Health and safety tips for travel
By Yacht Week
Posted on 26th March 2020
While you're ticking off all the necessary things you need for The Yacht Week (swimwear - check! floatie - check!), don't forget the all-important personal care preparations too. From vaccinations to sun protection, here are our health and safety tips for travel this summer.
Before you travel
Travel advice
If you're concerned for any reason about the status of your upcoming trip with The Yacht Week, you can check our travel advice for regularly updated alerts.
Additionally, most countries have their own governmental travel advice pages. Here are some useful links for travellers from English-speaking countries:
Australian citizens • Canadian citizens • Irish citizens • New Zealand citizens • UK citizens • US citizens
Travel insurance
Our booking terms and conditions do require that anyone joining us on The Yacht Week arrange comprehensive travel insurance for themselves. It should cover adventurous activities (such as sailing) and be arranged before starting your holiday. After all, travelling by yacht is no everyday experience.
If you’re concerned about any type of disruptions to your trip - caused by airspace closure (e.g. drone disruption), avalanche, earthquake, medical epidemic (including Coronavirus), storms and even ash cloud - we recommend purchasing Extended Travel Disruption Insurance. Most travel insurance companies offer this cover for a small additional fee and it gives reassurance that your trip is covered in the event of unforeseen travel disruptions.
Vaccinations
Before travelling you should always check you have the recommended vaccinations for that destination. None of The Yacht Week destinations require vaccination certificates but you can check the suggested vaccinations on the National Travel Health Network and Centre's website here:
While travelling
Sun protection
Our destinations are all about endless sunshine, which means you'll be more exposed to the sun than you're probably used to. Low-level exposure is beneficial for your health, helping your body create vitamin D and increasing your feelings of well-being. However, high-level exposure can lead to sunburn, which is unpleasant in the short-term and can also have long-term health effects.
It's important to bring plenty of sunscreen with a high SPF factor on The Yacht Week, plus lightweight clothing that you can cover-up with. Once you're in-destination, use a combination of shade, clothing and sunscreen to enjoy the sun but stay protected from sunburn. Be especially careful if you're drinking in the sun as it's easy to forget you need protection.
Dehydration
It's easy to become dehydrated while travelling - you're experiencing a different climate and probably being more active, so you can easily find yourself needing more water than normal. Make sure you drink plenty of water after your flight, as being in the air can leave you very dehydrated. You should also alternate any drink containing caffeine or alcohol with water so you can stay hydrated.
Seasickness
The sunny conditions mean the waters are normally calm but unfortunately we cannot control the weather. If you think you might struggle with seasickness, there are multiple options you can pack for The Yacht Week. Anti-nausea medication is an easy option, while some people swear by a special adhesive patch that you can wear behind your ear. Others bring sea wristbands or ginger capsules as an alternative treatment.
📷 All the photos in this blog were taken on The Yacht Week BVI 2020 🌴