Brenda Lyle – Florida Today
Q: What are the vacation options for seniors?
A: Senior travel is exploding! Retirement offers travel opportunities that are not tied to school or work calendars. Seniors travel for many reasons: visits to family, cultural interest and exploration of their ancestral home. Today, there are many vacation options for aging adults of differing abilities and travel goals.
Cruising & All Inclusive Resorts
Adult-only cruises are increasingly popular. Cruise lines catering to older adults include Silversea Cruises, which advertises to Baby Boomers. The newest adults-only cruise offerings are from Virgin Voyages. If you have a membership to AARP or AMAC, travel centers can help you book adult-only cruises or get a discount on just about any other cruise that suits your fancy. Disability? Special needs? Nearly all cruise lines offer special handicap-accessible cabins and provide rental scooters and wheelchairs for onboard use. For those who want to stay on terra firma, all-inclusive, adult-only resorts are located throughout the Caribbean and Europe. Like cruises, these resorts include your accommodations, food and drink and on-site entertainment and activities. Got a Costco membership? Several members-only clubs offer all-inclusive vacation deals!
Travel clubs
Road Scholar is a travel group for baby-boomers who self-identify as “active learners, not passive tourists.” They organize trips, foreign and domestic, with the help of expert tour guides. After registering on Roadscholar.org, you can plan your trip based on interests, activity level and budget. Eldertreks is another travel group that caters to the more adventurous. Their small-group adventures include hiking, safaris and expeditions, based on activity level. Additional senior-focused travel companies abound, for walking, cycling and cultural enthusiasts. Travelandleisure.com is a helpful website offering senior travel trip ideas and links to senior-friendly travel clubs.
What if I get sick on vacation?
Illness on vacation can happen at any age, but seniors on Medicare should take precautions with their travel plans. Medicare has very limited coverage outside the United States. Seniors 65+ can purchase a travel medical insurance policy either through a travel club or independently from a travel medical insurance broker. One such example is Globehopper Senior, which provides single-trip travel coverage for an illness or injury while traveling abroad.
What about day trips?
Many local senior centers offer day and multi-day trips through chartered travel providers. In Lake County, Senior Adventures is a day-trip company offering a wide variety of outings. Brevard seniors can join day trips by Global Tours & Travel in a motor coach that leaves directly from One Senior Place in Viera. Tour operator, Gerry Blanchard always says, “Go while you can –and enjoy the moment.”
One Senior Place is a marketplace for resources and provider of information, advice, care and on-site services for seniors and their families. Questions for this column are answered by professionals in nursing, social work, care management and in-home care. Send questions to AskOSP@OneSeniorPlace.com, call 321-751-6771 or visit One Senior Place, The Experts in Aging.
Brenda Lyle is a Certified Care Manager and Certified Dementia Practitioner with One Senior Place, Greater Orlando.
