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A Whale of a Good Time at Dana Point

I live in northern California, but travel regularly to Anaheim for my son’s hockey games.  While we usually have a tight schedule, we always try to fit in at least one fun family activity for my daughter’s benefit.  Last year, we visited the Long Beach aquarium, which was really fun despite being much smaller than my beloved Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Southern California sunset
SoCal sunset 

Since the Thanksgiving tournament fell late in the month this year, it overlapped with the beginning of the gray whale migration. I have been hearing that marine mammal sightings along the California coast have been exceptional this year, they’re having a feeding frenzy due to unusually high numbers of anchovies.  Passengers on whale watch cruises are being treated to some of the best shows in decades, amazing even experienced marine biologists.

While everyone else headed out shopping on Black Friday, we headed to Dana Point, only a half hour drive from our Anaheim hotel, which took us through San Juan Capistrano, with its famous mission and sparrows.  We booked a 2 hour whale watch tour with Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching, and I was a little concerned as we woke to a pretty good rain.  But by the time we arrived for our mid-afternoon cruise, the showers had stopped.  It was still cloudy, but I consider these perfect conditions for being on the water, as overcast skies make for more dramatic pictures, and there’s less glare off the water. 
SUP at Dana Point
Paddleboarder at Dana Point
Whale watching tours are available year round, as different types of whales have different migration seasons. And many marine animals including dolphins, sea lions, and the elusive orcas can be spotted year-round.  I even saw a great white shark on Dana Wharf’s sighting log for October!  Gray and humpback whales migrate between December and March, traveling south to Mexico in winter, then heading back north in the spring. We heard that the migration had started early this year, and in fact Dana Wharf had spotted their first gray whale a few days earlier, so we were optimistic as we headed out. 
The boat was very comfortable, with plenty of seating at tables on the top deck, and even more indoor seating below.  The main deck also had space to walk entirely around the ship, so there was always a good vantage point. A small galley offered grill items such as hot dogs and hamburgers, hot and cold drinks, and a good variety of snacks including popcorn, chips and fruit roll-ups.   The water was very calm so the ride was smooth, and the captain kept up an interesting and educational conversation.

Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whalewatching
Ready to cruise with Dana Wharf
Our first stop was a buoy loaded with sea lions, and nearby a large bull entertained us with water acrobatics.  I am always amazed how these creatures can hurl themselves several feet out of the water to get on solid ground (or metal, in this case).

sea lions on buoy at dana point
Catching some rays

It wasn’t long before the captain announced that he spotted a gray whale, and he quickly turned the boat to follow it.  We cruised slowly as the whale swam parallel to the coast, dipping in and out of the water and giving us a good look at the barnacles on its back. Fortunately for us, it was a “fluker.”  Each time it went into a deep dive, it gave us a nice flip of its fluke before disappearing for 5-10 minutes.  

gray whale fluke
A whale watching highlight
It went on like this for over an hour, until it was time to head back to the marina.  While we enjoyed the views of the coastline and snacked on warm popcorn, one of the crew members came by with a chart of marine mammals, so we could learn more about the whale we had been watching and ask questions.
Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel shoreline
(Ritz Carlton on the bluff)

I am eager to go whale watching again soon, as every trip is different and you’ll never know what you might see. As we get further in the season there will be more whales, and they’ll be traveling closer to shore with their babies as they had back north.

Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching is located at Dana Point Harbor, which has plenty of free parking plus many shops and restaurants. Tickets for the Catalina Express can also be purchased there, which I hope to try out on another visit.  The Catalina Islands are just a 90 min boat ride away, making it an easy day trip or weekend getaway.
Just a few miles north of the harbor is the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, a fantastic resort for families any time of year.  It’s perched on a cliff, so it offers stunning ocean views, and quick access to a nice beach.  The hotel was decorated for the holidays, including an elaborate gingerbread display.  

Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel gingerbread display
Huge gingerbread display!
Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel Holiday Surfboard Auction
Surfboard Auction

We also enjoyed looking at the custom-painted surfboards lined up for their annual holiday auction to benefit Surfers Healing, an organization that helps people with autism experience surfing.  Virtuoso amenities for my clients are daily breakfast, an upgrade based on availability, and a $100 resort credit.

Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Gorgeous full ocean views

Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel beach
View of beach from the resort

This Ritz Carlton was one of the first resorts to offer the award winning Eco Adventure Program, created by Jean-Michel Cousteau, which offers unique excursions for children and families to showcase the area’s natural wonders and promote environmental responsibility.  In fact, on our whale watch cruise, two Eco Adventure staff members were escorting a family as part of their whale education program.  The program is being expanded to more resorts, including Dorado Beach (Puerto Rico), St. Thomas, and Grand Cayman.


For help with planning a fun family getaway, just send a note to suzette@family-treks.com.

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A Guide to Tour Guides

The adage “You get what you pay for” is very true when it comes to booking sightseeing tours and guides.  Not that it means the best guides are the most expensive.  But in general, paying extra for a private guide ensures you’ll have a more enriching experience.  A good guide is not only an expert in their field, they are better trained at customer service, they can personalize a tour to match your interests, and can even make adjustments on the fly based on the weather, the crowds, or even your kids’ mood!  And private means all their attention is focused on you, no waving your hand amidst a crowd, trying to get your question answered.

Many times a run of the mill group tour is really all you need for a particular attraction. Want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower without waiting in line, then sure, book the relatively cheap Skip The Line tour. But planning to visit the Louvre, Vatican, or Pompeii?  Look at these quotes from  tour guides in a recent article on Conde Naste Traveler:
 
“We can do the job in our sleep.  What sounds spontaneous on a tour is completely rehearsed.”
 
“Americans are probably the kindest and most generous people we work with.  They’re happy with everything we show them.  But because of that, some guides take them for granted, treat them with laxity, and don’t give them the fullest experience.”
 

Now, compare this with testimonials from my clients for whom I arranged private tours:

“Our guide for the Louvre in Paris, Robin, was absolutely fabulous and made the tour so interesting and memorable for the kids.  She was incredibly passionate about her work and knew so much about absolutely everything at the Louvre as well as Versailles.  It was an unbelievably rewarding experience and my kids still ask if we can see Robin again after two years.”
 
 

“The tour you booked for us was an unforgettable experience.  Our driver was also the owner and he has a zoologist/botanist background, so he was able to fully entertain the kids on the long drives with lots of facts about Australia and its flora & fauna…Thank you so much for everything you did to help us with this vacation.  It was such a great experience!”

And from a colleague’s client:

“From the minute we arrived in Istanbul we were in the safe hands of our fabulous guide. The days in Istanbul were planned perfectly and his knowledge of all the sights we visited was over the top.  We learned so much from him, and also went to the most delicious restaurants where he knew the clientele and we were treated like royalty!   Our visit there was so enriched by [his] knowledge and connections…  I actually cried when I had to see him go, and our four daughters wanted him to join us for the remainder of the trip on our gullet!  We had not only had the best Turkish tour guide in the world, but we had gained a friend.”
 

A guide book, a group tour, or even a free walking tour* are often perfectly fine.  But for sights that are crowded, historically or culturally significant, or are of high interest to you, definitely consider splurging on a private tour.  Do your research or work with a travel professional to find a guide that is the best match for you.  If you have young children, you’ll appreciate a guide who is good at engaging and entertaining kids, it’s worth every penny in a hot & crowded museum!  Hotel concierges can help for last minute plans.  But I have heard of not so great experiences with some of their recommendations.  I will only book my clients with companies I know will offer outstanding & reliable service.
 
