Stargazer Travel LLC

07/18/2024

🎄CHRISTMAS IN JULY
Windstar Cruises
Book any Europe cruise departing through March 2025 and receive:
complimentary All-inclusive package featuring Wi-Wi, unlimited, wine, beer, and cocktails, and gratuities
Double discounts of 10% for Yacht Club Members.
An onboard credit of up to $500 per guest

PLUS Reduced deposits on all 2024 sailings. Must book by July 31

Or how about Uniworld River Cruises
It’s not too late to save on your next big trip for 2024! We’re here with a special Christmas in July gift in the form of a flash sale on select fall & winter cruises. Book two guests for the price of one on an all-inclusive luxury river cruise.
Christmas in July Flash Sale" offer requires payment in full at time of booking and is valid for new, individual bookings on select 2024 itineraries, departure dates, and stateroom categories only

07/09/2024

Good article about the value of travel insurance

What to Do When You Get Hurt or Sick on a Trip

If things go wrong on a trip, you need to know about insurance, air travel, and medical care. Here’s how to navigate the situation, who to call, and what to ask.

Comprehensive travel insurance plus a medical evacuation program are a key combination for travel safety.
Comprehensive travel insurance plus a medical evacuation program are a key combination for travel safety.
Sometimes things go wrong on a trip. Sometimes you break a leg, get sick, or have a severe medical emergency—and in some cases, you’ll have to go to a local medical facility or a hospital. Like most things in life, it’s best to be prepared in advance, because even with travel insurance, the process can be stressful and tricky. Here’s what you need to know, who to call, and what to do when you get hurt or sick on a trip.

What kind of insurance do you have?
What your travel insurance can do for you depends on what kind you purchased (and you should purchase travel insurance). If you bought a “comprehensive policy,” it’ll cover emergency medical bills, trip interruption, and trip cancellation, to some extent. However, if you opted for emergency medical coverage only, the policy will address medical bills, but it won’t reimburse you for lost hotel nights, changed flights, or the cost of canceling the trip.

“By far, the most claims we get, and the most paid claims, are from illness and injury during a trip,” says Jenna Hummer of Squaremouth, an online travel insurance marketplace with research and comparison tools. “[Travelers] want to file a trip interruption claim because they don’t want to pay for their resort or the rest of the trip. That’s where it can be very helpful to have the whole package. You want to be covered medically of course, because you don’t want a $50,000 medical bill, but you want to be covered for your trip costs too—and that’s where a comprehensive package comes in.”

What coverage does your insurance provide?
All medical coverage options do the same thing, albeit to very different extents depending on the policy and the coverage amount you purchase. “Point blank, get at least $50,000 in medical coverage and $100,000 in medical evacuation,” says Hummer. “The premiums can be low depending on your age.” If you’re taking a cruise or traveling to a remote location, Squaremouth recommends going even higher: at least $100,000 in emergency medical and $250,000 in medical evacuation.

Those numbers may sound intimidating, but remember that the coverage amount is not the policy cost. Squaremouth estimates that you can expect to pay between 5 and 10 percent of your insured trip costs on a travel insurance policy. Different companies use different algorithms to determine that price, but it is generally based on age, trip length, policy type, total trip costs, and total coverage amounts. Hummer wants travelers to know that a more expensive policy does not mean a better policy. “Many travelers will rule out a policy just because it’s the cheapest, but in many cases, the cheapest policy may have the same amount of coverage as a more expensive plan,” she says. “When shopping for a policy, first decide how much coverage you need for your trip and then compare plans to select the least expensive policy with the best coverage for your needs.”

Whatever insurance you get, take the time to review coverage, requirements, exclusions, and emergency procedures before you travel (and call for clarification if you need to). Then carry a copy of the policy with you, either printed out or downloaded onto your phone so that you can access it without internet, and keep the policy number and 24/7 hotline number on a piece of paper in your wallet. Give a copy of the information to a travel companion and, if you’re on a guided trip or tour, to the company as well; if you’re the one injured, you may need someone else to be the communication point person with medical care and insurance.

