Don Horner

[cbb]

Trish is our Around the World Hostess and is on board with her husband Steve who is on the entertainment staff.

 

Trish was indeed sent by O to help Betsy in any way she could. If anything bad happened to me and I needed someone, Trish would be my go-to woman.

 

She is caring, nurturing, organized, and, most importantly, a sweetheart.

 

We are gathering tomorrow in Horizons and Trish is going to talk to everyone who knew Don & Betsy. A few of us encouraged Trish to do this so that she wouldn't be constantly repeating herself. Trish needs her rest, too.

[smoothsailors]

That's reassuring to know that O was so supportive of Betsy and that she was not alone in Dar...I am sure that Trish was a great comfort and relief to the family as they awaited Betsy's return.

 

Cynthia, it would be so helpful to many even contemplating an extended or RTW voyage if you or someone else posted any travel insurance lessons to be gleaned from this tragedy? (I know that Don had researched his coverage carefully so hopefully at least Betsy was spared any problems there.) The type of thoughtful advice and information Don would have passed on is already missed!

[Jancruz]

That's reassuring to know that O was so supportive of Betsy and that she was not alone in Dar...I am sure that Trish was a great comfort and relief to the family as they awaited Betsy's return.

 

Cynthia, it would be so helpful to many even contemplating an extended or RTW voyage if you or someone else posted any travel insurance lessons to be gleaned from this tragedy? (I know that Don had researched his coverage carefully so hopefully at least Betsy was spared any problems there.) The type of thoughtful advice and information Don would have passed on is already missed!

 

Knowing this situation, I can tell you up front that if Don was here, he would not take the same insurance again..staying with the mainstream agencies that are tried and true even if they are a few more dollars is well worth it if there is a tradgedy..11 years ago, I had Allianz and Stu had a heart attack in Florida..Allianz took care of everything for me and I never laid out a penny even for the private jet that flew us home and the ambulances on either end..

 

Jancruz1

Edited February 26, 2016 by Jancruz

[cbb]

Please let JanCruz speak to the travel insurance situation with the Horners.

 

I feel very uncomfortable discussing the decisions of someone else and in particular what Betsy has or hasn't received.

 

Sometimes we go through Insuremytrip and compare their offerings, other times we go with the advice of our TA, as we did this time...."a mainstream agency."

 

If we're spending thousands on a trip, we don't worry about spending hundreds to get peace of mind.

[smoothsailors]

Thanks for sharing, Jancruz...and I wholeheartedly agree with your advice and am glad you had the right policy when you needed it!

 

Sadly this did not apply for the Horners, but we learned from a friend's situation a few years ago to pay the higher premium for medical evacuation to FACILITY OF YOUR CHOICE rather than NEAREST QUALIFIED: the husband had a devastating stroke in Israel and -given the excellent medical centers there- they had taken "nearest qualified" coverage. He was indeed well-cared for but, as outside of the US living wills are not universally recognized, he was never able to return home and spent 5 months in a facility there until passing away. (We use TravelGuard and the upgraded option is very reasonable.)

 

Until unfortunately they need such services, people don't realize how expensive medevac planes and ambulances are, especially overseas.

 

Our insurance premiums now necessitate budgeting over 15% of trip cost, so we travel less frequently and for longer duration but would never compromise on the coverage.

 

Now I am especially glad to hear that Betsy had an "O" companion to help her navigate her way home.

[LHT28]

Re insurance

not policies specifically that is a personal choice

you must get the policy that suits your needs

 

I seem to remember one of our cruises we had to put the insurance information in our Personalizer along with passport information

This might be something for Oceania to implement so incase of an emergency situation they have the info at hand

 

On our River cruise we had a form to fill in with contact info & insurance info it was put in a a sealed envelope with our names & cabin number on the front & given to the purser when we boarded

last day when we checked out the envelope was handed back ..still sealed

They would only open it in case of emergency

 

Just food for thought

 

Sometimes one spouse takes care of everything & the other spouse barely listens to the details no matter how often I try to explain to him :D

Edited February 26, 2016 by LHT28

[orchestrapal]

Re insurance

not policies specifically that is a personal choice

you must get the policy that suits your needs

 

 

Sometimes one spouse takes care of everything & the other spouse barely listens to the details no matter how often I try to explain to him :D

 

Oh my, are we married to the same man?:confused:

[LHT28]

Oh my, are we married to the same man?:confused:

LOL

He might be in trouble if we are :D

I am very meticulous about having things written down ..he will figure it out eventually

[Floridiana]

I am in complete shock. Just yesterday, I was reading Don's blog first thing after we came back from our Cambodia trip.

 

My deepest condolences to Betsy and all of Don's family. We met Betsy and Don on a cc get together on the Riviera. What a great guy!

