Latest news with #AvantiTravelInsurance
Daily Mail
30-07-2025
- Daily Mail
How the tsunami could impact your holiday plans and what your rights are
As warnings hit popular holiday destinations across the Pacific region, travel experts have advised tourists what to do if their trip is impacted by the tsunami. From flight disruptions to accommodation issues, a natural disaster like a tsunami or an earthquake could cause issues for holidaymakers. Sarah Rodrigues, who works with Avanti travel insurance, has revealed what disruptions travellers should consider and what their rights are. She explained how natural disasters can 'have a huge impact' on trips abroad. ' Earthquakes and tsunami warnings can have a huge impact on your holiday plans,' the travel expert said. 'If you're due to travel and find your trip will be affected by a natural disaster there are steps you can take to try to change your plans or to get a refund.' Sarah went on to explain what tourists can do to, and advised the initial step would be to reach out to the holiday provider. She said: 'The first thing you should do is contact the holiday provider you booked your trip with to see what support they can give you, as they may be able to provide an alternative, or to refund or reschedule your trip.' However, in some instances the booking agent may not be able to help. In this case, the travel expert urged travellers to contact their bank for reimbursement instead. Sarah added: 'If your holiday provider can't help you reschedule or refund your costs, you should contact your bank. You may be able to recoup your costs through a "chargeback claim" if you paid using a credit card.' Another option is using holiday insurance, depending on the policy. She explained: 'If you've tried both options without any luck, then you may be able to claim through your holiday insurance. 'It's important to check your policy documents before cancelling a trip or if you decide not to travel, so check out the "Travel Delay" section in your policy wording to find out if a natural disaster is covered. 'If you're already on holiday and your return journey to the UK is delayed or cancelled, speak with your holiday provider for alternative options. 'In this instance, your travel insurance policy should automatically extend to cover the extra time you need to get home. However, always check with your insurance provider to be on the safe side. 'You will also need to speak with your holiday provider if your accommodation is affected, as they may be able to find you an alternative place to stay or, if necessary, to bring you home early.' She also recommended tourists check FCDO for travel advice as this could cause issues with insurance. 'Lastly, if your travel arrangements change, be sure to update your travel insurance policy. 'Additionally, be aware that traveling against FCDO advice may invalidate your cover, so keep up to date with the latest announcements on the FCDO website,' Sarah said. Travel insurance expert Alicia Hempsted echoed Sarah's advice and urged tourists to check their insurance policy documents. 'Travel insurance policies that include natural disaster cover will generally cover you for cancelled accommodation, travel and activities, as well as emergency medical care and evacuation should you need it,' Alicia said. She revealed why travellers may not receive compensation from airlines if their flight is impacted by 'extraordinary circumstances', explaining that it isn't required 'under international regulations'. Such circumstances include natural disasters, like earthquakes or tsunamis. 'If your flight, however, is delayed because of this, your airline has an obligation to offer food, drink and accommodation depending on the length of your delay,' the expert explained. Alicia also warned that travelling despite warnings and 'extreme conditions' could leave tourists with insurance issues. She said: 'If extreme conditions are forecast before you book or leave for your trip, and you choose to travel regardless, your insurance provider may not cover you for any related problems.'
Daily Mirror
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Cruise expert says 'mega ships' will soon rival cities and carry 35,000 passengers
Cruise ships are getting bigger and bigger every year, but one cruise expert reckons at this rate we could expect to see mega ships that are the size of small cities A cruise expert has predicted that cruise ships could soon be the size of small cities, carrying thousands of passengers and having enough onboard that most people probably wouldn't get off the ship. Long gone are the days when cruise holidays included a bit of live entertainment and a pool. Nowadays, ships have everything from onboard rollercoasters, epic water parks, slides, and thrill-attractions, not to mention the plethora of restaurants and shops on board. Of course that means that vessels are getting bigger every year. Currently, the world's largest cruise ship is Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, which can hold up to 7,600 passengers - and even that is getting a rival in the form of a sister ship Star of the Seas which will be the same size. I stayed on a new £1bn cruise ship with 17 restaurants and waterslide rollercoaster Inside new record-breaking mega cruise ship with ice rink and huge waterpark Mark Barton, cruise expert at Avanti Travel Insurance, looked at the current growth rates for cruise ships, and has predicted that theoretically, by 2075 we could be seeing mega ships that can carry up to 34,860 passengers, with a gross tonnage of 902,000 - nearly five times the size of Icon of the Seas. Mark has attributed the demand for these larger ships to passenger demands for entertainment. Research from Avanti showed that the growth is driven by younger passengers, who make up over a third of cruise passengers worldwide, and prefer onboard entertainment to traditional sightseeing. He points to the ever-increasing number of festival cruises where passengers tend to stay on the ship because of a jam-packed programme of entertainment, such as the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise, which has been dubbed 'the world's biggest heavy metal cruise', carries 3,000 metal fans and features 60+ bands performing 120+ shows across four stages. Meanwhile the EDSea - the Electronic Dance Carnival cruise - transforms ships into floating nightclubs with multiple stages and 24/7 music programming. However, these mega ships could have one big drawback for those who prefer the traditional port-hopping experiences; destinations simply aren't equipped to deal with the size of giant vessels. "While the mathematical projections suggest ships could one day carry 35,000 passengers, this is future-gazing based on past growth patterns. The reality is different, as there are significant real-world constraints," Mark explained. "Port infrastructure, safety protocols, and fuel demands make vessels of that scale highly unlikely. "Only a handful of global superports, such as Miami, Barcelona, Shanghai or Dubai, could potentially accommodate vessels of this size, and critically, the environmental impact of building and operating ships at this scale cannot be ignored." In recent years a number of holiday hotspots have been introducing rules to try and combat the effects of overtourism, including the crowds of cruise passengers that descend on a city for a few days. In 2021, Venice became one of the first port cities to ban cruise ships weighing over 25,000 tons and redirecting them to a port further away. The city has also brought in a tourism tax of approximately €5 for day-trippers who are not spending the night in the Italian city, over a course of peak season travel dates.
