All of this work done with utmost care and professionalism.

In December 2014 we purchased an Emergency Assistance Plus plan through AAA mainly because we live in a more rural area of Arizona and planned to travel to more remote areas. Little did we ever imagine that this valuable plan would get us home from Akureyri, Iceland in October 2022.

Our story begins on the Hurtigruten expedition ship MS Spitsbergen adventure to the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago above the arctic circle, a long-awaited holiday. All was well during the first half of the trip with cruising in tenders among the icebergs below the glacier walls, polar bear and whale viewing, and a day cruising in a tender offshore at Jan Mayen Island.

Then my husband, Charles, became ill. No energy; could not stand; much pain. After a medical evaluation, the ship’s doctor made the decision to have us disembark at the next port of call, Akureyri, Iceland. An ambulance was waiting at the dock, and we were transported to the hospital. After another medial evaluation by the emergency department, Charles was admitted and within 24 hours had surgery to remove a badly infected and abscessed gallbladder. Charles remained in the hospital for nine days per the doctor’s concern about the long flight home. We continue to be so grateful for the care and competency of the ship’s doctor making all the arrangements, and the same for the hospital staff.

Now here is where Emergency Assistance Plus takes over: While the hospital medical staff in Akureyri was caring for Charles, I began the task of contacting the trip insurance companies and EA+. With the help of the hospital business office staff, I was put in touch with Emergency Assistance Plus. Arrangements were made to send a nurse and to provide transportation from the hospital to our home in Arizona. We were blessed with the most experienced nurse, Carmen. He not only cared so professionally and competently for Charles, as well as for me, but also ensured that the travel was expedited per the counsel of the hospital surgeon and other hospital staff. Rather than an arduous five-hour drive in snowy conditions and numerous potential road closures from Akureyri to Reykjavik, Carmen intervened and we were able to fly from Akureyri to Reykjavik before the long flights to JFK and onto Sky Harbor in Phoenix and the final drive north to our home.

Nurse Carmen made arrangements for a SUV to gather us at the hospital, stop by my hotel for baggage and get us to the Akureyri Airport; another transport from the domestic airport in Reykjavik to a hotel for the night and transfer to the international airport in Keflavik. He provided nursing assistance on flights with medications and observation, and SUV arrangements from Phoenix to our home. All of this work done with utmost care and professionalism. Carmen was with us door-to-door!

We continue to be impressed with this plan. It was there when we needed it.

P.S. Charles made a full recovery, and we continue to travel. We just returned from a very successful expedition cruise of the British Isles with no issues, knowing we have Emergency Assistance Plus available if needed. And have booked another trip for later this year.