Before You Go
The boring things that ruin honeymoons
Travel protection, passports, and packing. None of it is complicated — and all of it costs couples real money every year.
Before you book
Two things couples get wrong
Neither is complicated. Both cost honeymooners real money every year — and the first is the most expensive mistake in this entire guide.
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Travel protection — and the deadlines nobody tells you about
A honeymoon is often the largest non-refundable purchase a couple has ever made, and the Caribbean and Mexico sit in hurricane season from June through November — the same window where the prices look best. But the part couples miss isn't whether to protect the trip. It's when:
Once a storm is named, it's too late. Insurers treat a named hurricane as a foreseeable event — buy after it appears on the map and that storm generally isn't covered.
Pre-existing medical conditions are typically only covered if the policy is purchased by your final payment date — not the week you fly.
"Cancel for any reason" upgrades generally must be bought within 14 days of your first deposit. Miss that window and the option is gone.
Your credit card probably isn't enough. Card benefits are usually limited and often exclude emergency medical evacuation. Cruise-line plans frequently pay out as future credit, not cash.
Neal walks every couple through the options — including Allianz — and, just as importantly, through the calendar. Coverage varies by plan and state; the policy itself is always the final word.
See travel protection options →
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Your passport and your new name
Many countries want six months of validity beyond your travel dates. And if your last name is changing, book your travel in the name on your passport — not your married name. Every year couples get turned away at check-in for this.
Passport requirements & name changes →
Packing
The honeymoon packing list
Not a list of everything — a list of the things couples actually forget, and the few that are hard to replace once you land.
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Documents — the non-replaceables
Passports (check the six-month rule), a photo of each passport on your phone and in your email, your insurance policy number and the 24-hour assistance line, resort confirmation, and a printed copy of at least one of them. If your name is changing, bring your marriage certificate — travel is booked in your passport name.
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Medical — because pharmacies abroad are a bad surprise
Prescriptions in their original labelled bottles, plus a few days' spare in your carry-on. Motion sickness tablets if you're cruising. Reef-safe sunscreen — Mexico's cenotes and many marine parks require it, and it's expensive at the resort.
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The things couples forget
Most adults-only resorts have a dress code at dinner — collared shirts and closed-toe shoes for men at the à-la-carte restaurants. Cruise lines often have one or two formal-ish nights. Pack one nice outfit each. Also: a small bag for the beach, and shoes you can actually walk in.
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Practical
Chargers and a spare cable, a power bank, and an adapter if you're leaving North America. A waterproof phone pouch. Small bills for tipping — even at all-inclusives, where it's not required but is always welcome.
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