Tips for Staying Healthy While Taking a Vacation on a Cruise Ship

Posted on on May 26, 2015 by Insurance Services of America in Blog

Contagious illnesses often spread among passengers on cruise ships. These tips will help you to stay healthy so that you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest extent possible.

Three Tips for Staying Healthy While Taking a Cruise

Many people enjoy the convenience, comfort and ambiance that a cruise ship vacation entails. From the on-site entertainment and activities to the spectacular views and endless dining options, you may be naturally drawn to taking a cruise for your next vacation. Before setting off on your trip, you’ll want to arrange for US citizen travel insurance and take a few other precautions to reduce your chances of getting sick while away from home.

Get Vaccinated

Many contagious illnesses that spread through cruise ships can be avoided by getting vaccinated before you leave home. Your physician, health department or a travel health clinic can determine which shots you need based upon your health history and the risk factors associated with your destination. Some common travel vaccinations include hepatitis A and yellow fever.

Taking Preventive Medications

If your cruise includes stops at certain destinations, you may want to get a prescription for preventive medications. Many of these medications need to be started in advance of your travels. Anti-malarial drugs may be needed if you’re visiting destinations in South America or Africa, while anti-parasitic medications may be needed for tropical ports of call. Your doctor can help you make an informed decision about whether or not you need these medications.

Hand Washing

Careful hand washing is the single most important action for you to take while aboard the ship. Wash your hands for 30 seconds in warm water with soap before and after eating, after using the bathroom and after returning to your state room when you have visited a public area of the ship, such as a game room or a lounge chair on the decks. In places such as the ship’s casinos or theaters, you may want to bring along a travel sized bottle of hand sanitizer, which can be used to kill germs on your skin when it isn’t convenient to go to the restroom to wash.

Helpful Tips for Long-Term Travel

Posted on on May 19, 2015 by Insurance Services of America in Blog

Traveling overseas for an extended period of time can be a rewarding experience as long as your health and finances are in order before you leave.

Long-Term Travel Trips for Those Headed Overseas

If your dream has always included living overseas, you have most likely researched ways you can fund your journey, such as teaching English or volunteering. No matter which country interests you the most, your trip can be as stress-free as possible, as long as you remember to take care of some important things before you leave.

Get Your Finances in Order

Protecting your finances is the most important aspect of your trip. You should look into purchasing long term travel insurance, developing a banking strategy and apply for an international debit and credit card. Search for cards that feature cash back rewards, do not charge for currency conversion and do not charge ATM fees.

Take Care of Your Health

If the country you are visiting requires immunizations, keep in mind that the process may take anywhere from one to six months. Some shots must be given days or even months apart from others, so plan accordingly. A great online resource is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, which regularly updates the immunization requirements for different countries. Depending on which shots you will need, you may also want to allow yourself a recovery period in case you experience any side effects. You might want to schedule dental and vision exams as well because it might be more difficult to take care of overseas.

Other Considerations

You should back up any important documents and either hire a service to securely store them, or leave them with close family or friends. Make copies of your credit cards, passport and immunization records, in case yours are lost or stolen during your trip. If you choose to use a service to maintain your documents, you can usually assign a beneficiary who will be able to access your files in case of an emergency. Don’t forget to forward your mail as well, and contact any financial organizations and ask them to switch you to electronic billing if preferred. Let your loved ones know how you will keep in touch with them, whether it is through email, Skype or Facetime. This will allow them to install any related apps and obtain your identification before you leave.

What Travel Coverage Do You Need For An International Trip?

Posted on on May 12, 2015 by Insurance Services of America in Blog

With so many types of travel insurance plans available, you might be struggling to determine which one will best fit your needs for traveling abroad. With these descriptions of the most beneficial types of international travel coverage, you can get a better idea of what you need.

Types of Travel Insurance Available When Going Abroad

While you plan for your next international trip to go smoothly and without a hitch, there’s always a chance that it won’t go as planned. Without international travel insurance, you could end up stranded in a foreign country because one leg of your trip was canceled or because there was some kind of catastrophe. You may even end up without your belongings or incur steep medical expenses if you don’t have the proper coverage. Having a travel insurance plan that covers all of these risks can save you stress and money.

Trip Cancellations

The biggest concern with a majority of travelers is that their trips or part of their travel could be canceled. When you prepay for a trip, you risk losing that money, becoming stranded or both if something bad happens. Travel insurance for trip cancellations reimburses the prepaid costs. The coverage typically applies when you are sick or injured, called for jury duty or have to work during your travel period. It is also usually applied if your travel supplier enters bankruptcy, a terrorist incident occurs in your destination, a hurricane results in flight cancellations or damage to your destination, and many other situations that are out of your control.

Medical Costs and Emergency Evacuations

While health insurance covers individuals for medical emergencies in the United States, this coverage isn’t extended abroad. Since there’s no way to ensure that an accident or emergency won’t arise, medical expense travel insurance covers the cost of any dental and medical care that you need while traveling in foreign countries or on foreign cruise ships. If an accident becomes serious enough for you to need emergency evacuation, such coverage is also available and pays for the cost of medically equipped airlifts to a hospital or home.

Lost Bags and Delayed Flights

Although not as big of a concern as travel cancellations and medical needs, there is a small risk that your bags become lost or that your flights are delayed. Coverage for lost bags will reimburse you for personal belongings if your luggage is damaged, lost or stolen. If there are flight delays that mean you have to pay for an extra hotel night or meals, travel delay coverage will typically reimburse you for these additional costs.

Adjusting to Normal Life after Taking a Life-Changing Vacation

Posted on on May 5, 2015 by Insurance Services of America in Blog

You may have had a checklist of things to do before you took your vacation, but here is a checklist of how to get back to your normal routine afterwards.

Getting over the Vacation Blues

If you are a planner, before you took your two week international vacation you most likely had a pre-made checklist of items to remember, ordered travel insurance for American citizens, lined up the perfect house-sitter and researched for the best deals before booking a hotel. Taking your dream vacation can be one of the most exciting experience of a lifetime, but you most likely did not plan for how to adapt to the drag of coming back home and settling back in to your everyday routine. Here are some simple tips that might help you replace your vacation checklist with a getting-back-to-life one.

Before You Return

Jet lag can be awful, especially if you have never recovered from it before. Use that last day overseas to take in the views, close your eyes and relax. If possible, enjoy some alone time. You can go to the countryside or the beach and listen to the sounds of nature. Try to get plenty of sleep that last night as well; chances are that you will find it difficult to sleep the entire plane ride home.

Find Unique Ways to Stay Connected

If you took a trip to Italy, play some Italian music or go out for an Italian dinner. Host an Italian-themed party for your friends, complete with the appropriate décor and ambience, and show them pictures from all the places you visited. Keep the memory alive by recreating the most memorable events from your trip throughout the year, then begin to proactively dream about where you might go next!

Prioritize Your Tasks

If you have been out of the country for a week or two, your email and texts will most likely be backed up. Prioritize, and only respond to the most important ones, and let all the others know you will contact them as soon as you can. Find ways of keeping yourself from being overwhelmed, and only focus on the things you can get done in a single day. If it’s possible, delegate any tasks you need additional help with. Take a deep breath, and realize that it will only take a little bit of time to adjust to normal life.