Brenda

At the risk of sounding paranoid, would like some input on following 2
dilemmas. Sadly, war or the threat of war is constant & we need to
make some decisions quickly.

My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year
old niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due
Mar. 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are
visiting within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do?
Obviously a large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite
some time, but no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US
goes to war. What would you do?

Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
& lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be
the safest to avoid this. Obviously also do not want to be away from
family if we are at war. Our insurance policy is basically the same,
but if we cancel before Mar 10th, will only lose 10% of very
substantial cruise fare; 20% for cancel up to Apr 10th (not it's
geting painful) & 50% til Apr 25th. What would you do?

Really do not want to get into political discussion on this or
'paranoid American' discussion - just would like some honest advice on
what fellow travellers would do in same situation.

TIA.

Dfn-Cis.De

"brenda" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > At the risk of sounding paranoid, would like some input on following 2
    > dilemmas. Sadly, war or the threat of war is constant & we need to
    > make some decisions quickly.
    > My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year
    > old niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due
    > Mar. 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are
    > visiting within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do?
    > Obviously a large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite
    > some time, but no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US
    > goes to war. What would you do?
    > Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
    > early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
    > BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
    > we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
    > home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
    > & lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
    > Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be
    > the safest to avoid this. Obviously also do not want to be away from
    > family if we are at war. Our insurance policy is basically the same,
    > but if we cancel before Mar 10th, will only lose 10% of very
    > substantial cruise fare; 20% for cancel up to Apr 10th (not it's
    > geting painful) & 50% til Apr 25th. What would you do?
    > Really do not want to get into political discussion on this or
    > 'paranoid American' discussion - just would like some honest advice on
    > what fellow travellers would do in same situation.

Why, travel, of course. Why do you think a war with Iraq would make it any
less safe for Americans to go abroad? And, China, of all places on the
globe, is the least likely to be a target of terrorism.

My wife and I have travelled internationally a number of times since 9/11,
without the slightest concern.


    > TIA.

Miguel Cruz

brenda wrote:
    > My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year old
    > niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due Mar.
    > 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are visiting
    > within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do? Obviously a
    > large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite some time, but
    > no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US goes to war. What
    > would you do?

I would send them away with my blessing, but my thinking is different to
yours. In my opinion the safest place they could be is somewhere entirely
removed from the conflict, like China. In the event of war I'd be all the
more likely to want my loved ones there.

For what it's worth, in less than two weeks I'm taking off to the Persian
Gulf as well as Southeast Asia and elsewhere for a long-overdue vacation. At
this point I don't see any reason why impending war should affect those
plans. The war will be where it is, and everyone knows who's involved. It
would be pointless to try to predict other random things happening
elsewhere.

    > Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
    > early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
    > BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
    > we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
    > home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
    > & lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
    > Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be the
    > safest to avoid this.

The data do not support your family's concerns. Tally up for them the number
of Americans killed by terrorists in the USA vs the number killed in Europe.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

Go Fig

In article ,
[email protected] (Miguel Cruz) wrote:

    > For what it's worth, in less than two weeks I'm taking off to the Persian
    > Gulf as well as Southeast Asia and elsewhere for a long-overdue vacation.

For what it's worth, given the moon chart for Baghdad the window is the
first 12 days of march, after that the moon starts to rise before 4am.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip.

jay
Wed, Feb 19, 2003
mailto:[email protected]

--

Legend insists that as he finished his abject...
Galileo muttered under his breath: "Nevertheless, it does move."

Peter L

I'd stay home and wrap my house in plastic with duct tape.

