Seniors should take precautions when traveling

There’s nothing like a summer vacation. Everyone is relaxed, beverages are chilled, the cellphone is silent and clothes are optional.

It’s a good time.

For seniors, however, especially those over 55, precaution should be taken before riding the wild surf or buying back-to-back tickets on the upside-down, twisting and turning roller coaster at Six Flags . And that same precaution should be taken even if it’s just a trip back east to visit the grandchildren or a five-day multigenerational cruise.

Doug Crosby and his wife co-own Holiday Cruises and Tours. They just returned from a 19-day trip to Cambodia and Vietnam and three months ago did a 21-day cruise from Rio de Janeiro to Miami by way of the Amazon River. He is 70 years old.

“Seventy is the new 60,” he said. “The majority of people who traveled with us were seniors and that’s because of two main reasons: cost and time commitment. Cruising becomes more popular among older people because once you get on the ship, you unpack one time. There’s no going from hotel to hotel, packing and unpacking as the ship takes you from place to place.

“Also, a cruise is self-contained with restaurants and many enrichment programs such as computer, language, art and music. These cruises are for the young at heart and young of mind.”

Crosby advises his clients about their proposed trips and shares information should they have any medical or physical limitations.

“For instance,” he explained, “anyone going to Venice, Italy, needs to know the city has 400 bridges with very few ramps. This means climbing three to four steps to cross a bridge and then, after crossing the bridge, down three to four steps. Therefore, if a person has difficulty walking, Venice may not be a good choice.

“The same holds true with Machu Picchu in Peru. This lost city is on many bucket lists but I tell them that in order to get there you have to go to Cuzco, which has an altitude of 11,000 feet. Then my question is: Do you have any breathing problems?”

At Senior Tripsters , a licensed travel agency, travelers must complete a medical form and carry that form with them at all times. Therefore, if anything happens to one of the travelers, group leaders have that person’s medical history.

Jeri Morgan is 84 and a trip planner at Senior Tripsters . She has planned a raft trip on the Colorado River to Willow Beach and recently finalized a six-day trip to the Michigan Tulip Festival. A two-week trip to Central Europe (Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow) departed Sunday .

“We go where our members want us to go,” Morgan said. “We’re a nonprofit, all-volunteer travel organization that plans and leads trips for those 50 and older. Right now we have 1,000 members and have trips planned for Sedona, Reno-Tahoe, Cedar City, Mount Rushmore and even a day trip to the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas. ”

Morgan said seniors who travel are active, mentally alert and know what they can or can’t do.

“There are some who come with walkers and canes, but they know all about the trip because we’ve told them if it’s going to be physically demanding,” she said. “Some even bring a caregiver or family friend to travel with them. Anyway, there’s no real rush with us. If we take a bus trip to Southern California, we stop every two hours to walk around and stretch our legs.”

According to Crosby, there is no regular check list when a senior plans a trip.

“A senior traveler considers his or her health along with the destination and length of trip,” he said. “They carry copies of prescriptions or other medical information explaining required treatment should they become ill.

“Then there are extra eyeglasses or special shoes and medical alert bracelets. And keep in mind that unlike the U.S., other countries don’t have agencies like the American Disabilities Act that establish standards for hotels and restaurants.”