Vacationing with Peace of Mind
December 14 will be forever etched in my memory. On that date we were to embark on the Carnival Paradise for our long-awaited Christmas cruise. The packing was done and boarding passes printed out. Little did we know that such was not to be.
Three Weeks Before Departure
I was working in the lower field and had the dog with me. Being the hound that he is, he sniffed his way across the field, to the fence and then under it. To get him untangled I had to get down on my hands and knees and reach under the fence to pull him out. I felt a muscle in my back complain but thought nothing of it at the time.
Seven Days Before Departure
Well, that muscle in my back got worse and worse to the point that I could not use my right leg. I made an emergency appointment with my doctor and got two shots along with some pain medication. At that time, we thought that that would be the end of it. Nope.
Two Days Before Departure
I could not walk. The sciatic nerve had flared up so bad that my right leg was useless. I cancelled the cruise. What a horrible day that was. The cruise line assessed a 100% penalty so there would be no refund. The only thing that saved the day was the travel insurance I took out when I booked the cruise. For an approved medical reason, you can get our money back, and we did!
Moral of the Story
Actually, there are two. The first is, be careful with your back! The second is, protect yourself with travel insurance. We always carry it because we know that our medical insurance will not cover anything outside the USA. Never did we think that we would need it prior to departure!
Bucket List Advice
Vacations can be costly, especially if you have a large family or are traveling outside the USA. Be prepared for the unexpected. In medical emergencies, trip delays or cancellations, travel insurance is your best friend.
Article by: David Anderson – Gramps Travel
gramps_travel@yahoo.com
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