* A word of caution:We booked a free tour of a residential neighborhood in Paris, just to try it out and get some insider tips from a local. Two days before we arrived, she emailed to say she had broken her collarbone and had to cancel.  She offered to set us up with another guide in a different location, with another family, but we declined.  We couldn’t complain, it was free after all, but we were disappointed.  I was glad this wasn’t a “must do” item on our list.

No matter where you plan to travel, consider adding a few hours with a private guide to your itinerary.  Just give me a call and I can help you sort out the options, so you can have a memorable family vacation.

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The Newest Way to Travel in Italy

Last April, a new high speed rail service called Italo started operating in Italy, run by Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV). The Ferrari-red trains offers service from Venice to Rome (stops in Padua, Bologna & Florence) and from Milan to Salerno (stops in Bologna, Florence, Rome & Naples). 

 

At at a recent presentation by Rail Europe, here’s what I learned about Italo:


– All employees speak English.

– It’s completely ticketless. 

– They have 3 classes of service (they call it “ambience”): Smart (2nd), Prima (1st) , and Club (Premium 1st)


Club ambiance
Prima service

– Free WiFi is available in all cars.

– It stops at different stations than Trenitalia trains.  In Rome, the station is further from the city center, but it connects to the airport and the Spanish Steps by subway. 

– The power units are distributed under the cars, not located on the end cars like – traditional high speed trains.  This gives a smoother and faster ride.  For example, Italo takes 2 hrs to get to Milan from Rome, where Eurostar takes 3 hr.

– All stations have ‘Casa Italo’, a comfortable lounge with easy to use self-service ticket machines, a welcome desk, and free WiFi.



Casa Italo

– They have vending machines on all trains.

– Baggage lockers are available where you pay 1 EU to secure a cable around your luggage (and it’s returned after you retrieve your bags).  The luggage storage area is also monitored by security cameras.

It’s fun and easy to travel by train in Europe, but it can be a little confusing.

For help planning a great vacation to Europe, by train, plane, or cruise ship, contact me at suzette@family-treks.com
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My Secrets for Getting Connecting Rooms

One of the most common requests from families when planning their vacation is connecting rooms.  It’s often because they are a family of 5 or more that can’t be accommodated in a standard hotel room.  But sometimes even smaller families just want extra space and privacy.  And suites with a separate bedroom are often more expensive than two standard rooms.

Most hotels and resorts will not guarantee connecting rooms, they will simply note it as a request.  They do give preference to families with young children.  But it’s still stressful for parentsif they won’t know until check-in if they will even have adjacent, much less connecting, rooms.  (Important note:  “Adjoining” does not necessarily mean connecting.)

Here’s what I do when connecting rooms are a “must have” for a client.

Recommend a hotel that offers connecting rooms as a specific room category.  Several all-inclusive brands, such Karisma, AMResorts, and Club Med actually list connecting rooms as an option to book (may be referred to as a 2 room suite), and often for less than the cost of 2 rooms.  These are usually located in the “family section”  of a resort, so it’s not recommended as a way for 2 couples to shave costs while traveling together.
 

Azul Sensatori, Riviera Maya


Recommend a hotel that will block connecting rooms for families at the time the reservation is made.  In Hawaii, the Grand Wailea will guarantee connecting rooms for a $50 per night fee.  Hyatt Resorts worldwide has a policy of blocking connecting rooms for families with children age 12 and under for no fee, if they are available.  If kids are older, then connecting rooms are “on request” only. 



Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa, Kauai

Reach out to a supplier who has personal contacts in my client’s destination.  This might be an independent sales rep, a wholesaler, a tour operator,  maybe a small local company with whom my agency has developed a strong relationship. (Some are so small they don’t even show up on TripAdvisor, so you have to be “in the know.”  And some only work with travel agencies.)  I network at trade shows with sales reps and hotel managers, and some offer to personally block rooms for my clients.




