Planning A European Cruise?
Learn from Our Mistakes!
We cruised Europe last summer, visiting the British Isles and going on two cruises to Norway for two months. We planned extensively but still made some unexpected mistakes. Here are five mistakes we made, so you can learn from our experiences.
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5) Not knowing our rights as consumers
We were aware of the summer travel meltdown of 2022, when airlines and airports struggled to cope with a surge in post-COVID travelers, but we only had a vague understanding of our consumer rights. During our trip, we faced a travel mishap flying out of Amsterdam to Seattle for an Alaska cruise the next day. A delayed flight caused us to miss our connection, and we learned we had rights to compensation for canceled or delayed flights, up to $650 per passenger.
After some quick research, we realized the airline would cover our hotel and food, as long as it was within reasonable limits. We kept all our receipts, as they would want proof of each expense. Our story ended with a happy ending, though it took three months to receive reimbursement from the airline.
As we prepared to fly back to the US to catch another cruise in Seattle, we booked a flight out of Amsterdam with a connection in Ireland, allowing for a full travel day. However, our Amsterdam to Ireland connection was delayed for several hours, causing us to miss our Seattle flight.
With our luggage still on the plane, we found ourselves stranded in Amsterdam. We weighed our options and discovered that the next available flight to LA was in four days. We learned we had rights to compensation for various expenses, including hotels, food, and transportation.
We ended up staying four days in Amsterdam, buying new clothes and luggage, and eventually flew home.
1) Assuming taxis are a bad value
We assumed that public transport, which is extensive in Europe, should always be the default for getting around. It’s cheaper and generally a better value. Uber and other rideshare options were our next go-to, but we actively avoided taxis, especially in expensive cities like London. However, we overlooked a crucial consideration: weighing the time, energy, and number of people in our group against the cost.
For example, during our three-day London trip after our cruise, we decided to avoid the Tube because it would have been too stressful for our parents. We opted for rideshare for our group of five, splitting into two rides. On our last day, we discovered that local taxis could accommodate all of us in one ride, including our luggage. We could have saved a lot of money by using taxis instead.
2) Not reading the fine print on our travel insurance
Travel insurance is increasingly essential, especially for longer trips. But it’s vital to read the fine print. When it comes time to make a claim, the details matter. We learned this the hard way. After landing at Gatwick Airport, UK, to start our British Isles cruise out of Southampton, we planned to take a pre-booked train to save on taxi or Uber costs. However, upon arrival, we found the train station closed due to a power outage. We had to scramble for a rideshare, which turned out to be expensive. We assumed our insurance would cover this, but the fine print stated we had to file our claim within four weeks of the incident.
3) Assuming healthcare costs are the same as in the US
We found that healthcare is generally much cheaper across Europe, not just in countries with socialized medicine. For example, my wife needed to see a doctor in Southampton, and we went to a local urgent care at a hospital with no cost for the visit or medication. When she needed a prescription refill in Amsterdam, the online consultation cost $60. This made us more comfortable sidestepping our home insurance, even though we still kept our insurance cards.
4) Assuming the best place to buy cheap souvenirs is touristy shops
While souvenir shopping at portside stores is convenient, it often doesn't provide good value or reflect the local culture. Instead, we found treasures in community stores that support local causes. For example, we visited a Salvation Army-type store in Trondheim, Norway, and found local donations like a beautiful Swedish coat. We also started the hobby of buying local postcards and sending them to friends and family, allowing them to follow our journey the old-fashioned way.