"brenda" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > At the risk of sounding paranoid, would like some input on following 2
    > dilemmas. Sadly, war or the threat of war is constant & we need to
    > make some decisions quickly.
    > My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year
    > old niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due
    > Mar. 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are
    > visiting within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do?
    > Obviously a large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite
    > some time, but no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US
    > goes to war. What would you do?
    > Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
    > early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
    > BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
    > we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
    > home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
    > & lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
    > Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be
    > the safest to avoid this. Obviously also do not want to be away from
    > family if we are at war. Our insurance policy is basically the same,
    > but if we cancel before Mar 10th, will only lose 10% of very
    > substantial cruise fare; 20% for cancel up to Apr 10th (not it's
    > geting painful) & 50% til Apr 25th. What would you do?
    > Really do not want to get into political discussion on this or
    > 'paranoid American' discussion - just would like some honest advice on
    > what fellow travellers would do in same situation.
    > TIA.

Neil Tupper

"Peter L" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I'd stay home and wrap my house in plastic with duct tape.
Chuckle . . .

Neil

Johnt

"brenda" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > At the risk of sounding paranoid, would like some input on following 2
    > dilemmas. Sadly, war or the threat of war is constant & we need to
    > make some decisions quickly.
    > My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year
    > old niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due
    > Mar. 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are
    > visiting within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do?
    > Obviously a large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite
    > some time, but no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US
    > goes to war. What would you do?
    > Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
    > early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
    > BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
    > we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
    > home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
    > & lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
    > Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be
    > the safest to avoid this. Obviously also do not want to be away from
    > family if we are at war. Our insurance policy is basically the same,
    > but if we cancel before Mar 10th, will only lose 10% of very
    > substantial cruise fare; 20% for cancel up to Apr 10th (not it's
    > geting painful) & 50% til Apr 25th. What would you do?
    > Really do not want to get into political discussion on this or
    > 'paranoid American' discussion - just would like some honest advice on
    > what fellow travellers would do in same situation.
    > TIA.

I am travelling from England to the USA on holiday in March. I have no
intention of cancelling that trip. My chances of suffering violence such as
happened in September 1991 are almost nil, as are yours. Cancel your trip
and terrorists have scored a major victory over you. Is that what you really
want to happen?

JohnT

Ryan B

"brenda" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > At the risk of sounding paranoid, would like some input on following 2
    > dilemmas. Sadly, war or the threat of war is constant & we need to
    > make some decisions quickly.
    > My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year
    > old niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due
    > Mar. 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are
    > visiting within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do?
    > Obviously a large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite
    > some time, but no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US
    > goes to war. What would you do?
    > Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
    > early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
    > BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
    > we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
    > home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
    > & lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
    > Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be
    > the safest to avoid this. Obviously also do not want to be away from
    > family if we are at war. Our insurance policy is basically the same,
    > but if we cancel before Mar 10th, will only lose 10% of very
    > substantial cruise fare; 20% for cancel up to Apr 10th (not it's
    > geting painful) & 50% til Apr 25th. What would you do?
    > Really do not want to get into political discussion on this or
    > 'paranoid American' discussion - just would like some honest advice on
    > what fellow travellers would do in same situation.
    > TIA.

I have booked two trips to Europe for 2003 so far. One in May and a trip in
late summer and the thing I will be worried most about is how the New York
Yankees will do while I'm gone.

Ryan

Evelynvogtgamble

brenda wrote:
    >
    > At the risk of sounding paranoid, would like some input on following 2
    > dilemmas. Sadly, war or the threat of war is constant & we need to
    > make some decisions quickly.
    >
    > My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year
    > old niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due
    > Mar. 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are
    > visiting within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do?
    > Obviously a large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite
    > some time, but no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US
    > goes to war. What would you do?

I think China is sufficiently far from Iraq for them to be safe (and
most probably safer than here, if the idiot in the White House is right
about "terrorist threats").

    >
    > Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
    > early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
    > BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
    > we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
    > home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
    > & lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
    > Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be
    > the safest to avoid this. Obviously also do not want to be away from
    > family if we are at war. Our insurance policy is basically the same,
    > but if we cancel before Mar 10th, will only lose 10% of very
    > substantial cruise fare; 20% for cancel up to Apr 10th (not it's
    > geting painful) & 50% til Apr 25th. What would you do?
    >
    > Really do not want to get into political discussion on this or
    > 'paranoid American' discussion - just would like some honest advice on
    > what fellow travellers would do in same situation.
    >
    > TIA.