Hotel Hassler Roma
This route works particularly well when booking hotels outside the US.  I actually find it easier to book rooms for large families in Europe than in the States!  And I have learned that some hotels don’t even show “family rooms” on their websites, you have to contact the hotel directly.  And that assumes you even know this particular room type exists.



Rubens at the Palace, London

Recommend a Virtuoso property or other luxury brand where we have preferred agency status. Nothing beats the relationships we have with Virtuoso properties, or brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, etc.   If connecting rooms are available, they almost always block them for my clients.  And as a bonus, my clients  receive extra amenities such as complimentary breakfast and resort, dining, or spa credits.

Four Seasons Costa Rica
The Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe – All 1 bedroom suites
connect to a double queen room

Sometimes despite my best efforts, a hotel will not confirm connecting rooms in advance.  In that case, I offer a different guarantee to my clients.  I will leave no stone unturned in finding the most influential person at the hotel who can personally review my client’s reservation, and do everything possible to honor their request.  And I also guarantee no travel website will make that offer.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai – 95% of the rooms are connecting
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Pack Like a Pro

Last week I attended a local travel professionals meeting, which included a presentation on how to pack for a trip.  Though everyone in the room was a seasoned professional, one of our associates has packing down to a science, and we all took away some good tips.

Here are my notes on the tips I found most helpful:

The first thing I noticed was a brightly colored, wide, elastic sleeve, called a luggage hugger, around her roller bag.  This served two purposes:  luggage identification, and a backup to the zipper, in case it broke during travel.

 
She recommended vacuum bags to maximize storage, but pointed out to get the ones where you roll the bag, not vacuum it out, as you probably won’t have access to a vacuum at your destination, or a vacuum with the proper hose attachment.

Packing cubes can turn your suitcase into a “chest of drawers.” Use separate ones for shirts, pants, undergarments, toiletries, first aid supplies, and then you’ll never hunt for items again. These are especially good for trips where you are moving from hotel to hotel frequently. I am terrible about throwing all our clothes haphazardly into our suitcases when changing hotels, and then having to dig through them to find what I need. So I intend to invest in a set for our upcoming trip to Alaska, which is going to involve a lot of moving around.
 

 

For cruising, or other trips where you only have to unpack & repack once, arolling garment bag is ideal because it can hold suits and dresses without wrinkling them.

Soft sided duffel bags are good for destinations like Africa where you have to cram bags into small planes.

Clothes wrinkle when they slide in suitcases, so don’t pack them in plastic dry cleaning bags.  Eagle Creek has a great packing system to help fold clothes neatly & compactly, and keep them from wrinkling.  
 
 
If traveling by train, a cable lock is handy for securing larger luggage which has to be stored in racks away from your seats.
 
And both of us never go anywhere without our travel power cord, as hotel rooms never have enough outlets for all our phones & electronics.  Note that you can’t just take any power strip from home when traveling internationally, you need to buy one that is dual-voltage.  Mine has three regular outlets and 1 USB outlet.  For domestic travel I also have a nightlight with 3 outlets.
 
 
 
Here are websites where you can purchase travel clothing and accessories:

Luggage & Accessories: Magellans and Eagle Creek

Clothing: TravelSmith

Travel size products including toiletries, medications, food, and more:  Minimus

While I can’t pack your bags for you, I can help you design the vacation of your dreams, and advise you on what to take along.  Just contact me at suzette@family-treks.com!

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Europe Car Rental Tips

Here are some great tips from Auto Europe when renting a car overseas.  I use Auto Europe almost exclusively for my clients because they have great rates that are fully refundable, and they stand by their product.  They represent many car rental companies, so if you run into trouble at the counter, you can contact customer service 24/7 for immediate assistance.   And best of all, clients prepay in US dollars, and the rate is guaranteed against currency fluctuation (see last tip below).

Before You Go

Check if your personal homeowner’s, credit card, or auto insurance provides CDW coverage, and if so, the limits and any restriction on vehicle makes or models.  However note that in some countries, such as Ireland, Italy, and Turkey, third party coverage is not accepted.  You can also add coverage for rental cars to your travel insurance policy for reasonable rate.