What can your insurance do for you in the moment if you get hurt or sick on a trip?
As soon as you’re able, call your travel insurance or have a companion do it. Hummer says, “All the policies we sell, and most good policies, come with a 24/7 emergency contact line that can help you in a number of ways—mostly medical emergencies, but some can also help if you lose your wallet or passport. Have your policy number ready, tell them what happened, and ask, ‘What does my policy cover?’”

The representatives will tell you what’s covered and the paperwork you’ll need to submit a claim. That usually includes statements from doctors about what happened to you, the care they provided, and the cost of the treatment; an accident or police report if the police were involved; and all receipts. That’s why it pays to call ASAP; it’s easier to get that information while you’re still in the clinic or hospital than after you arrive back home.

Some travel insurance companies have a network of recommended medical providers and/or a telemedicine feature.
What else can insurance help with, besides bills?
Money isn’t the only reason to call your travel insurance as soon as there’s an incident. Some companies have a network of recommended medical providers and/or a telemedicine feature. In an email, Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA, explained that for Global Allianz customers, “Travel insurance medical assistance may include the Assistance team working directly with medical providers, assisting with transportation arrangements, and/or assisting in locating medical services at the customer’s destination. Concierge services may also be useful in finding lodging and transportation for customers while they, or a traveling companion, are being treated.”

Note that not all insurance companies have a network of recommended medical providers (and feel free to ask about that when you’re shopping for a policy), but almost all will have a 24/7 hotline that can help you in the event of an emergency. Don’t buy one that doesn’t.

When you call an insurance company, find out what’s covered. This information will already be in your policy, but representatives can help parse the small print and clear up any confusion. As Hummer explains, most policies have a set amount they’ll cover and established parameters for what’s included: “So, typically, if you go to a hospital because you had an emergency reason, you should have an allotted amount that you should know beforehand.”

However, preexisting conditions aren’t usually covered (unless you add that to your policy). And, she adds, “There are things called ‘common exclusions,’ like if you’re drunk when you fall. If the doctor said it looks like you were drinking, and they put it on the report, then that injury would not be covered. But if it’s a covered reason, it’s a covered reason.”

What is medical evacuation coverage and how does it work?
Medical evacuation is an important piece of the insurance puzzle that travelers need to pay attention to when putting together their insurance and emergency plans. The key thing to understand is that, in travel insurance speak, “medical evacuation” does not necessarily mean being evacuated to your home country—or even to a hospital of your choice in the destination where you were injured.

”Medical travel insurance is primarily responsible for getting you to a facility that can treat you,” says Sheri Howell, vice president of communications for Medjet, a global air medical transport and travel security membership program. “If that facility is in a foreign country, they’re only going to move you farther if you can prove that it’s medically necessary. So unless you can prove that your hospital at home is the only hospital capable of treating you, then they’re not going to pay to move you.”

That’s why MedjetAssist is a smart layer of protection to add to your travel safety kit. It’s a membership program, not insurance, that gets you home. In other words, if you are admitted to a hospital overseas (or anywhere more than 150 miles from home), MedjetAssist has a network of air ambulances and medical staff to transport you to the home hospital of your choice. It will take care of all the logistics, paperwork, and communication between hospitals and cover transport, including for a companion.

The difference between Medjet and travel insurance is important to note. One does not replace the other, and they’re a good combo to have for any trip. Travel insurance covers medical treatments, trip interruption, and trip cancellation; it has a premium and claims and deductibles. Medjet is a membership program for getting you home: Once you pay the membership fee (starting at $315 for an annual individual membership; short-term options and family plans are also available), there are no additional bills. As Howell explains, “The ‘nearest acceptable facility and medical necessity’ language that is in most travel insurance policies in regards to their med-evac benefits is the reason you read about people stuck in foreign hospitals even though they’ve got perfectly great travel insurance. Their families are trying to raise a hundred to two hundred thousand dollars to hire an ambulance to get them home.”

