Even the best laid travel plans can be thrown off course by natural disasters, pandemics, and any other unexpected occurrence.

A recent trip with my daughter was blown completely off course by Category 4 Hurricane Delta. (See previous post here.) Though not my first time experiencing a change of plans or an emergency during travel, this particular adventure reminded me of a few very important lessons.

Top tips for preparing for and surviving the unexpected

1. The most important is purchase travel insurance prior to departure. In situations such as natural disasters, most travel insurance policies will cover cancellation and trip interruption as long as it was not a ‘known event’ at the time of purchase. I suggest purchasing a policy to cover all your travel components and companions. Should the absolute worse happen that may leave you ill or physically harmed, a good travel insurance will jump right in to help direct you to the nearest medical facility and cover medical expenses. When reviewing and choosing the best policy to fit your needs, you will want to be sure they are a 'primary’ insurance provider. Most are secondary which means they won’t assist or pay until you have worked through any other possible providers such as your medical insurance and credit card policies.

2. When traveling to an area that is prone to severe weather during select seasons of the year, ask your travel agent to clarify the hotel or resort’s policies for emergency preparedness. Do they have a shelter onsite or offsite? Do they have medical professionals on staff? When faced with a Cat 4 hurricane, our resort transported all guests inland to a catholic church to shelter the storm. They had doctors there for anyone who had medical needs. Food, drink and safe shelter was provided.

3. Stay calm! In the case of an emergency, cancelled flight, or any other travel inconvenience, your membership status means nothing. Trust the staff and personnel to do their jobs; everyone will be taken care of. Remember that honey is more attractive than vinegar. Smile, be kind, and show grace to those in charge of the situation.

4. If traveling in a foreign country, find other travelers who speak your language. It will be much easier to press through the debacle and stay calm with new found friends at your side. Also, safety can be found in groups. Having one or two people speaking to those in charge on the behalf of the entire group may help bring attention to needs faster than several individuals standing in line.

5. Find the bright side. I’m a huge believer in the power of positive thinking. You can sit around running through all the worse case scenarios building up your anxiety or you can find something good in a negative situation. Often times, there will be so much out of your control so keeping a positive mind set will help you through the waiting process.

6. Your travel agent is working for you through it all. One of the biggest benefits of using a travel agent, is that he/she will work on your behalf to resolve misunderstandings, schedule changes, and more. Obviously, there is only so much your agent can do in certain natural disaster situations but be assured he/she will be in communication with all your vacation providers (airline, hotel, tour operators, etc) through it all. It’s nice to have less to worry about and know someone has your back.