Make sure you have a large enough vehicle for passengers AND luggage, especially if you will be driving between hotels often.

Check if an international driver’s license is required in your destination.  Even if it isn’t, the small fee to get one can be worth the peace of mind & time savings in case you are pulled over by an officer who is not fluent in English.


When You Arrive

Make sure you understand the rental contract you are signing.  You can request the rental agreement in English from most of the larger companies.  If you do not want extra insurance, make sure you do not sign for it in error at the counter.

Inspect the interior & exterior of the vehicle before departing, and take pictures with your phone. 

Check what kind of fuel the car uses, gas or diesel.  Most car companies provide a full tank and you are expected to return it full.  But make sure you understand the conditions so you don’t fill the tank and then also get charged for a full tank.

Make sure you have the numbers for roadside assistance.  If you’ve rented from Auto Europe, you can also call them toll free 24/7 with questions or to request assistance.


When You Return Home

Hold onto receipts for at least six months.

Check your credit card statement.  Most traffic violations are captured by camera & sent by mail.  If the rental company receives a citation, they’ll automatically charge your credit card.

Check the exchange rate on the day of your rental. If the exchange rate is higher than when you booked the car, you may be entitled to a refund.  If it’s lower, you saved money!


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The Most Important Question to Ask When Booking a Vacation Rental

Having rented private vacation homes for over 20 years, and having owned our own for the last five, I offer one piece of advice for families looking for a vacation rental.

Ask this question:  How often do the owners use the property themselves?

Whenever possible, I only book a property that is used frequently by the owners, or is checked upon regularly by them.   That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a property manager, but they should not rely on a third party to be the sole eyes and ears on their home.

These are some of the benefits to the renter:

 – You’ll likely find a fully equipped kitchen, including appliances in good condition, lots of utensils, matching dishes.   Because we frequently spend holidays at our cabin, our renters will find everything they need to prepare a complete holiday feast. 
 

(And hands on owners are also more likely to decorate their homes.  Even if we won’t be using our cabin over Christmas, we’ll make a special trip to decorate it for our renters.)

 
– There will probably be a well-stocked  pantry including a good variety of seasonings and staples like sugar, cooking oil, etc.

 

– There are often extras like coffee grinders, good bar ware, a mixer, toaster oven, etc.  You don’t realize how useful cheese graters are until you’re missing one when you need it!

 

–  Better chance of having comfortable furniture and plenty of pillows and blankets, plus nicer home décor overall and relatively new electronics.  Good quality patio furniture (including sufficient chairs)  and a working grill are a must for warm weather destinations. 



–  Better maintenance overall, which means less chance of an unexpected problem. Nothing ruins a vacation faster than a broken dishwasher or wonky TV or DVD player.  Property managers only fix things if they are told they are broken, and renters often don’t speak up.  A hands-on owner is going to notice the little problems and fix them before they become big ones.

 –  In ski cabins, owners often have plenty of racks for hanging up wet clothes and mittens by the fire, trays for collecting snow melt off boots, and a supply of good quality firewood.  Especially important when traveling during winter is an adequate emergency supplies including batteries, lantern, and candles.

 

If the owners have kids you will probably also find plenty of games, toys, puzzles, books, and family movies.


Remember, nobody will take as good of care of a home as its owner.  So that’s a good reason to book through a property management company or a professional travel advisor, so you can ask very specific questions about the care and upkeep of the property, including how often the owners are on site.  

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5 Most Commonly Misunderstood Travel Terms

Adjoining rooms don’t actually join. – “Adjoining” means adjacent, or next to one another, not connecting. This is one of the most popular requests from my clients, especially when they are traveling with young children. In general, hotels will not guarantee room requests like this in advance, though there are a few that will guarantee connecting rooms for a fee. I have a very high success rate of acquiring guaranteed connecting rooms for my clients at Virtuoso properties and other luxury hotels, because of our agency’s great relationship with them.