According to Hummer, “Medical evacuation bills are typically between $100,000 to $1 million, and that’s the amount that is typically covered if you get med-evac coverage [in an insurance policy].” Squaremouth recommends that travelers taking international trips purchase a travel insurance policy with at least $100,000 in medical evacuation coverage; those taking a cruise or going to a remote destination should get at least $250,000 in coverage.

For travelers worried about security-related emergencies, Medjet offers an additional layer of coverage called MedjetHorizon, which adds 24/7 crisis response benefits, including evacuation in case of nonmedical emergencies such as political threats, riots, natural disasters, or a pandemic.

Medical evacuation is an important piece of the insurance puzzle that travelers need to pay attention to when putting together their insurance and emergency plans.
What does your credit card really cover?
Don’t assume that your credit card has you covered for everything that may come up; look closely at the policy and ask questions before you travel. “If you have an emergency medical issue, travel insurance can cover up to a million dollars depending on what you want,” Hummer says. “If you have a credit card that offers medical coverage—and that’s more rare, as they mostly do interruption—they have a limited amount of coverage, and $5,000 is currently the highest that I’ve seen in my research. And that’s very rare.”

Keep in mind that even for trip interruption coverage, credit cards likely only cover things bought on that card. Travel insurance, on the other hand, can cover up to 100 percent of your nonrefundable purchases no matter how many cards you used.

“Cancellation because a family member is sick or [because of] natural disasters—those are not covered by a credit card,” Hummer says. This is where comprehensive travel insurance, or an emergency-assistance membership like Medjet, can fill in the gaps.

What can your airline do?
If your illness or injury means you have to go home early, you’ll need to change your flight.

“In some cases, you may need to change the flight, but in others you may just be looking for extra space or another accommodation,” says Brett Snyder, president of Cranky Concierge Travel Assistance, which specializes in urgent air travel assistance (think canceled, rerouted, or delayed flights).

“In general there isn’t a lot of flexibility on letting you change for free just because you had an injury or a circumstance,” he explains. “You can always try, and some airlines may have more flexibility than others, but for the most part, they’ll say sure, but here’s the change fee and fare difference.” If you’re injured and need extra space because of, say, a broken leg, you can ask if the airline has two free seats next to each other, but, Snyder says, don’t expect them just to give you that extra seat; you’ll likely have to pay for it.

The good news is that if you have trip interruption coverage through your travel insurance, the cost of changing or rebooking your flights may be covered. Independent of insurance, the airline might offer you preboarding, and you can always request a wheelchair, so it’s worth calling the airline to see what’s available to you and what it can arrange.

Howell concurs: “If you have insurance (which you should), then trip interruption coverage is what would pay to cover your trip home, and they may send a nurse es**rt. That’s not the same as what Medjet does. If you require an air ambulance, we provide what’s basically a flying ICU. If we can repatriate someone on a commercial flight, we send a critical care nurse and book out a business class flatbed. We also pay for a spouse or travel companion in coach.”

What can your travel adviser do?
The person helping to plan your travel is another good resource in emergencies. And it should become part of your trip-prep routine to ask those planners how they handle medical issues. “I think it’s going to be an increasing concern moving forward. I don’t think many people are asking about that now, but I think it’s going to become more and more of an issue,” says Cari Gray, who crafts private, active trips as CEO and owner of Gray & Co. (Gray is also a member of the Afar Travel Advisory Council.) The best travel advisers and agents have a lot of connections in the places where they operate and should have information on emergency services and providers. “It falls to the company to decide how seriously they take their responsibility and to know the clinics and English-speaking doctors in their destinations. On our trips, we vet all that before anyone gets there—especially because we’re doing biking and hiking trips,” says Gray.

On a recent trip of my own to Argentina, a friend was injured and needed to go to a remote clinic where she didn’t speak the language. I immediately texted travel adviser Maita Barrenechea, founder of the Argentina-based luxury travel-planning company Mai10, who was familiar with the facilities in the region. She recommended one clinic over another, gave us the name of a doctor to ask for, and proceeded to get a second opinion from a specialist she knew in Buenos Aires.

