Vacation Planning - Be Ready For Emergencies
In thinking about this month's theme, a recent vacation nightmare (and solution) came to mind that I'd like to share.After 4 cruises, I figured I had packing down to a science. Yet there we were in New Orleans on a Saturday getting ready to sail on Monday for the West Caribbean…when I realized that my passport was at home! After frantic calls, walking my neighbor through the house and into our safe and hiring a special courier (at great expense), the passport arrived on Monday at 6:37am. Here are some things I’ve done since then...
- Prioritize packing list by importance then category– Put “must haves” at the top and then the general categories. Pack these first and sign off on your checklist before you leave.
- Strategic placement of important items – None of us expect the worst…but it’s good to plan for it. Have an emergency folder placed in a convenient area that contains extra keys, family & work contacts, special medication and other instructions. If an emergency should happen, it’s good to have one place to locate critical information.
- Have a digital and written copy of important trip details – We are so dependent on technology but even this can fail. As a backup, keep important things like reservation numbers, flight details, prescriptions and contact information in both written and digital format, just in case.
- Have a “second choice” for hotels, etc.– what if the hotel is unacceptable, you missed your connection or there is an issue with car rental company? Keep the 2nd and 3rd choices you might have researched as a backup. Also, most airlines, hotels and car rental companies have free membership rewards programs. Sign up for them! Both for the points and the priority consideration it may give you in emergency situations.
We'd love to hear your emergency preparation plans!