[hypercafe]

I never thought about where you are taken with the travel insurance, the fine print is really important. If I remember right when Don got his policy it was 14k, not a small amount.

[silkman]

I never thought about where you are taken with the travel insurance, the fine print is really important. If I remember right when Don got his policy it was 14k, not a small amount.

 

Most travel insurance covers cancellaion, medical and evacuation...but not evacuation to the hospital of your choice.For that reason, I use my Chase Sapphire preferred card to cover trip cancellation( or at least a good portion of it. )I purchase medical insurance separately and in addition buy a yearly policy for medvac...medjet assist with aarp discount. The extra cost for "hospital of choice is worth it to me.Hpoefully I wil never have to use it.) there are comprehensive threads on travel insurance on the Oceania board if one uses the search option

Richard

[GeezerCouple]

Most travel insurance covers cancellaion, medical and evacuation...but not evacuation to the hospital of your choice.For that reason, I use my Chase Sapphire preferred card to cover trip cancellation( or at least a good portion of it. )I purchase medical insurance separately and in addition buy a yearly policy for medvac...medjet assist with aarp discount. The extra cost for "hospital of choice is worth it to me.Hpoefully I wil never have to use it.) there are comprehensive threads on travel insurance on the Oceania board if one uses the search option

Richard

 

There is also a lot of information (and answers to questions) on the Travel Insurance subforum of CruiseCritic:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635

 

We always get third-party insurance, and the specific coverage types/amounts occasionally vary due to specifics of the trip, especially location and timing.

 

But it was very sobering to read that what Don and Betsy had wasn't ideal when it was needed.

(We've had two claims with one company thus far, so at least we know that they honor their commitments and - importantly - that we correctly understood what those terms were... so far.)

 

And we keep the annual MedJetAssist policy in force.

It also works for any business travel, as long as it is at least 150 miles from home.

What we like the best is that IF either of us ends up admitted in a hospital as an inpatient, WE get to decide if we want to be evacuated to our hospital and our specialists.

No local medical staff are put in the situation of needing to declare themselves not competent for the medical condition, and no insurance bean counter gets involved in "whether to evacuate or not".

[cbb]

Some of us met with Trish today at 1pm and she shared her experiences with Betsy. Chris took pictures of us in a group setting and they will be sent to Betsy so she'll know we love her.

 

This was a very appropriate time to meet; it was just before the quilting people met and Betsy loved participating.

 

Trish shared the news that she had just received-- Betsy had arrived home! We all breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was exactly where she needed to be.

 

Trish told us that the hotel people in Dar and the people who dealt with Don's body were so supportive and nurturing and caring.

 

She thought the people at the airport took excellent care of Betsy and they promised Trish that they would watch over her on her trip home.

 

It was a wonderful meeting for those of us on board and it just felt right for us to be there... with each other.

 

Betsy, you and Don are greatly missed. We love you.

[Oceans&Rivers]

Even though Don had written of serious health issues in the past, I was shocked and saddened to read (first in his other favorite forum) that hondorner (such a great screen name) just recently passed away. I am so very sorry for his family and close friends to have lost someone so special and dear to them. I remember when I first started posting on the Oceania forum (seldom post on Cruise Critic at all since my husband retired) that Don knew so much and shared his knowledge so eagerly with everyone.

 

I remember following his 4-month journey across the American continent to and from his Alaska voyage, and thought I would post one of my favorite pictures of him (from his journal, taken in Wyoming) for those who loved him and those who have never seen his handsome, happy face:

 

Edited February 28, 2016 by Oceans&Rivers

[Mura]

Thanks for the photo! I don't think I ever saw Don without a smile on his face ... I will repeat what everyone else has said: I will miss him!

 

Mura

[vaitape]

Terrific photo of a wonderful man.

 

We never had the opportunity to meet him in person but he was a friend here on Cruise Critic.

 

We were shocked to tears when we saw Jan's posting. And our hearts go out to his beloved wife and children.

 

Comforting to hear that Betsy and Don's journey home began with the care of O's Trish.

 

Sail on.....

[nyfeds]

A wonderful photo of Don. We shall recall and remember him, fondly, with that great smile. Don will surely be missed on this great forum. Rest in peace. Sincere and heartfelt condolences to Betsy and his entire family.

[no fuss travel]

Our condolences to Betsey and family. I always read Don's postings and was just starting to read Oceania's forum after returning from our river cruise, when I saw the posting by Jan. He will be greatly missed by all of us who relied on his information and his patience in answering our questions.

[KatieBelle]

What a loss for so many, but none will miss Don as much as Betsy and his family. We all remember Don as a kind, generous, thoughtful, and respectful friend, even if in our virtual reality. To Betsy and the Horner family: May the shock of these recent days recede and all your precious memories flood your hearts. Remembering you all in our prayers, Jim & Kathy

[cbb]

Received a note from Betsy while we were gone on the Taj Mahal overland and she arrived home without problem and is surrounded by kids and grands and her friends and all their love.