To assist you more easily, your travel adviser may ask for your insurance information and medical history before your trip, as Gray’s company does. Her advice: Share it. “Having your medical history is a big one, including what medications, supplements, and vitamins you’re on,” Gray says. “If you’re not able to speak for yourself or not with someone from your family, you want to make sure the people you’re traveling with have that information.”

And finally, look for the helpers, as Mister Rogers would say. When my friend wrecked her ankle so badly that she needed surgery—and had to spend a few days recovering and organizing before she was able to fly home—our Airbnb host transformed into an invaluable helper who went above and beyond. She served as a translator, drove my friends back and forth to the clinic, and kept in touch after we were all home to make sure everything went smoothly with my friend’s recovery.

Billie Cohen

If things go wrong on a trip, you need to know about insurance, air travel, and medical care. Here’s how to navigate the situation, who to call, and what to ask.

06/06/2024

What to Know About Travel Insurance for This Year’s Predicted Wild Hurricane Season

The forecast consensus for the 2024 hurricane season is not good. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) is predicting a heavy Atlantic hurricane season, predicting between eight and 13 hurricanes and four and seven major (category three to five) hurricanes.

And the NOAA National Weather Service’s hurricane forecast, as well as forecast predictions from other private and public agencies, is similarly ominous.

The reason: a perfect storm scenario—warm ocean waters, La Niña development in the Pacific and reduced trade winds/wind shear.
Plan ahead, don’t wait until the last minute. “Purchase travel insurance well in advance to ensure coverage before any storms are named,” Sandberg said. “With respect to named storms, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracks storms in the Atlantic and Pacific. Once a storm reaches a certain threshold, the storm is named. Once the storm is named, a new travel insurance plan is no longer available to cover that storm. However, if you purchased a policy prior to the storm being named, a policy would not exclude that storm from coverage.

Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage is especially important this hurricane season, even though it can be pricey, says Ronald R. Assise, CIC, CPRM, senior vice president and shareholder at the Horton Group insurance agency and independent insurance agent with Trusted Choice.

“CFAR coverage is the most expensive in cost, as it allows for cancellation ‘for any reason,’” said Assise. “By nature of the name, the coverage is extremely broad, and subsequently the cost is much higher, comparatively, than travel coverage that would allow cancels for more specified ‘perils’, reasons, such as sickness….”

Choose the destination wisely
“Especially this year, choose your destination strategically,” said Sandberg, “such as heading to the south Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao instead of the north Caribbean that are more prone to hurricanes, and obtain insurance that safeguards against flight disruptions, accommodation issues and travel cancellations.”

04/22/2024

Artist’s light

04/12/2024

NEW TOURS WITH CIE in 2025.
Contact Stargazer Travel LLC to find out more

CIE Tours introduces four new itineraries in 2025,
with two more exciting tours in Ireland, an addition
to our Italian collection in Sicily, and one in an
entirely new destination: Spain!

• Experience luxury with our 5-star Irish Supreme,
featuring stays in Ireland’s finest hotels and
a deep dive into the country’s rich cultural
traditions.
• On our Dublin Daytripper, unpack once for a
vacation that will take you to popular cultural
and sporting highlights.
• Classic Sicily is your ticket to ancient ruins,
splendid cathedrals, and gastronomic adventures,
including the iconic villages of “The Godfather”.
• Discover Spain’s vibrant traditions and warm
hospitality with our Best of Spain tour, an
exploration of enchanting culture.

03/18/2024

Always provide your name exactly as it appears on your passports when booking airline tickets. If not you can:
• experience a significant delay at the airport
• be forced to pay hefty fees for a name change
• be denied boarding altogether
All because your name was spelled incorrectly.
Note that hyphenated names are run together without the hyphen

02/26/2024

BAGGAGE FEES ON THE RISE
Just days after JetBlue and American Airlines announced their own increases for checked bags, United Airlines is following suit.

Effective immediately, all passengers on new bookings with United will be charged an extra $5 for their first and second checked bags—the first checked bag for United economy passengers on domestic flights will cost $40 while the second checked bag will cost $45 when paid in advance, and $50 when paid at the airport.

Similar to American, certain United loyalty program or credit card members can get their first checked bag for free, including United Chase credit card holders and MileagePlus Premier members. Those with premium cabin tickets can also check a bag for free.