Evelynvogtgamble

Peter L wrote:
    >
    > I'd stay home and wrap my house in plastic with duct tape.

And if you do a really good job of it, YOUR worries will be over,
whatever happens in the outside world! (How long would it take to
suffocate, given the unchanging air volume in the average home?)

Evelynvogtgamble

JohnT wrote:
    >

    >
    > I am travelling from England to the USA on holiday in March. I have no
    > intention of cancelling that trip. My chances of suffering violence such as
    > happened in September 1991 are almost nil, as are yours.

September 1991? What happened then?

    > Cancel your trip
    > and terrorists have scored a major victory over you. Is that what you really
    > want to happen?
    >
    > JohnT

Gregory Morrow

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) told:


    > Peter L wrote:
    > >
    > > I'd stay home and wrap my house in plastic with duct tape.
    > And if you do a really good job of it, YOUR worries will be over,
    > whatever happens in the outside world! (How long would it take to
    > suffocate, given the unchanging air volume in the average home?)

I dunno, Evelyn...I was thinking of trying that experiment on yer *head*
;-p

--
Best
Greg

Owain

"brenda" wrote
    | My parents are planning on taking my 12 year old daughter & 10 year
    | old niece on an escorted tour to China in April. Final payment is due
    | Mar. 1st. Insurance covers acts of terrorism in country you are
    | visiting within 10 days of arrival, but not war. What should we do?
    | Obviously a large amount of $$ & this trip has been planned for quite
    | some time, but no way do I want my daughter/niece/parents away if US
    | goes to war. What would you do?

The main 'danger' - and I do not mean loss of life, just a lot of
inconvenience - is disruption to international air travel. If this is a well
organised tour to major cities, go. If anything happens the tour company can
look after your family or get them home. If it was a hiking trip through the
mountains with a less well established operator I would be less confident,
simply because of being less in touch with what is happening, further away
from airports etc.

    | Husband & I have 2 week vacation for his 50th birthday planned in
    | early May - flying into Barcelona, cruise ship
    | BCE/Gibraltar/Malaga/Lisbon/Oporto/La Coruna/St. Malo/Honfleur, where
    | we will depart ship & drive to Paris for a few days before returning
    | home. I am not worried about our safety as have travelled extensively
    | & lived in Europe, but family, of course, are bringing up threats of
    | Muslim extremists & pointing out where we are travelling might not be
    | the safest to avoid this.

Pshaw!

    | Obviously also do not want to be away from
    | family if we are at war. Our insurance policy is basically the same,
    | but if we cancel before Mar 10th, will only lose 10% of very
    | substantial cruise fare; 20% for cancel up to Apr 10th (not it's
    | geting painful) & 50% til Apr 25th. What would you do?

Go (or at least don't cancel yet). You want to go, you think it's safe, so
go. And enjoy yourself. It's only two weeks and a few hours' flight away
from home. Go go go go go go go.

Owain

Miguel Cruz

Go Fig wrote:
    > [email protected] (Miguel Cruz) wrote:
    >> For what it's worth, in less than two weeks I'm taking off to the Persian
    >> Gulf as well as Southeast Asia and elsewhere for a long-overdue vacation.
    > For what it's worth, given the moon chart for Baghdad the window is the
    > first 12 days of march, after that the moon starts to rise before 4am.
    > Have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Thanks - if the war indeed does start then, I have a feeling the feisty
debates from the newsgroup the last couple weeks will be nothing compared to
what I'll be hearing in the region. Ought to be interesting anyway.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

Frank Clarke

On 19 Feb 2003 12:57:07 -0800, [email protected] (brenda) wrote:


    >Really do not want to get into political discussion on this or
    >'paranoid American' discussion - just would like some honest advice on
    >what fellow travellers would do in same situation.

My wife and I talked about it and decided that vacationing in Europe
was worth the risk.

We're going.