 

Her sister is flying in to be with her as well.

 

I replied that we all loved her and missed her and thought of her and Don often.

[SellaVee]

Thanks, Cynthia, for taking the time to post this news from Betsy. May God bless and keep her in his loving care.

[Aloha 1]

Aloha 'Oe, Don. Although we never personally met, like everyone else, I enjoyed your posts, comments, and knowledge.

[marilynfaye]

I feel like I have lost a friend I had yet to meet. The community that will miss him is huge.

[What A Market]

Sitting at home today pondering one of my favorite pastimes, which is thinking about the next Oceania cruise I want to book. As I do so, my thoughts turn to the Cruise Critic Oceania board and in turn to Don Horner. Like many of you, I discovered everything there was to know about Oceania thru Cruise Critic postings from Don (and JimandStan as well). After years of following Don on Cruise Critic, I had the great pleasure of sailing with Don and Betsy on the Riviera's maiden voyage.

 

To say Don had an impact on my life is not an exaggeration. I'm sure many of you feel the same way. I marvel at the oddness of drawing a connection like this which developed initially thru the internet.

 

Don's ability to connect with people thru the internet is probably no longer considered an oddity, particularly among the "youth." But Don had an equally accentuated ability to connect with people in person. Even young people. I was joined on the Riviera's maiden voyage by my daughter (Shannon) and her SO. Shannon and Don had never previously "connected" thru Cruise Critic. Their only meeting was on this cruise. Nevertheless, Don made a connection with Shannon. In a short time Don's love of travel and cruising infected Shannon. He had that impact on people, both young and not so young.

 

I thank Don for his friendship. Thank you Betsy for sharing him with us. I leave everyone with this posting from Don. It seems like a very typical Don Horner post. A little Oceania knowledge combined with something intimate and personal.

 

"Our best wishes to Shannon - we loved cruising with her. My favorite story was the time we were at the pre-party for La Reserve, on the patio, with crew blocking access on either end. Walking past, Shannon spotted us, ducked past the crew member and ran up to chat. Meanwhile, her SO didn't have the nerve to duck in and stood waiting helplessly. When Shannon noticed his absence, she giggled and ran back out with everyone smiling! She has that effect on people....."

 

My response following, "Thanks Don for the story about Shannon. She lives life combining fearlessness and joy in friendships, especially new found ones. Oh to live life in such a manner...."

[DOJO466]

Sitting at home today pondering one of my favorite pastimes, which is thinking about the next Oceania cruise I want to book. As I do so, my thoughts turn to the Cruise Critic Oceania board and in turn to Don Horner. Like many of you, I discovered everything there was to know about Oceania thru Cruise Critic postings from Don (and JimandStan as well). After years of following Don on Cruise Critic, I had the great pleasure of sailing with Don and Betsy on the Riviera's maiden voyage.

 

To say Don had an impact on my life is not an exaggeration. I'm sure many of you feel the same way. I marvel at the oddness of drawing a connection like this which developed initially thru the internet.

 

Don's ability to connect with people thru the internet is probably no longer considered an oddity, particularly among the "youth." But Don had an equally accentuated ability to connect with people in person. Even young people. I was joined on the Riviera's maiden voyage by my daughter (Shannon) and her SO. Shannon and Don had never previously "connected" thru Cruise Critic. Their only meeting was on this cruise. Nevertheless, Don made a connection with Shannon. In a short time Don's love of travel and cruising infected Shannon. He had that impact on people, both young and not so young.

 

I thank Don for his friendship. Thank you Betsy for sharing him with us. I leave everyone with this posting from Don. It seems like a very typical Don Horner post. A little Oceania knowledge combined with something intimate and personal.

 

"Our best wishes to Shannon - we loved cruising with her. My favorite story was the time we were at the pre-party for La Reserve, on the patio, with crew blocking access on either end. Walking past, Shannon spotted us, ducked past the crew member and ran up to chat. Meanwhile, her SO didn't have the nerve to duck in and stood waiting helplessly. When Shannon noticed his absence, she giggled and ran back out with everyone smiling! She has that effect on people....."

 

My response following, "Thanks Don for the story about Shannon. She lives life combining fearlessness and joy in friendships, especially new found ones. Oh to live life in such a manner...."

 

Thank you for posting. You expressed all so well. We too were able to meet up with Don & Betsy on a Marina crossing in 2014. We had never met before this though did communicate thru CC. The summer before our sailing Din and Betsy arrived at our home in Nh when they were visiting Betsy's college roommate who lived just 6 miles away from us. Don had taken the time to look up where we lived to see if it were close. We had a lovely lunch on our porch. We will never forget it, not to mention a great TA on Marina. We will certainly miss him.