Travel disasters can come in nearly any form, turning your vacation into a giant headache in a hurry. For example, losing your luggage before or during a trip can cause delays and waste time. So can failing to plan your trip (or to plan it well), as can taking shortcuts to save money that actually cost you in the long run.
Other travel problems may involve the timing of your trip. Arriving too late for a cruise, missing your flight or a connection or forgetting to check your passport ahead of time can create some huge problems for your vacation that can cost time and money to resolve.
With that in mind, we asked travel agents from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) for some of their best strategies to have an enjoyable trip and avoid the myriad issues and inconveniences that can occur. If you want to have the best possible vacation with limited hassle and stress, read on to hear what these travel professionals had to say.
Travel Early Before a Cruise
When people are planning a river cruise or ocean voyage with a set departure date, some like to leave things to chance and fly into their port city the morning of their departure. But, what happens when your flight is canceled or delayed? You can easily miss your cruise, and no, your vessel is unlikely to wait for you or anyone else.
That’s why cruise planner Jen Rosa says you should always leave extra time in your plan just in case something goes wrong. Specifically, Rosa suggests flying into your departure city two days in advance if possible.
“If you can’t do it two days before, at the very least fly in one day before,” she said.
