Thank You…

Firstly, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who sent me such kind messages after my newsletter last week about my mom’s passing. Your notes have made a difficult time a little lighter. I hope I can help all of you spend more time with your families in 2025, maybe because we work together on a trip or maybe just because I inspire you to get on the road and travel together. Ready to talk travel? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.

Heading to Spain

While I haven’t yet booked that trip to Hong Kong and Thailand that my mom told me to book, I did book a trip to Spain! I’m jetting off to Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, and Ronda shortly! I can’t wait! I’m especially excited to see Alhambra. Truth be told, after so much sadness, I need a change of scenery. I also am tired of eating my own cooking!

Explora Ship Inspection

In December, I took the Brightline down to Miami to do a ship inspection of the Explora II. Explora is truly my new favorite cruise line. It is a 5 star luxury experience but because they are still new, the pricing is quite attractive, relatively speaking. If you want to feel like you’re in on a secret, book a complimentary vacation consultation with me to talk about how I can help you book your next cruise on Explora. (As a preferred partner on Explora, I can offer onboard credits and other goodies that you can’t get by booking direct.) Check out some of their itineraries coming up this summer…

Where Other People Are Going

Looking for inspiration? Here are a few of the trips I’ve booked for clients so far this year…

AmaWaterways Mekong Cruise: Mekong cruises can be a tremendously good value, as long as you don’t mind the long flight to Vietnam from the US. These cruises are great for exploring the smaller towns in Vietnam and Cambodia and seeing how life is really lived. Check out all these different sailings. I am a huge fan of AmaWaterways and sailed with them in both 2023 and 2024.

Regent Seven Seas Doha to Singapore Cruise: I aspire to retire in style like my wonderful clients who will be enjoying an amazing cruise from Doha to Singapore later this year. Regent boasts suite accomodation, and most cabins have balconies. Nearly everything is included in the base cruise fare, such as unlimited shore excursions, all dining options (including specialty restaurants), beverages, and even Wi-Fi, Regent has so many great itineraries all around the world. Check them out here.

The stunning pool and beach at Four Seasons Punta Mita

Private Touring in Mexico City with Stays at Four Seasons Mexico City and Four Seasons Punta Mita: My clients explored Frida Kahlo’s house and the Museum of Anthropology with a private guide before heading to Punta Mita. As a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, I was able to add breakfast for two, a hotel credit, and priority for upgrade to their stay. Remember: Never ever ever book a Four Seasons hotel direct! Always best to do it through a travel advisor who is a Four Seasons Preferred Partner…like me! Booking Four Seasons through a travel agent gets you more perks and amenities.

Beautiful Sonnenalp in Colorado…in Summer!

Family Ski Trip to Sonnenalp in Vail, Colorado: This Virtuoso property is amazing. I want to go for the 10,000 square foot spa alone! Not convinced? Check out the perfect reviews here. By booking with me, my clients receive…

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily Buffet breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant
$100 USD equivalent Resort or Hotel credit

Conrad St. James in London

Spa at The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel

Family Trip to London and Bath with Stays at The Conrad St. James and The Gainsborough Bath Spa: My clients can’t get enough of London! They are returning this year with their kids to revisit some of their favorite spots and also check out Bath. If you’ve never been to Bath, the Roman baths are AMAZING. The Romans…they were just like us! The town of Bath is a delight and there are some great spas as well. (In the 1800s, you would go to Bath to “take the waters.”) The Conrad St. James in London is a Hilton for Luxury property, which means my clients receive priority for upgrade, breakfast for two people per room, and a hotel credit. The Gainsborough Bath Spa has a wonderful spa circuit on site that hotel guests have access to mornings and evenings.

