stomach sick - preparing for live aboard in 2 days - should I cancel

[Altamira]

Do you really want to get on a very long airplane ride with stomach and intestinal problems? Envision yourself in mid air, needing to quickly use the bathroom facilities, and finding a long line of passengers waiting to use the same. Even if your fellow passengers are exceptionally generous and sympathetic to your predicament (no assurances on that), you have no guarantee of perfect timing. As one who used to fly professionally, IMHO, no dive trip is worth having an intestinal catastrophe mid-air, in the middle of the ocean, with many hours to your next destination, or really at any altitude or location. Trying to do a cleanup in an airplane lavatory is no easy or pleasant feat. I can almost guarantee that is not going to end well.

 

[vemura]

This is what your insurance is for. If travelling, I usually buy travel insurance on top of my basic DAN cover as it will cover more items for me including trip cancellation; but read your policy wording on how a cancellation is defined. You sound sick, and if it's "just" food poisoning, food poisoning can also be serious enough to send someone to the hospital. The usual course it to wait for it to pass out of your system. If you're ill, don't force yourself.

 

[living4experiences]

This is a tough decision for you. Travel insurance will only cover you for trip cancellation with a doctor's letter that you're too sick to travel. If that's the route you want to take, I'm sure he/she will do that for you. This is a very long journey to take if you're in good health. If you're ill and dehydrated, you're setting yourself up for a miserable dive trip, especially since your arrival is right at the beginning of the liveaboard trip without any rest time from your travels. Good luck.

 

[brycejohnson]

Thank you, everyone, for the help and advice.

My judgment was clouded by the money spent on this trip which prevented me from considering a few of the {perhaps obvious} concerns/options you listed here.

I am too sick to travel, RA, will be around next year, as another poster stated. The 2023 RA dive trip is officially canceled for me!
Raja Ampat, spring/summer 2024, if anyone is interested.

Have a great day and chat soon!
Bryce

 

[Searcaigh]

Good decision IMHO, I hope you recover soon and whatever it is that you've picked up is gone soon,

Safe recovery, and keep well hydrated.

 

[vemura]

Thank you, everyone, for the help and advice.

My judgment was clouded by the money spent on this trip which prevented me from considering a few of the {perhaps obvious} concerns/options you listed here.

I am too sick to travel, RA, will be around next year, as another poster stated. The 2023 RA dive trip is officially canceled for me!
Raja Ampat, spring/summer 2024, if anyone is interested.

Have a great day and chat soon!
Bryce

Good decision since you are too physically ill. I hope you were able to get back a refund or at least use the slot again next year with the LOB company.

Get well soon!

 

[fsardone]

Excellent decision … you just avoided the sunk cost fallacy:

• The sunk cost fallacy is a psychological barrier that ties people to unsuccessful endeavors simply because they've committed resources to it.

Or in layman terms did not throw good money after the bad: thinks the expenses and the inconvenience highlighted by others above.
Is part of human factors in decision making.
Kudos to you for the good decision.

 

[MB NZ]

So, what was the outcome? Death's door, or a rapid recovery and wishing you were in Raja Ampat?

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Smart move, OP. I once drove five hours for a dive trip, got sick on the way down (food poisoning), was in no shape to dive the next morning, and spent the whole next day sick in the hotel room. I didn’t leave the room until the following day. I felt well enough to head home, but not well enough that I wanted to be stuck two hours offshore with 10+ other divers on a boat with one bathroom.

Two night hotel stay $$$ + one day of boat dives $$$. On the plus side…the dude that setup the trip was nice enough to find someone to fill my spot on dive day two, so I got that bit of money back.

 

[DogDiver]

What did DAN say when you called them.