The Emotions of Travel
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
This has been a roller coaster year for travel. Sadly, many have faced great hope of fun travel, exciting experiences and a great trip, only to have their hopes and plans dashed by the pandemic.
From a personal perspective, in most years we help 40--60 or more couples travel. In 2021, our final count will be 8, yet many more were booked and had to cancel or delay their plans.
The emotional toll of this is hard to put into words—we like to make dreams come true, not ruin them. We feel this very deeply since there is little we can do but emphasize how sorry we are, try to move quickly to avert financial loss and provide the hope of a new trip experience to continue the dream.
Perhaps one of the hardest things we face is when circumstances beyond our control force us to make changes.
Even more devastating, besides the emotional loss, is when it also turns into a financial loss.
So, let’s explore together and learn about the emotions of travel and maybe some tips to limit financial loss in the uncertain travel environment we are faced with at present. The tips are from a previous blog I wrote earlier this year and updated but seem even more relevant now.
The Emotions of Travel
We all love to dream. Most of you can close your eyes and imagine a better place than you are presently experiencing (unless you currently are on a great vacation or at an awesome event).
Often it is travel you dream about—getting away, experiencing new places, the sights and sounds, the food and wine, the iconic buildings and spaces, and expanding your knowledge of the world.
Here is a radon sample of pictures showing some of the dreams listed above:
Inside the walled old town of Tallinn, Estonia, Anne captured in this photo a small tranquil alleyway. It is quite a contrast to the stark walls that surround the old town area.
How about a parade? Can you hear the music and drums pounding as costumed folks in the tiny country of San Marino march and play at noon?
The traditional way to make funnel cakes at a Christmas Markets stall in Budapest, Hungary. I’ll bet you can imagine how good this sweet treat is!
Even the nobility had to escape their duties of governing. This is the wonderful rose garden of Bamberg, Germany, located in northern Bavaria.
A spectacular picture of the city of lights, Paris France. Can you see yourself here?
Maybe you would like to visit the best palace ever built. This is the entrance to Versailles, France with the throngs of visitors who come here to see this opulent palace.
I think going to Europe, just makes you want to visit or see castles. Often they are located on impressive cliffs like Bled Castle overlooking Lake Bled in Bled, Slovenia.
The Acropolis of Athens built from 495-429 BC, is a symbol of Greek legacy and the foundations of democracy. Can you imagine walking the grounds that ancient civilizations utilized?
I think there are two emotions of travel—Anticipation and Expectations.
One of the best part of travel is your anticipation of going on a trip and the expectations of what you will experience. Even as I write this, my mind often drifts to going on a river cruise, or visiting Europe or our upcoming trip to Egypt. There is so much to see, do and experience, that 50 years’ worth of travel is just not enough—I want more!
Anticipation is excitement about something that is going to happen. The key word is excitement. Our curiosity is endless—will it be fun, boring, memorable, dull or just average? Our minds are such a powerful thing—mankind has created such amazing things and better ways to live because we used our brain power.
Anticipation for Anne is Brugge—her tranquil spot in Europe to enjoy this medieval gem.
Now you should go and see what has been created or preserved to witness the amazing achievements and places created on our planet.
Expectations are a strong belief that something is going to happen. The key word is belief. We believe that an upcoming event or experience is going to be fun, boring, memorable, dull or just average.
I always expect to eat well in Europe and this is visual proof I usually do! Here is a Christmas day feast in 2016 Anne and I shared with our travel chums, Denise and Mark Thomas.
Our goal as travel advisors is to help you get travel experiences that exceed your expectations. While this is usually possible, sometimes circumstances change so drastically, risk factors of travel exceed the anticipated benefit of a trip.
Travel Does Have Some Risks
In a perfect world, there never would be a problem when you travel—all would work seamlessly.
However, that is not the real world. First, let me say I am the guy for who the glass is always half full, not half empty. I accentuate the positive and minimize the negative.
Yet, this environment is different—currently in Europe, the risks at some locations outweigh the benefits of a visit but this should abate in 2022. We have advised 4 clients to cancel their Christmas Markets river cruise trips in December, as the quality of the trip is not worth the benefit of just going—most Christmas Markets have been canceled, there will be minimal port stops on the traditional Upper Danube route. It sure is a lot of money to pay to spend most of your time on a ship instead of enjoying the amazing destinations on this route.
At the very minimum, we all (our clients and us) will suffer an emotional loss and some financial loss. We also canceled our Europe River Cruise on the AmaMagna on the Danube but we are still planning to go on our Egyptian River Cruise.
10 Prudent Steps to Get Your Confidence Back to Travel Safely in the Future
We hope that some of these steps you were already doing as savvy travel folks, but if you haven’t, now is the time to implement these 10 steps.
1. Travel Suppliers are facing daunting challenges right now but those with enough money resources and are efficient operations will survive and do well. More than ever, your choice of the right vendor is essential. Some, even the best, will make poor decisions that will impact you. We will continue to vet them, and honestly let you know who to use and who to avoid. We will also advise when to cancel, even if it results in a financial loss of commissions for us.
2. Don’t go it alone or try to use on-line travel agencies or booking sites. Many have found a real live person can respond or will respond—the horror stories of the fall out of cancelled trips just has reaffirmed our profession. The main reason you will never see a booking engine on our website is exactly for this reason—we need to talk to you and really learn who you are and what you want in your travel plans. Again buyer beware—use the right person who matches your travel ideas and styles.
3. Always use a credit card unless you know exactly why another form of payment must be used. The only time we have resorted to wire transfers or check payments is with vendors who have a sterling reputation.
4. Buy travel insurance but know exactly what you are trying to protect. Look for exclusions that may render the policy useless to you. Supplier travel insurance that is offered by a third party supplier must be carefully examined.
5. Take a hard look at penalties, cancellation fees and supplier cancellation policies (often called contract of carriage). Recent events have made this once usually glossed over detail, really, really important now. Buying from online vendors with non-refundable rates to save money is just too risky right now, or anytime really. We can’t emphasize enough to carefully read the Terms and Conditions of the vendor. One of our ways to help you is to clearly point out some key items and make sure when you make a deposit or full payment, you understand you have accepted the supplier’s Terms and Conditions.
6. Review the safety measures all the vendors have added to their products. Realistically assess your risk. We will be glad to help here.
7. Review the risks of the places you want to see. Again, realistically asses your risk along with any travel advisories and warnings. Also look at the quality of the travel experience—is just going since you want to get away, worth a poor quality trip? I guess, it goes without saying, we can help here also.
8. Let’s recognize and thank the folks who clean our rooms, prepare and deliver our meals, help to protect us during our travels whether as a captain, pilot, cruise director, travel guide, housekeeper, waiter, and others—the front lines are the folks who will ultimately ensure our safety. Maybe give them better tips when it is appropriate. Also, don’t blame them for decisions beyond their control just because they are making the best of poor vendor decisions. Remember, you chose to go in these difficult times.
9. Don’t deny your dreams for fear—address the problems, assess the risk and then take a leap of faith when the time is right but realistically asses if it is the right time—don’t worry, we again have your back.
10. If you have cancelled plans, carefully consider a future travel credit versus a refund. There is no right answer here for all. We are available to advise you on the advantages and disadvantages of your options. Many vendors are providing increased benefits if you take the waiver. Any refunds will take time to process (if even available) and there are some disputes ongoing right now, to include legal action against some vendors.
My Final Thoughts
It is sad I had to write this, yet we are very hopeful this is the last time we will have to honestly report the downside of travel. Trust me, it will get better and pretty much get back normal.
We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.
When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.
Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50+ years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