Travel Insurance in the News: A $47,000 Medical Bill during A Cruise

I know I can get quite boring when it comes to travel insurance, but because I am usually the first person people call when something goes wrong, I really know how important travel insurance can be. Check out this story about a guy who won a Norwegian cruise and now may be out $27,000 because he came down with the flu onboard and had to spend a couple of nights in the infirmary. The passenger had purchased the cruise line insurance, but it only covered up to $20,000 in medical expenses. Plus the cruise line insurance was secondary insurance, not primary insurance. This means that he has to prove that he has exhausted all other options before he can tap into the insurance he purchased. Just more paperwork and hoops to go through. A lot of stress, during an already stressful time.

For cruises, it can be good to purchase the cruise line insurance as it is typically great if you need to cancel. But for anyone with a pre-existing condition or for older travelers or if you’re going somewhere where you are just not too confident in the health system, I recommend purchasing a third-party travel insurance plan that provides primary insurance, not secondary insurance. The typical limits I like to see for 3rd party insurance are $250,000 to $500,000 in sickness/medical coverage and $500,000 to $1 million in evacuation/repatriation coverage.

A lot of people will say to me, “Well, my credit card has travel insurance.” Check again. This is what I do all day long. Your credit card travel insurance probably does not cover you for sickness or injury, which is kinda really the main reason you need travel insurance. If it does cover sickness and injury, the limits will be VERY low. Plus again, this sickness/medical coverage (if it exists) is secondary, not primary. So before it will kick in, the credit card company will force you to prove you’ve exhausted all other options.

Here is my analysis of the two main credit card travel insurance policies out there that people think they can rely on…but can’t:

Amex Platinum: The Amex Platinum provides secondary medical insurance that will cover you up to $15,000. This is not a lot. The only saving grace with this card is that if you do need to be evacuated, Amex will cover you and there is no stated limit that I can see.
Chase Sapphire: If you're 100 miles or more from home on a trip, you can be reimbursed up to $2,500 for medical expenses if you or your immediate family member become sick or injured. This is really bad. $2,500 is nothing! On the evacuation front, if you or a member of your immediate family are injured or become sick during a trip far from home that results in an emergency evacuation, you can be covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000. Again, this isn’t a lot.

The main travel insurance company I work with is Travel Insured. Personally, I like their Platinum Plan, especially for trips to less developed parts of the world. The Deluxe Plan is good as well. Here is a quick side-by-side comparison of the main features…(Note Cancel for Any Reason and Interrupt for Any Reason need to be purchased separately.)

So…if you think I’m being a pain in the neck about travel insurance, understand that it comes from a good place. While travel insurance can get expensive when you are covering your costs in case of trip cancellation or interruption, you could just get what we call a “zero dollar” plan that gets you the sickness and evacuation coverage (but no cancellation/interruption coverage) for a reasonable price.

About Krista

I’m a Virtuoso luxury travel advisor based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Prior to moving to Florida to take care of my elderly mom with Parkinson’s Disease, I spent over 11 years living and working in London, England, selling financial data. My career and personal travel have taken me all over the world. To date, I’ve been to 78 countries. Now I bring the joy of travel to others as a Virtuoso travel advisor and West Palm Beach travel agent. I offer a 30 minute complimentary vacation consultation for anyone looking to plan their next trip.

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Ways I Can Help You

Knowledge and experience. I’ve been to 78 countries.
I can offer VIP perks and amenities at thousands of hotels around the world. Virtuoso perks are just the start. I can also VIP you at Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Four Seasons, and Rosewood properties…among others! What does VIP mean? Free breakfast, priority for upgrade, a hotel credit, and more! (See my website footer for all the brands I work with And yes, you can double dip between your hotel status and mine, supercharging your VIP status!)
I have a huge storehouse of luxury cruises: I partner with all the major cruise lines…Royal Caribbean, Silversea, Viking, Ama Waterways, Tauck and more. I can add onboard credits and other perks that you cannot get by booking direct.
I have vetted villa rentals with concierge service all around the world
Private jets! Yes, I can do this for you.
All sorts of small group and private touring.
VIP on arrival and VIP on departure airport services. (Get met at the plane door!)
Travel insurance. Don’t leave home without it!

Heading to Spain, Explora Journeys, and Latest Client Bookings