When the Unexpected Happens
By Kenni Rich12.24.19
You have planned, invested and counted down the seconds to your vacation. You have the matching shirts, the perfect itinerary, your bags are packed, and you are ready to go! During the planning process you were asked about adding the Travel Protection Plan and you turned it down, thinking that you wouldn’t need it because you have been planning this vacation for quite a while. Unfortunately, trip interruption, hurricanes, lost baggage and illness choose to show up at the worst times. How do I know? I speak from experience.
Long before I became a travel agent it was my family’s dream to go on a Land and Sea vacation with Disney. What is a Land and Sea vacation you ask? I consider it the ultimate Disney vacation, where you combine the magic of Walt Disney World along with the perfect balance of a Disney Cruise Line. I started planning our bucket-list vacation through a fellow Wishes Family Travel agent in June 2018. During the planning process she asked if I would like to purchase Travel Protection Plan. After speaking with my husband we decided that we would. We are a military family, currently stationed close to Orlando. Due to his job we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to go through with the trip since a lot can happen in year. Hind sight, I am so thankful with the choice we made, and will always purchase Travel Protection. You might be asking, “what happened during our trip?” I am happy to share!
Prior to our cruise we decided to enjoy six days in Walt Disney World. Everything was perfect! The crowds were low, the scorching June sun wasn’t so scorching, and everyone was having a magical time. Mom win! The day before we drove to Port Canaveral, we enjoyed Magic Kingdom for one last time, but throughout the day my son’s voice became hoarse, he wasn’t bouncing around as much and he kept telling my husband and I that he had a sore throat and a headache. We decided to visit the First Aid center to get him some ibuprofen, and within 40 minutes he was feeling much better. Thank goodness! We went on enjoying our day until 1am; little did we know that he was going to continue to feel unwell throughout our cruise and give us a scary moment.
The following day was the moment we had been waiting for, cruise day! We sailed through security and customs, and quickly boarded the Disney Dream. Our jaws dropping, it was a dream come true on many levels. My son was feeling a “little better” and we were enjoying our first Disney Cruise. Through all of the firsts and all of the joy I couldn’t help but notice my son was a little sluggish. We thought he was tired because we stayed out late the day prior. As soon as we were able to go to our staterooms I pulled out the thermometer (I travel with a mini pharmacy) and took his temperature. It was reading 100 degrees. In my gut I knew something was wrong but he kept saying he was fine. Our first official day we arrived in Castaway Cay, we were thrilled to experience the island! Nothing could go wrong. After sandcastle building, snorkeling, and lounging my son fell asleep on the lounger. He was lethargic, dark circles under his eyes, felt warmer and was unable to walk from the beach to the tram that took us back to the ship. I mentally prepared myself that we were going to have to fly home when we docked in Nassau. Once we got back on the ship my son, who is 8 years old, he slept for three hours! I kept taking his temperature and it registered at its highest, 104 degrees and he was breathing as if he had sprinted an entire marathon…twice. My husband and I both knew that he needed help. Our daughter was still napping so my husband took our son to visit the doctor onboard. The doctor gave him an antibiotic and towards the end of our cruise he was feeling better. Once we returned home we met with his pediatrician and he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Thankfully, he has fully recovered and has expressed that he needs a redo cruise.
Why travel protection? Because if you are seen onboard by a doctor you have to pay for the services out of pocket. That could be hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on your diagnosis. As soon as we arrived home I filed a claim and we were reimbursed for our visit.
Purchasing travel protection is a personal decision. As an agent, but most importantly as a mom I will never vacation without it.
I would love to help you plan your next Disney vacation! Email me at kenni@wishesfamilytravel.com for a complimentary quote.
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