The Pampered Cruiser

Dream. Travel. Share.

Travel Disasters… and How To Avoid Them

You’ve probably long forgotten the 1997 film:  MR. BEAN – THE ULTIMATE DISASTER MOVIE.  The movie gave you a chance to laugh at Mr. Bean’s expense on his trip overseas.  There are ruined outfits, lost luggage, run-ins with law enforcement, destruction of priceless art, car crashes and ruined dining experiences.

Hopefully your next trip abroad is not as eventful.  Bob and I have had a few “disasters”, so you can have a laugh at our expense, and learn from our mistakes.  Here we go:

Typically our disasters fall into one of these categories:

  • Packing Errors (a self-imposed disaster, that can be easily remedied).  This is either forgotten items (like a charging cable) or OVERPACKING (a common mistake). 
  • “Attitude” Errors – most obviously thinking that things abroad should be exactly as they are at home (another self-imposed disaster — usually brought on by ignorance).
  • Airline Errors — these are overwhelmingly the most common disasters, and you have VERY LITTLE control over them, so often it becomes an “Attitude” Error. 

Here are some MITIGATING ACTIONS to avert travel disasters

  • Checklist for Packing:  It’s NOT your first trip (or your last), so why not learn?  I started doing this after paying $100+ because I forgot a charging cable for my laptop. 
  • Passport & Global Entry Card:  Bob and I ask each other “Can you put your hand on your passport?”  We annoy each other with this after having forgot a passport once.
  • Trip Interruption Insurance:  After a flight delay, we recently spent $500 on an airport hotel room, rather than sleep in the holding lounge.  It was worth every penny, but even better when I got a reimbursement check from my insurance.
  • Missed Flight (your fault):  We mixed up our flight TIME and our flight NUMBER – and missed the plane.  I threw myself at the mercy of the airline, and they were remarkably accommodating.  This was clearly my fault… so they didn’t have to do anything.
  • Missed Flight (airline’s fault).  If you choose to take out your disgruntlement with the airline on the clerk that’s there to help fix it – you’ll LOSE.  Summon as much patience as you can, and be as polite as possible with the airline personnel.  It may be their employers fault, but they’re paid by the hour to deal with people like you.  Can’t be fun. 
  • Travel Medical Insurance.  If you leave the country without this, you are taking a huge (and unnecessary) risk.  Many providers have APPs and you can access an English speaking doctor by video chat that can order prescriptions to a local pharmacy.  
  • Create a Time Buffer.  We always go a day or two early before catching a ship.  This takes ALL the stress of flight delays or other unforeseen disasters off the table.  It also allows us to adjust to the time zone before our trip really starts. 
  • Duplicate Important Documents:  Keep an image on your phone of your passport, Global Entry card, boarding passes, insurance documents etc. 
  • Split Your Luggage:  Bob and I take 2 suitcases… each one containing HALF of each of our things.  If one of them goes missing, it’s not a complete disaster.  
  • In-Transit Emergency Numbers:  Every now and then we wake up to a voice message from a panicked client who has had something go wrong.  Unfortunately if it’s 3.00 AM at home, we won’t be answering the phone.  This is why we send the 24-hour In-Transit Emergency contact details to you prior to your leaving.  

THE BOTTOM LINE – pack your patience and a sense of humor.  MOST travel disasters offer you very little control, and are somewhat inevitable.  If you do the things above, you’ll minimize, but not eliminate the potential for disaster.  At the very least, you’ll have stories to tell. 

Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED Podcast:

Check out our PODCAST where Kim & Bob talk about some of their travel disasters, and how they dealt with it:  https://youtu.be/H2BaiYu_ETM   

In Case You Missed It:

TRAVELLING WITH MOBILITY ISSUES.  Just because you can’t move as fast as you once did is NO reason to stop travelling: 

https://pamperedcruiser.com/travelling-with-mobility-issues/

UNIWORLD with RAIL EXTENSIONS:  Uniworld has a number of itineraries that you can add pre or post RAIL journeys to a river cruise:

https://pamperedcruiser.com/train-travel-uniworld/

QUIET SEASON MEDITERRANEAN:  You’ll need to wear a coat, but the shore-side venues will be MUCH less crowded than in the May to September peak season.  

https://pamperedcruiser.com/quiet-season-mediterranean/

Featured YOUTUBE Video:

CAPPADOCIA:  You’ve seen the HOT AIR BALLOONS floating effortlessly over the desert.  If you find yourself starting or finishing a cruise in Istanbul, consider taking this once in a lifetime pre or post trip to Cappadocia.  Here’s our video blog from our time there: 

https://youtu.be/m6L12POlFqU

Remember to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel while you’re there.  It really helps us, and we can produce more content for you!

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid0yK9pM9hJ3fNziEcRqG6pZAvzeNq818E1PdnVC2oUR7fgvMJ5f3GZSteCiaMG4yXVl

Today’s Travel Opportunities

SEACLOUD – Salt-Water River Cruise

These small ships (holding between 60 and 136 guests) compare more closely with a River Cruise, than they do with ocean cruises.  Imagine visiting charming little port stops (like a river cruise), with a small group (like a river cruise), but only having to unpack once, with a first-rate culinary offering.  