The Goring Hotel, London

Direct flights aren’t always faster. – Frequent fliers know that a “direct flight” does not mean that the plane goes directly to their destination. It just means they don’t have to change planes, which is more convenient than a connecting flight, but not necessarily faster.  If you are looking for the shortest flight, make sure it’s nonstop.
Time for my beauty sleep
Ocean view does not mean a great view of the ocean. – As long as you see water from any vantage point, a hotel can get away with calling a room “ocean view.” Even if it means you have to stand on one edge of your balcony & lean way over to see just a sliver of water through the trees. Some hotels break down their room categories very precisely, offering everything from partial ocean view to oceanfront. But if the hotel doesn’t offer anything but ocean view rooms, that probably means there is a wide discrepancy in views, and it’s the luck of the draw when you check in. In that case, I request that my contacts at the hotel hand pick my client’s room to ensure the best location & view.

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Double has double meaning. – A “double” room can mean either that it sleeps two people (in one or two beds), or it has two beds in the room and can sleep up to four. Nor does it indicate what size the beds are. Whether a room has a double, full, queen, or king size bed is very important to many travelers, but this can be one of the most frustrating pieces of information to obtain. I don’t rely on website room descriptions to tell me everything I need to know, I talk to my contacts to find out exactly what my client can expect in their room, and ask them to guarantee their bedding request.

Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe

And my personal pet peeve:

Suites are not always as sweet as you think. – When clients tell me they want a suite, they usually mean they want a private bedroom, with a door separating the sleeping and living areas. But this is not necessarily what you get when you book a “suite” through a website. Hotels frequently use this term to refer to an oversize room with a seating area, what I would call a “junior suite.” I check floor plans or ask my contacts at the hotel to make sure I my client is getting exactly what they want.



Four Seasons Las Vegas


Instead of wasting your time trying to navigate through confusing, and possibly misleading, information on the internet, give me a call to help plan your next family vacation.  If I don’t  have accurate information at my fingertips, I know exactly where to get it. You deserve to have your vacation dreams come true.

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Top 5 Paranormal Hotel Hot Spots

Experience this season’s top paranormal tourism hot spots and rub elbows with century-old ghosts! Here are five hotels that really get into the “spirit” of Halloween, including two Virtuoso member hotels.

The Grove Park Inn (Asheville, NC) has had a ghost roaming its halls for over half a century. She is referred to as the Pink Lady because of the flowing pink gown she wears. It is believed that this young woman was a guest in Room 545 in the 1920’s and that she either jumped or was pushed to her death in the Main Inn’s Palm Court, five floors below. New reports of her sightings still occur, especially by young children. Some say they just see a pink mist, others a full apparition of a young long-haired beauty in a pink gown.

La Posada de Santa Fe (Santa Fe, NM) has a rich history dating back to 1882 when a Santa Fe Trail merchant, Abraham Staab, built it as a three-story Victorian mansion for his family. When Julia, Staab’s wife died in 1896 at the age of 52, her presence continued to live on throughout the home. Today, the Staab House at La Posada de Santa Fe retains its original structure and is home to a cozy bar and Suite 100, which used to be Julia’s bedroom. To honor her, the hotel staff makes sure to invite her to parties held in the house and greet her when they enter her bedroom.

The Homestead (Hot Springs, VA) is one of the oldest resorts in America (built in 1766) and has a long history including reports from the 14th floor located in the resort’s oldest wing. As the story goes, in the early 1900’s, a woman was set to be married at The Homestead but on the day of her wedding her husband-to-be ran out and never returned. The bride became so distraught that she took her own life. Now her spirit roams the 14th floor of the resort asking guests and staff for the time with hopes her groom will return.  Families take note, the resort just opened Allegheny Springs, a 2 acre waterpark including two 100-foot water slides and a 400-foot lazy river.

