Travel with a UK Agency, and You Won't Lose Money

If you book a travel package that includes more than one element (e.g., airfare and accommodation) through a travel agent in the UK or most European countries, you'll get your money back if any part of your trip - flights, accommodation, liveaboard - is canceled. By law, any travel company booking trips must be bonded. In the UK; agencies are covered by the ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing) bond or something similar.

Millions of UK consumers, who would otherwise have been left stranded abroad or facing financial loss when their tour operator went out of business, have been repaid by the ATOL. And citizens of any country booking a trip through a British agent have this protection.

I booked my package on the Vita Xplorer through Regal Diving (www.regal-diving.co.uk), a division of Dive Worldwide (www.diveworldwide.com).

Other UK agencies that book Red Sea boats include Scuba Travel (www.scubatravel.com) Blue O Two (www.blueotwo.com) and Diverse Travel (www.diversetravel.co.uk)