Greek Isles (Athens round trip), departing July 17th/24th/or 31st 2026 (7 nights) 

Costa Rica & Central America (Panama City to Cozumel), departing Mar.13th 2026 (12 nights)

Learn more about Sea Cloud here: https://youtu.be/fy7Kfd1i3ZQ 

UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER COLLECTION

UNIWORLD has an early booking discount of up to 20% for 2027 departures.  Here’s the full list:

https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2027-early-booking-savings

RIVER & RAIL Combinations with UNIWORLD

UNIWORLD has some pre/post river cruise RAIL trips.  RAIL trips are much like river cruises, in that you get to see a lot of different things, but only unpack once. 

TURKEY to FRANCE: Istanbul to Paris for 15-days

  • Board the train for 6-nights starting in Istanbul, and then travel through Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and France.  Transfer to your river boat, and spend one-week aboard sailing to Normandy, and back to Paris
  • Departures in May, September or October 2026 from $24,398

ITALY to TURKEY: Milan to Istanbul 20-days

  • 3-nights in Slovenia (Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Postojna), then to Venice for 7-nights on the ship, then to Trieste to board the train, where you’ll travel through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Bulgaria before entering Turkey, and finishing in Istanbul for 2-nights.
  • 2026:  April 30, August 20, or September 24 from $25,498

Here’s UNIWORLD’S webpage on RIVERS & RAIL:

https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/cruise-and-rail

EXPLORA JOURNEYS – European Luxury Lifestyle Voyages

With a great culinary offering, a unique entertainment concept and brand new ships, Explora Journeys is worth a try.

CARIBBEAN round-trip from Puerto Rico on March 11 for 15-nights

  • Visit San Juan, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Maarten, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Martinique, Saint Kitts & Nevis. 
  • Veranda fares from $7990

MEDITERRANEAN: Athens to Venice for 14-nights

  • Visit Athens, Patmos, Istanbul (overnight), Bodrum, Mykonos, Syros, Paros, Corfu, Hvar, Rijeka, Venice.
  • Depart July 27 from $8700 or August 14 from $9150. 

EXPLORA I SHIP TOUR VIDEO: https://youtu.be/LHjAS0JKCQ0 

EXPLORA ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT: https://youtu.be/9ELX0zxNjZ0 

REMOTE EXPLORATIONS with HX

If you’d like to see some places off the beaten path, HX can get you there in comfort.  You can also travel on the world’s first hybrid-electric cruise ship.  See our ship tour video here:

https://youtu.be/1L_ByDqhGR0

ANTARCTICA round-trip from Buenos Aires for 12-days, with 5-days of landings

  • Includes flights to/from Ushuaia (from BA) to board the ship.
  • Departures November through March from $10,221

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS and Quito for 9-days

  • 2-nights in Quito, then fly to Galapagos (included in fare) for 6 nights.  Visit Mosquera Inlet, Santa Fe, South Plaza, Santa Cruz, Charles Darwin Research Station in Port Ayora, Espanola Island, Eden Islet.  

If you’re unsure if an EXPEDITION CRUISE is right for you, here’s an interview we did that addresses that: https://youtu.be/niB-OWhUSSs 

OCEANIA Smaller Ship Exploration

Oceania has a strong focus on the culinary experience, and position themselves between the Premium cruise lines and the Luxury Lines: 

ALASKA round-trip Seattle departing July 2 for 12-days

  • Visit Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Wrangell, Klawock, Victoria
  • Verandas from $5299

ICELAND round-trip Reykjavik departing July 24 for 10-days

  • Visit 7 ports in Iceland, as well as 2 port calls in the Faroe Islands
  • Veranda fares from $4699

Oceania has changed the inclusions offered in the base fare.  If it seems like they just did that… you are correct (but it was a year ago).  Your Oceania fare will now include:

  • Onboard Gratuities
  • Specialty Dining
  • Unlimited Wifi
  • Choice of Beer/Wine with meals OR Shore Excursion Credit

LAND CRUISES with TAUCK

ATLANTIC CANADA:  Round-trip from Halifax for 10-days

  • Visit the famous lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, see Lunenburg (a UNESCO site), witness the 38 foot tides at the Bay of Fundy, visit Saint John, do a Lobster Cruise on Shediac Bay, enjoy Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island, see the site of Anne of Green Gables, travel Cape Breton Island, and stop in at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site (this Scottish-born Canadian invented a lot more than just the telephone!)
  • Departures June through September from $5990

MICHIGAN and Mackinac Island from Traverse City to Detroit for 8-days

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online, by phone, or on board.  Our clients worry that if they book on-line, that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation (even if you booked ON BOARD).

We’ll check over your reservation to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, and we will also add some onboard credits that are not available on direct bookings.

We can add at least $100 per person onboard credit to any direct Viking reservation made in the last 60 days.

There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).

If you recently booked a Viking Cruise, please let us know as soon as possible.

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Hi There!

My mission is to help my clients accomplish the dream experiences on their travel-related 'bucket lists'.  Often, that includes a small ship cruise.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sue Bradley

Weekly Newsletter

Cruise Articles and Travel Opportunities, delivered straight to your in-box.

Join Me on Social Media

The Pampered Cruiser

The Pampered Cruiser