each day you are at Disney. Also, the meals are to be used at your discretion. If you want two table service meals on one day and two quick service meals another day, it is up to you how you use them, but again, use them up!

P.S. Call me this year to plan your AMAZING Disney vacation. I always recommend to start planning your Walt Disney World vacation 8 to 12 months in advance so we can start planning everything out for you.

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When to Buy Travel Protection…

Mary Yohannan on

You and your travel agent have been planning your vacation for several weeks. You have come to a decision and are excited to be putting down that initial deposit. You are done with travel planning for now, or are you? One last thing that your travel agent should be talking to you about at this time is purchasing travel protection for your vacation. You are probably not even thinking about travel protection, but I am here to tell you that you should be and this is the time to think HARD about it!

The pressure of purchasing it right after you just put down a large deposit can be too much think about, and I am here to tell you, that is OK. You don’t have to purchase the travel protection plan right away. Most travel insurance companies allow you to purchase travel protection up to a certain number of days prior to departure of your vacation. You will not receive time sensitive provisions, which we will discuss in a bit, but you will still receive good coverage. My recommendation is that you make sure you have made up your mind to purchase travel protection before final payment of your trip is due. At this point, you have had enough time to really think about the coverage you will receive and whether or not it is right for you and your family.

Most travel insurance companies offer a few BONUS waivers or time sensitive provisions if you purchase travel protection within in so many days of your initial deposit on your vacation. The most common two are:

Pre-Existing Medical Condition Waiver. What this typically means is that if you have had any medical conditions so many days prior to the effective date of your policy, then they would be waived and possibly considered a covered reason if you needed to cancel. Some travel insurance companies are 60 days prior to the effective date and others are as far out at 180 days.
Supplier default or insolvency of a supplier such as an airline, cruise line, tour operator, or other travel supplier.

You really are getting more coverage when you purchase your travel protection within the travel insurance companies requirements to get these time sensitive provisions.

Over 95% of my clients purchase some kind of travel protection to cover their vacation. The next time you get ready to book your vacation, I HIGHLY recommend that you add the amount of travel protection into your budget. It makes it a lot easier for you to make the decision to purchase it right away so you get the time sensitive provisions, and you don’t feel that it is an added expense. A good rule of thumb in figuring out this expense, is if you are under the age of 55 travel protection will cost you between 10 – 15% of your total vacation. If you are over the age of 55, travel protection will cost you between 10 – 20% of the total cost of your trip.

Don’t forget to tell your travel agent at Life is Better Traveling to give you a quote for travel protection when planning your next vacation.

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Let’s talk about what you get with Travel Protection, because you may be missing out!

Mary Yohannan on

You have been saving up your money for a few years to take your dream vacation. You are at the airport and the gate attendant announces the flight will be delayed due to mechanical issues. This delay causes you to miss your connecting flight to your final destination. Many hours later you get to your destination, and you slipped on a wet spot in the lobby landing flat on your back. You feel a pinch, and have trouble standing up straight and walking. At this point you wonder if the universe is telling you that you shouldn’t have taken this vacation, then you remember, YOU HAVE TRAVEL PROTECTION! You can use your travel protection to cover all of these weird occurrences.

Facts show that 17% of those who traveled had their travel impacted by medical problems, natural disasters like a hurricane, or mechanical/carrier caused issued which delayed their trip for more than 3 hours. When you have purchased travel insurance, also called travel protection, there are three main services that you are getting:

1. Medical Coverage

Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicad, do not cover a person outside the borders of the United States. Your credit card may have some medical coverage, but you may have had to purchase your trip with that card, and even then, the coverage amount is minimal. Hospitals outside of the United States will require a person to make full payment before they are allowed to leave the hospital, no matter how much the charges may be. This could lead to a financial hardship on the whole family. With Travel Insurance, you have several tiers of medical coverage and it can either act as your primary medical insurance or secondary medical insurance.

2. Travel Arrangements

There are many things that can happen including trip cancellation, trip delay, and trip interruption. Life happens and sometimes things happen right before a trip that forces you to cancel but the supplier might have 100% non-refundable cancellation policy. But your travel insurance doesn’t and you can recoup the cost of that trip not taken. Did you know that when you have trip interruptions you can be reimbursed for meals, lost luggage, and missed connections?

3. Concierge services

Most people don’t realize that travel insurance companies offer this service. Want to go golfing? Call the travel insurance company and they will set up a tee time for you. Did you forget to send flowers to your mother for her birthday before you left to go on vacation, call the travel insurance company and they will send flowers, balloons, or a cake. There are so many possibilities to use this service and it is all part of the plan you purchase.

