My holiday mistake cost me £35,000 and we didn’t even get to enjoy the trip – don’t make the same mistake as me
When 37-year-old Alyssa Fuller looked out at the Pacific Ocean, she could hardly believe her luck.
“I was on the vacation of a lifetime with the man of my dreams,” recalls the designer from Minneapolis.
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“I had no idea that within a few hours this would turn into a nightmare.”
It was October 2023 and Alyssa had just married Jeremy, now 38, a regional sales manager.
By the end of the evening, Alyssa knew the excitement was not over yet. Soon, the newlyweds would be heading off to Mexico for their honeymoon.
“We had booked a luxury hotel with snorkeling and diving and couldn’t wait to relax together,” she says
When they arrived at the hotel on Sunday evening, it was even better than they had hoped.
“Our room had huge windows overlooking the sea and we had our own hot tub. It was wonderful,” she remembers.
The next morning at 11 a.m. the couple made their way to the hotel pool.
“I saw that it had rained, but that didn’t dampen my spirits. I couldn’t wait to get in the water,” she says.
“At lunchtime, after I went swimming, I said to Jeremy, ‘Let’s go down to the cabana on the beach.’
But when Alyssa got out of the pool and took a step, the accident happened.
“The ground was slippery from the rain of the last few hours. One second I was standing upright, the next my feet slipped and I hit the ground,” she says.
“I knew immediately that something terrible had happened to my left leg. I was in terrible pain.”
While Alyssa lay on the floor in shock, she and Jeremy waited for the hotel doctor to arrive.
“The hours flew by and all I could do was lie there shaking and trembling in my bathing suit.”
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“I felt terrible and couldn’t believe what was happening. I should be sipping cocktails with my husband, not lying on the floor in pain.”
Jeremy stayed right by her side while another guest fanned her to cool her down.
At some point, Jeremy came to the conclusion that they could not wait any longer. He had to take Alyssa to the hospital.
Then the couple discovered something shocking.
They thought that by booking with their credit card they would be adequately insured in case of an accident. However, medical problems were not covered.
“The ambulance alone to take us to the hospital cost us $900 (£700),” says Alyssa.
“They almost didn’t let Jeremy in, he had to squeeze in with me.
“I was so glad he stayed by my side.
“It was so scary, lying on the back of that little stretcher, suffering, not speaking the language, having no idea what people were saying.”
The couple had to pay another $1,800 (£1,400) before they were even allowed to enter the hospital.
“But what choice did we have? And the news just kept getting worse.
“After the X-rays, I was told that my bones were broken in three places, that I had dislocated my ankle and a broken left wrist.
“Four men came to ‘fix’ my leg without painkillers and then we were told the operation would cost $35,000 (£27,260).”
The couple simply didn’t have that much money.
They could only afford $3,200 (£2,492) for entry for the night as they had nowhere else to go.
WHICH TRAVEL INSURANCE DO YOU NEED?
The two most important types of insurance are single and multiple trip insurance.
If you travel two or more times a year, multiple trip insurance is probably more economical.
Also note that combining insurance coverage for your family or partner in a joint policy may be less expensive than purchasing separate policies.
Whatever you decide, it’s important to know that there are many things that aren’t covered by your trusted travel insurance – especially if you’ve opted for a simpler policy.
Ceri McMillan of Go.Compare told The Sun: “Travel policies can vary a lot. You need to choose the one that is right for you.”
“Before purchasing, read the fine print carefully to familiarize yourself with any exclusions.
“If you don’t find out the extent of your insurance coverage until a loss occurs, you may be in for a nasty, costly shock.”
“As I lay there, terrified, not knowing how we would get home or how I would get better, I couldn’t believe that this was going to be the best vacation of my life,” she says.
The next day, Alyssa and Jeremy learned that they could pay for a Medivac flight back to the United States, where Alyssa could undergo surgery.
“It would cost $17,500 (£13,630), but it was our only chance.
“But even that was horrific.
“For four more days we tried to get on a plane. We left the hospital each time, but each time we were sent back off the runway because something went wrong.”
We also plan to make a second attempt for the honeymoon at some point
Alyssa Fuller
Finally, four days and $34,000 (£26,480) later, they flew back to the US.
“I hadn’t even spent 20 hours on the vacation of a lifetime when the accident happened,” says Alyssa.
“I have never been so happy to return to the United States after a trip.”
Friends and family donated to a GoFundMe page to help them cope with the enormous expenses.
In the months since then, Alyssa has undergone three surgeries and required six months of physical therapy.
“Right now I can stand for a day, but the next day I’m exhausted,” she says.
But even after spending $34,000 (£26,480) on just 20 hours of vacation, the couple were undeterred.
“We took a cruise to the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands in January,” adds Alyssa.
“We also plan to have a second attempt at the honeymoon at some point.”
But there is one thing that is always at the top of Alyssa’s vacation to-do list: “Good travel insurance! We will never travel without it again.”
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