No matter how travel-savvy one might be while planning a trip, be prepared for the unexpected.
As a travel writer, I’ve experienced my share of bumps in the road while traveling, but my latest month-long itinerary taught me not to be complacent. Part work and part leisure, this trip entailed a 16-day transatlantic press cruise, ending in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. A few days, on our own, in Amsterdam, then a leisurely cruise back to the states on the Queen Mary 2.
Seven days into the cruise, we got sick. We always travel with Covid 19 tests and, yes, our results were positive for the virus. The ship’s medical team confirmed the results and current protocol requires five days in isolation. Our symptoms were mild, as we had been vaccinated and boosted, so, when we got the OK to leave our cabin, we grabbed our masks and rejoined the fun.
Our time in Amsterdam went well, without incident. At our advanced age we watch every step we take, avoiding falls, and manage to walk miles around the city, make use of the mass transit system and cruise the canals. Unfortunately, our luck ran out on the next leg of our journey.
We took the EuroStar fast train to London’s St. Pancras Station. However, we needed to get to Waterloo Station to catch the South Western Railway to Southampton. Always the penny pinchers, we chose to take London’s Underground, which proved to be a big mistake when lugging large suitcases. One of the connecting stations did not have a lift which meant dragging our baggage up a steep escalator. Maneuvering proved a challenge and, in a split second my husband fell backward, tripping over his bag.
At the top of the escalator it was obvious he needed medical help, as his hand was bleeding profusely, and an attendant jumped right into action. An off-duty doctor, who worked at Wembley Stadium, stopped to help. Realizing my husband was going into shock, he helped stabilize him until a paramedic arrived. Long story short, it was obvious he needed to visit the ER for stitches and, upon getting his color back, it was decided he could walk.
The pramedic led us, along with his bicycle, and the cursed luggage, the 2 blocks to the hospital. Within 3 hours he received 6 stitches, a tetanus shot and a box of antibiotics, all at absolutely no charge. The Nurse Practitioner and aides were so pleasant and helpful, one even offering us “a spot of tea, luv.”
We made it to Waterloo Station, where we spotted an attendant driving a cart meant for those needing assistance. Well, we must have looked quite needy, as she whisked us and our luggage to a station agent who promptly approved us for the next train. We were driven to the door, unloaded our luggage onto the coach, and made sure we got a seat. Arriving late to our boutique hotel, Elizabeth House, we were welcomed with open arms and, once again, found a spot of tea, waiting in our room.
The next morning, while at breakfast, looking forward to a relaxing 7 days at sea, I saw an email pop up from Cunard. What I read almost gave me a stroke. On the morning of departure, we were being told that the cruise had been canceled, due to technical difficulties with the ship.
Several of us gathered in the lobby of the hotel, holding our phones in disbelief. We slowly realized that we needed to find another way to get back to the U.S.
Luckily, the hotel was able to keep us for a couple more nights until we were able to secure passage home. This is where a Travel Advisor would have been very helpful. We also had technical issues with our phone, unable to make a call. It was a stressful mess but the manager helped us out and we managed to secure a flight.
Of course there had to be one more glitch. While purchasing the ticket for the flight, my addled brain entered the wrong birth year for myself. This caused my not being able to check-in the day before the flight. It took 3 people, hovered over a computer, 30 minutes to finally figure out how to change my birth year to match my passport. Luckily, we had gotten to the airport early enough to catch our flight to Dublin, where we connected to Orlando.
Lessons learned from our ordeal:
First: Be fully vaccinated and boosted against not only Covid 19, but make sure your Tetanus shots are up to date. The virus is still out there.
Second: Follow my own advice and connect with a travel advisor, who could have acted as our concierge and handled the flights.
Third: Even though the medical issue did not cost anything, future costs will most likely occur, so always purchase travel insurance.
Fourth: Make sure your phone issues are worked out. We had difficulty with our provider’s roaming system and bought the wrong SIM card, not allowing us to make calls.
Fifth: Check and double check the information you give while making flight reservations.
Sixth: Don’t lug huge suitcases through the subways, call a Taxi or Uber!
It all worked out in the end due to the help of amazing people. Travel renews my faith in humanity, but it might take a bit before we get on an escalator again.
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