United has a bag fee calculator on its website for passengers to see exactly how much it would cost ahead of time.

The increase is the first in several years for United—the last time United increased bag fees was in September 2018. That 2018 increase also came on the heels of a bump by JetBlue.

The news means that four of the biggest U.S. airlines have all raised baggage fees this year—Alaska raised its fee to $35 for economy passengers starting on January 1, while JetBlue increased its fee to $45 for most standard passengers who don't pay in advance and $35 if prepaid. Similarly, American raised its fee to $35 for prepaid baggage and $40 for airport purchases.

Delta Air Lines has not announced an increase in its baggage fees this year. It currently charges $30 for the first checked bag under 50 pounds and $40 for the second. Southwest remains the only major U.S. carrier that does not charge for checked bags.

02/01/2024

100% Smart Valentine's Day gift? Oh yeah. We’ve got the perfect way to celebrate love right here (self-love included).
Treat yourself to Business Class to Europe with our Valentine’s Duo deal, happening now through February 14, 2024.
That means round-trip flights to Paris or Milan for 2 people at $3,800*, or Nice at $4,800*, on a selection of flights through the end of 2024. So, you can gift it now and fly when you want… this month, this spring, this summer or even this fall or winter!
Travel must be purchased from February 1 – 14, 2024, for travel through
December 31st, 2024. Waitlists and extensions are not allowed.
Saturday night stay required.
• Relax as you travel on a plane where all seats turn into beds; only 76 seats, all Business Class.
• Feast on a 4-course French gourmet meal featuring organic wines while enjoying on-board entertainment. And stay connected with free and unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi.
Contact Stargazer Travel LLC

02/01/2024

100% Smart Valentine's Day gift? Oh yeah. We’ve got the perfect way to celebrate love right here (self-love included).
Treat yourself to Business Class to Europe with our Valentine’s Duo deal, happening now through February 14, 2024.
That means round-trip flights to Paris or Milan for 2 people at $3,800*, or Nice at $4,800*, on a selection of flights through the end of 2024. So, you can gift it now and fly when you want… this month, this spring, this summer or even this fall or winter!
Travel must be purchased from February 1 – 14, 2024, for travel through
December 31st, 2024. Waitlists and extensions are not allowed.
Saturday night stay required.
• Relax as you travel on a plane where all seats turn into beds; only 76 seats, all Business Class.
• Feast on a 4-course French gourmet meal featuring organic wines while enjoying on-board entertainment. And stay connected with free and unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi.
Contact Stargazer Travel LLC

01/22/2024

New Year Sale
Celebrate the new year with incredible savings of up to 50% on select 2024 and 2025 sailings in addition to the generous amenities of simply MORE with 2 for 1 Cruise Fares, Free Roundtrip Airfare with Free Airport Transfers*; Free Shore Excursions; Free Champagne, Wine and More; Free Gourmet Specialty Dining; and Free Unlimited WiFi.

Limited-Time Offer. Book by February 29, 2024

01/03/2024

Take note---early planning is always recommended

Several popular national parks are bringing back timed reservation systems for next year, requiring visitors to plan ahead.

12/22/2023

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday and the gift of travel

10/10/2023

Fall is in air in CT-but Barbados still has sunshine and high 80’s.
We can help plan your getaway

09/14/2023

Always dreamed of celebrating St Patrick's Day in Ireland?
Let Stargazer Travel and Cie Tours get you there!

We’re halfway to the most celebrated day in Ireland!
Experience St. Patrick’ s Day 2024
on the Emerald Isle and join in on the
world- famous pageantry, music
and pub festivities. Here are
a few of CIE Tours’ guided
vacations that will be in
Dublin on March 17, 2024.

SCOTTISH &
IRISH DREAM
13 or 14 Days
March 10 Departure
From $3,795 per person
Combining Scottish
Dream and Taste
of Ireland, this tour
explores majestic
Scotland and beloved
Irish highlights. Loch
Lomond cruise, Isle of
Skye, Blarney Castle,
a Scottish evening
and a medieval castle
banquet.

