pemSunday, March 29, 2009br /
Susan Glaserbr /
Plain Dealer Reporter/em/p
pIs the nightmarish possibility of being laid off keeping you from taking the vacation of your dreams?/p
pSeveral travel companies are hoping to allay your fears #8212; and then wish you bon voyage./p
pCruise retailer CruiseOne, with several locations in Northeast Ohio, recently added job-loss coverage to its basic travel insurance policy. If you get laid off, you can cancel the cruise with no penalty #8212; provided you’ve purchased the insurance, the price of which varies by the cost of the cruise but starts at $35./p
p #8220;You wouldn’t think something so simple could make such a difference,#8221; said Becky Piper, who runs a CruiseOne franchise out of her Strongsville home. #8220;My sales have skyrocketed.#8221;/p
p#8220;Everyone is just so fearful,#8221; she said. #8220;They don’t want to make plans for six months from now if they think they might not have a job.#8221;/p
pTo qualify for the policy, which is administered by Travel Guard, you must have been employed for a year. Information: cruiseone.com./p
pEcruises.com, an online travel agency specializing in cruises, also offers job-loss protection through its basic travel insurance policy; and Ecruises is picking up the cost of the insurance./p
pNorwegian Cruise Line also recently added job-loss insurance to its travel insurance plan for sailings in May and beyond. Prices start at $29, depending on the fare. Information: ncl.com./p
pA bed-and-breakfast in Vermont is offering six free two-night getaways to people who have been unemployed for more than six months. Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, on the New Hampshire border near St. Johnsbury, will offer a two-night freebie, dubbed the Pink Slip Getaway Giveaway, each month in April through July and again in November and December. Send a letter or e-mail by Monday, June 1, explaining your story in a page or less: Box 55, Lower Waterford Road, Lower Waterford, VT 05848 or info@rabbithillinn. com./p
pOhio’s two CoCo Key water parks, in Newark and Cincinnati, are offering a price break to workers who have been forced to take unpaid time off. For $119, a family of four can spend a night at either resort, which includes two full days of water-park passes. Information: cherryvalleylodge.com or sheraton.com/cincinnatinorth.br /
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October 1, 2009
Trip insurance has angered travelers and drawn state scrutiny
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