On 12 of our trips abroad, my wife, Judy, and I had never filed a travel insurance claim due to illness, but in September 2015 I had to use a foreign doctor on two occasions.

We had purchased travel insurance from Allianz Global Assistance (Richmond, VA; 866/884-3556, www.allianztravelinsurance.com) through our local American Automobile Association office. (You do not need to be an AAA member, although we each are.) We purchased a basic plan covering our needs as seniors traveling in...

In the collection of letters on “Active Years Travel Choices” (Sept. ’16, pg. 41), a subscriber suggested sailing to Antarctica “while you are comfortable jumping on and off the inflatable Zodiacs often used to reach shore.”

My husband and I sailed there on the MS Nordnorge with Hurtigruten (Bellevue, WA; 888/645-6370, www.hurtigruten.us) in January-February 2008, and they didn’t use Zodiacs — one of our main reasons for choosing them.

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Many friends have talked excitedly about the beauties of Sicily: ancient ruins, beautiful gardens, great scenery and delightful hotels. My wife, Ging, and I visited this island off Italy’s southeastern coast from mid-July until the first week of August 2016. 

We began in PALERMO, where the one-mile port walk passes docks for ships large and small, including spectacular yachts, and leads to the beautiful Orto Botanico, the botanic and zoological gardens.

We stayed at...