** VIRTUOSO AMENITIES**
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily buffet breakfast for two
$100 Outdoor Activities credit

Omni Mount Washington Resort (Bretton Woods, NH) hosts the ghost of Caroline Foster, the wife of railroad tycoon and the resort’s builder, Joseph Stickney. Visions of an elegant woman in Victorian dress are often spotted in the hallways of the hotel, but perhaps the most common sighting of the beloved Caroline is in room 314, where guests report seeing the vision of the woman sitting at the edge of their guest bed. This year, guests can get in on the scares with a new Haunted Canopy Tour offered October 26 and October 27 where you can zip through the trees during the early evening hours and expect to be spooked by ghouls, goblins and more.

Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort (Antigua) is an all-inclusive luxury resort located on the private island of Jumby Bay which takes its name from “jumbie,” Antiguan colloquial for “playful spirit.” In Antiguan culture, it is considered taboo to pass by graveyards at night for fear of becoming entrapped by Jumbies, spirits of persons who have become trapped in a state of limbo or purgatory who remain near their grave sites until they have served enough time to earn a place in heaven. The small island of Jumby Bay has an old graveyard near the main beach dating back to the 1700s.

** VIRTUOSO AMENITIES**
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
$100 Spa services credit


To learn how you can have the family vacation of your dreams (rather than a family vacation nightmare), contact Suzette at suzette@family-treks.com.

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My Travel Insurance Story

I always recommend travel insurance to my clients, mainly to cover nonrefundable expenses or penalties should they have to cancel or cut short a trip. But many travelers don’t realize that this insurance provides other benefits as well, such as coverage for medical expenses or medical evacuation. There’s even a 24 hr customer support line for emergencies like a lost or stolen passport, or last minute changes to travel plans.


I buy travel insurance for almost every trip I take, including this summer’s vacation to Oahu. Fortunately I didn’t need to cancel or change our plans, but my Travel Guard insurance policy turned out to be beneficial anyway.

On our second day enjoying the beautiful beach at Disney’s Aulani Resort, my husband went swimming with his iPhone in his pocket. Which did not have a waterproof case. So we quickly added one more excursion to our list: a trip to the AT&T store for a new phone. Fortunately he had the phone long enough that he was eligible for an upgrade rather than having to pay full price. But it was still an expense we hadn’t planned for.


When we got home, I remembered we had the insurance policy and looked up baggage loss. It said cell phones & other electronics were covered for up to $150 per device. And there were no restrictions for being careless, clumsy-minded, or simply having a middle-aged moment!

I just had to send in some paperwork: a summary of what happened, a diagnostic report from AT&T saying phone was dead, an estimate to replace it, and a ‘denial of coverage’ letter from our homeowner’s insurance (since the baggage portion of travel insurance is secondary coverage).

A few weeks later, I received a check for $149, which more than reimbursed us for the $113 we spent on our Travel Guard policy.

I have to mention that later on the trip, my son ALSO went swimming with his phone. Since it wasn’t a smartphone, AT&T gave us a new one for free in appreciation for our customer loyalty, so we didn’t submit a claim. However we could have received up to $150 towards a new phone for him as well, since the policy covered up to $1000 for baggage loss. That also included things like lost, damaged, or stolen items, as long as the appropriate reports have been filed with the police, the airline, etc.

As you can see, even one little incident like this can make a travel insurance policy worthwhile. I have to admit, it’s more likely that my family will dump a beach bag filled with electronic gadgets off a boat than cancel a trip last minute. But since insurance policies are so reasonably priced, that alone makes it worthwhile. And the peace of mind that comes from knowing thousands of dollars of travel expenses are also protected is priceless.

If you have questions about travel insurance, please contact me at suzette@family-treks.com.  I can assist you with selecting the right policy for your needs, no matter how you’ve made your travel plans.

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