What can you learn from our worst travel experiences of 2017?
There’s no denying we have some amazing travel experiences, every year. In 2017, we checked some big adventures off on our bucket lists and 2018 isn’t slowing down, one bit.
We also experience some….shall we call them…lessons during our travels, every year. I like to think of them as lessons, since we can all learn something from our worst travel experiences.
Worst Travel Experiences: Losing our Footage
The first worst travel experience of 2017 really happened in 2016, but affected the start of 2017, significantly. While on our winter wonderland trip to northern Minnesota, we dropped our hard drive on the hard tile floor. It was destroyed.
To make matters worse, we had just moved ALL of our vlog footage off three cameras, that morning! It was heart-breaking. Most upsetting, for me, was losing video of a priceless moment for Allison. She dreamt of going dog sledding, in the snow, for years. We finally did it in Minnesota and it could not have been more perfect. A picturesque snowy drive into the birch forest, giant snowflakes began to fall just as we went out on the sled, our son (Kelly) actually enjoyed interacting with the dogs (he’s not a dog person) and sledding. Allison cried with joy at the end and I had it all on video! Until….the fall. 🙁
These are some of the few photos we have from the dog sledding adventure that I just happened to take on my phone, instead of our vlogging camera.
Although the dog sledding was one of our best travel experiences of 2016 (maybe one of the best, ever), for me, it’s always associated with one of our worst travel experiences of 2017; losing our hard drive.
Worst Travel Experiences: Lessons Learned – Backup Your Backup
After hearing the hard drive clunk down on the tile floor, our first reaction was to attempt to get anything we could off the drive. Once the realization set in that we’d lost it all, we cried. Seriously. It was pretty upsetting.
After we all “recovered” from the fall, we were as determined as ever to backup our backup.
Now, we not only have an extra external drive (so 2, total), but we also use CrashPlan for an online backup.
Worst Travel Experiences: Teepee Glamping
We’ve stayed in some pretty unique lodging, over the years. Covered wagons, cabins, something called a cowboy cabin at Arches National Park, all the Disney resorts, and several AirBnBs. We thought we were totally up for a glamping teepee in Georgia.
Looks like fun, doesn’t it? Well, it wasn’t. I woke up at 2AM to water dropping on my forehead from the giant hole in the top of the teepee.
They did have a very chic silver and brown tarp inside the teepee to catch the rain, but it did not work. They seemed really cool, with A/C and heat, bunk beds, a dresser, a rocking chair, and a queen bed for mom and dad, but the reality just didn’t live up to the expectation.
Worst Travel Experiences: Lessons Learned
Not real sure what lessons we learned from this one. We’re always going to be up for a new adventure and this “worst travel experience” of 2017 just ended up getting us home a day earlier than we expected. No big deal.
The reviews for this lodging were generally pretty good, so that would not have tipped us off. We really thought the tarp would do it’s job. I mean, heck, they had electrical appliances and outlets in the teepee. Surely, they wouldn’t have that in there if it leaked, right?
We’ve since found some much more solid looking teepees during our trip to Capitol Reef National Park, this year. Maybe we’ll give teepee glamping another try — we’ll just watch the weather forecast for rain. 🙂
Worst Travel Experiences of 2017: Cancelled Flights in NYC
After having a great time at Sweet Suite and Toy Insider’s Blogger Bash in New York City, we headed off to Laguardia to catch our flight home.
Unfortunately, it was delayed for 2 hours. Then, another hour. Four more hours. Finally, cancelled. At 9PM, we were sitting in Laguardia airport with no rescheduled flight, no hotel for the night, and the WORST customer service from Delta that we’ve ever experienced.
I quickly jumped on Trivago and got us a room, across the street from the airport and Allison managed to somehow get us new flights for the next day.
After arriving at the hotel, we were told we didn’t have a reservation (I had the confirmation and everything) and they suggested we check next door. We did get a room, next door…for a little more money. However, the first hotel charged us for the room they claimed we didn’t have a reservation for, about a month later. Good times.
Worst Travel Experiences: Lessons Learned
First off, DO NOT fly into or out of Laguardia when visiting New York City. I did not realize it, at the time, but Laguardia has the shortest runways of the three main airports in New York. Due to this, inclement weather will cause a LOT more cancelled flights at Laguardia than at the other area airports. Our new go-to airport is Newark, with JFK following, and Laguardia only as a last resort in emergencies.
Second lesson, do not accept poor customer service. Be firm and direct, NOT RUDE, but do not back down. Get your needs met.
Allison needed to escalate her call to a supervisor that finally took care of rebooking our flights, rather than personally insulting her (not kidding).
On my end, I reached out to Delta on Twitter. They directed me to a complaint/reimbursement form. At the time (and I told them so), I felt this was a terrible way to handle the situation and never expected a response of any kind from Delta. So, needless to say, I was shocked to get a check that reimbursed our hotel costs for the night, as well as a bit extra for food. So, don’t give up!
Also, the rebooked flights resulted in our first time, as a family, flying in first class, so I guess it wasn’t all bad. 🙂
Worst Travel Experiences of 2017: ER Visit on a Cruise
During a girl’s weekend getaway cruise, Allison experienced her first ER visit on a cruise. Her thumb had an injury from gardening (not kidding — she was pricked by a thorn — she’s like a real life Sleeping Beauty) and the prick became very infected.
The thumb needed to be drained and she was put on antibiotics. There’s a vacation expense no one wants to experience.
Worst Travel Experiences: Lessons Learned
Many guests with our travel company purchase travel insurance for all cruise vacations. Whether it’s a missed or cancelled flight and you miss the cruise departure, your shore excursion gets back late and you miss the ship, or you have a medical issue on board, travel insurance covers these types of unexpected expenses on vacations.
Cruise vacations can be especially prone to these types of challenges, since it’s a moving hotel and is more often in the middle of the ocean than at port.
Since this was our first incident out of over 30 cruises, we probably will take our chances on future trips, but if you’ve spent a lot of money and time planning your cruise vacation and it’s your first or one of a very few, you probably should consider it. It could save you a ton of pain in the pocketbook.
What are some of your worst travel experiences and what did you learn from them? How can you avoid travel disasters, in the future?
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