SCOTTISH &
IRISH GOLD
15 or 16 Days
March 10 Departure
From $4,095 per person
This tour combines
Scottish Dream and
Irish Gold. Luxuriate
in this grand tour of
Scotland and Ireland,
with plenty of time to
admire stunning vistas
and wander medieval
streetscapes.

09/12/2023

07/25/2023

In 2024 US citizens will need authorization to travel in Europe!

As we head into the second half of 2023, now seems as good a time as any to remind you that travelers to Europe from 60 visa-exempt countries—including the United States

06/25/2023

Vienna was just named as the most livable city Why not book a Danube river cruise to see what it is all about!
contact Stargazer Travel!

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index was just released — find out which destinations topped the list.

06/12/2023

Be Prepared

Overtourism is such a big problem in Italy that officials have proposed charging a fee and requiring pre-registration just to enter Venice.

05/29/2023

Plan ahead -can take up to 4 weeks

Here's how long it takes to get a passport, plus helpful tips for applying.

04/21/2023

Ready to plan your family vacation? On sale right now

03/06/2023

Europe To Charge Travelers for Entry in 2024

So why not contact me now to plan your fall or summer trip to Europe. Avoid the fees !

For several years now, we’ve been hearing about the imminent introduction of the new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which, at last report, was slated to launch in May of this year. But, the program’s rollout has just been delayed for a fourth time, with an anticipated start date pushed back to sometime in 2024, according to CNN.

After being announced by the European Commission in 2016 and passed into legislation in 2018, the digital pre-travel program was originally intended to debut in early 2022, but pandemic complications saw it pushed back first to January 2023, then May 2023 and, now, an unspecified date in 2024.

Since its initial announcement, ETIAS has also been referred to as a visa waiver scheme and an added visitor fee, due to the €7 processing charge. Described most accurately, it’s a new pre-screening and entry authorization system, similar to the U.S. ESTA and Canadian eTA. It will apply only to passport holders from “third countries” (nations outside the European Union) that currently enjoy visa-free travel arrangements with the E.U. and broader passport-free Schengen area.

Starting sometime next year, an approved ETIAS entry waiver will be required from visa-free travelers entering the E.U. zone for the purposes of tourism, business or transit, authorizing entry and travel within the bloc for 90 days in any 180-day period, and will be good for three years. Travelers will pay a processing fee of €7 (currently $7.43), which, Compared to the United States’ ESTA fee of $21 for two years, is really sort of a bargain.

The European Commission’s intention in creating ETIAS was to improve security within the bloc by capturing data on travelers from 59 of the 62 countries with visa-free access to the area, as visitation has increased significantly in recent years. Its purposes include strengthening border security against increased terrorism incidents and migration-related abuses of visa-free arrangements, serving and as both an overall monitoring system and a deterrent to potential criminals.

Another of its objectives includes reducing border wait times and streamlining entry at the border and reducing wait-times, making it easier and more efficient for border management for security personnel to screen travelers upon arrival and departure from E.U. member nations.

Reasons for the delay of ETIAS’ launch, according to etias.com, probably include continued setbacks related to COVID-19’s disruption of the travel industry, as well as funding challenges for the many airports, ports, rail and land crossings across the bloc that simply don’t have the infrastructure currently to handle the kind of data capture the new system demands. The site said that Eurostar, Eurotunnel and other operators and service providers have expressed concern about their inability to capture facial and fingerprint data to feed into ETIAS.

There is also the call for an advanced technological infrastructure to consider, which will need to be installed and fully operational at all air, rail, land and sea border crossings throughout Europe in order to for the vast network of necessary databases and software applications to be integrated and the system to function properly.

02/03/2023

Travel is the only thing we buy that makes us richer. Rich with memories, knowledge, experiences, culture, new friendships, tighter family bonds, heightened curiosity and so much more!

Travel encourages us to invest in ourselves. To become better people. To enjoy the many wonders of the world.

01/12/2023

An air passenger rights expert shares some insights into what travelers are entitled to when their plans go awry.