Travel Protection is for everyone who is going to take a vacation or even a small trip. If your credit card offers travel protection, you really need to make sure you check what is covered, how much is covered, and if you need to have purchased your vacation with that card to get the coverage. Since becoming a travel consultant, I have been purchasing travel protection for myself and my family even when we take small trips here in the United States. Why do I do this? I know that it is there if I need to use it, I know how much I am covered for, and if I need any reservations somewhere I can call the concierge services to do it for me. Oh, and it also gives me peace of mind.

Stayed tuned for next week’s newsletter about knowing what you get when to purchase travel protection. Also, if you know someone who is about to take a vacation and haven’t purchased travel protection, please forward this email onto them and tell them to sign-up for my HIGH CONTENT newsletters about travel BELOW….

The Top 3 motivators for purchasing Travel Protection, which one do you say?

Mary Yohannan on

In my last newsletter I discussed the importance of making sure to give your friends, family, or neighbors a printed copy of your itinerary in case something were to go wrong on your vacation. It is great that they have this, but what do YOU have to protect yourself and your family when something goes wrong? Who are YOU supposed to call when you have to go to the local hospital or medical express station? Who do YOU call when you missed your connecting flight which also caused you to miss boarding your cruise?

Your travel agent should be there to help with you some of those concerns, but we don’t always know the nearest hospital or medical facility that will ensure your best well-being. When you have travel protection, the travel protection company is who you call!

Before 2001 only 10% of leisure travelers purchased travel protection. Since 2001, each year the amount of leisure travelers who have purchased travel protection has exponential grown. At Life is Better Traveling, 95% of our clients who book their vacation with us also purchase travel protection. Why do they book travel protection? There are three main reasons why someone purchases travel protection:

1) I want to cover my hard-earned money because the trip was expensive and/or I had to pre-pay a large amount.

2) My medical coverage does not exist outside of the United States and I want to make sure that I am covered.

3) I am nervous about unforeseen events occurring and I know that travel protection will give me the peace of mind I need.

I bring up three good points that most people will ask or say to themselves right before or right after they have purchased their vacation. I am sure even you have asked yourself one or more of these three things. With so many online travel agencies, airlines, and other suppliers making it so easy for you to purchase travel protection for your vacation purchase. They tell you all the reasons you should purchase it and it sounds so appealing to purchase it, but do you know what you are ACTUALLY getting when you press the shiny “Purchase Travel Protection” button?

Stayed tuned for next week’s newsletter about knowing what you get when you purchase travel protection. Also, if you know someone who is about to take a vacation and haven’t purchased travel protection, please forward this email onto them and tell them to sign-up for my HIGH CONTENT newsletters about travel at LifeisBetterTraveling.com.

Be prepared, 17% of American have this happen to them while on vacation

Mary Yohannan on

You don’t want to believe something can go wrong on your vacation, but are your friends, relatives, neighbors prepared if it does?

When your relative, close friend, or neighbor tells you they are going on vacation your instinct is to be excited for them. They usually give a few details about their upcoming amazing trip including dates, where they are going, and what they will be seeing. A few months down the road they call you to tell you they are leaving and you wish them safe travels. As you hang up the phone, you try to remember the details of the trip but come up short in remembering. You shrug your shoulders and say to yourself you will hear all about it when they get back.

The truth is, are you prepared if something does happen? Do you have any of the details including airline, hotel, cruise ship, travel insurance? Are you prepared if they called and told you they needed to you to call the travel insurance company?

In 2014 a survey was taken showing that one in six Americans or 17% of those who traveled had their travel impacted by medical problems, natural disasters like a hurricane, or mechanical or carrier caused issued which delayed their trip for more than 3 hours. Let me make the numbers sound larger, if we had a full Southwest flight of 143 people and 17% of them will have some type of travel issue, that means 24 people on this flight. How about a cruise ship with 3500 people? Almost 600 of those passengers will have some type of travel issue. That is a lot of people. The question is, is your relative one of them?

Even when your relative tells you the details they don’t really tell you the WHOLE DETAILED ITINERARY. If you don’t have the WHOLE DETAILED ITINERARY and you need to contact them, it can become a guessing game of where in the world are my relatives? Don’t let this happen to you. Ask your relative for the detailed itinerary and the information for the travel insurance company in case you would have to call on their behave. Life is Better Traveling always provides an extra copy of the detailed itinerary to give out to a relative, neighbor or close friend just by simply asking for it. We will not let your relative know what you paid for the trip, but they are given the details of which cruise ship, airline, hotels, and travel insurance.

So next time you or your relatives book a vacation, make sure to set aside some time to talk. Talk about the detailed itinerary and explain that you would like them to have this just in case, or why you would like to have it of theirs. No one ever likes to plan for “just in case”, but when you realize how high the number of people impacted is then it just makes sense. And remember that this extra itinerary is free of charge at Life is Better Traveling and we are always looking out for our travelers. Feel free to pass this email along to the people you think of while reading this!

P.S. I just had all my relatives in Europe the last two weeks and having their information on hand gave me peace of mind.

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