Do I Really Need Travel Insurance?
There is really no good reason not to purchase travel insurance. Can you afford to lose your deposit or your entire cruise fare in the event of an emergency or unforeseen event? Some people think that travel insurance is only valuable for elderly travelers or those with serious medical conditions that might impact their cruise. That can be a costly misconception.
Note from a current client "Thanks for getting us arranged for the trip, especially getting the insurance. It came in handy when my mom passed out the last day we were at sea. She was very impressed how the Carnival people handled her and her illness. We ended up taking my mom to a hospital directly off the ship. All is well now, after we got to see her cardiologist on Monday afternoon. "
Here are just a few things that could happen:
- A medical or family emergency could prevent you from being able to take your cruise.
- Your home could be severely damaged by fire or flood within a few days of your scheduled departure causing you to miss your cruise, or this could happen while you are at sea.
- Jury duty or a court appearance could interrupt your cruise.
- You could be involved in accident on the way to the airport.
- The cruise line could experience a problem (such as going into bankruptcy) which would cause you to miss your trip and potentially lose your cruise fare.
- An airline scheduling or flight problem could occur causing you to miss all or a portion of your cruise.
- You could experience a medical emergency while on your cruise that could result in costly medical care or even costly evacuation from the ship via helicopter or boat. In most cases, it is better to buy travel insurance from an independent company through your travel agent as opposed to the insurance offered by the cruise line. The independent insurance companies provide more coverage and are generally less expensive. Be aware, coverage and rates may vary by state. Ask your travel agent for a quote for your particular cruise and your state of residence. Sending in a private med evac plane to pick you up can be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- You might have an accident in a foreign port or country. While your medical / health insurance might provide some reimbursement for your treatment, it will usually be at your plan rates if they even cover it. You might find quality medical care in a foreign land far more than your local network provider rates.
- Baggage protection against loss or late delivery.
- Trip delay reimbursements.
What is included in insurance coverage cost?
Trip insurance is typically based upon the total cost of your vacation (airfare and cruise). Of course, you can purchase less protection if you wish. For example, if your total cruise and air costs are $6,000, you could purchase a total of $4,000 in coverage and take the $2,000 risk yourself. This could lower your insurance costs and still cover you for most of your outlay. It should be noted that your policy will only reimburse you for your actual cost of your cruise. Therefore, you should not purchase a $5,000 policy if your cruise only cost $2,300. The insurance company will reimburse you for your total cruise fare less any refund paid by the cruise line.
Some insurance companies will offer different types of coverage under separate policies. This allows you to purchase only the insurance that you feel you need. However, most companies offer complete insurance packages. We highly recommend that your policy cover, at the very least, trip cancellation/interruption and emergency medical and health expenses including medical evacuation. The cancellation/interruption should cover the insured traveler and companion(s) against potential loss resulting from death, injury or serious illness. It is common for most policies to also protect you from loss in the event of death, injury or illness of a close family member. Emergency medical evacuation coverage will pay the costs of transportation from the ship to a location where quality medical care can be obtained. In some parts of the world, you may not care to receive medical treatment from sub-standard medical facilities. Once your insurance company verifies your medical condition, they will authorize evacuation, the method of which is generally arranged by the insurance company. Lost/damaged baggage coverage is also good to have
If you have a pre-existing medical condition (one for which you have received treatment within the 60 or 90 days prior to purchasing the policy), you should check to make sure that your policy covers you. Pre-existing conditions can also apply to a family member at home whose death or illness may cause you to cancel your cruise. Therefore, if a family member at home dies during your cruise as the result of a pre-existing condition, your trip interruption coverage may not reimburse. To be safe, you should question your insurance company and request confirmation in writing if you have such concerns.
Some travel insurance companies automatically include unlimited access to a 24-hour hotline for after-hours travel assistance for requests such as last-minute flight changes, hotel, and rental car reservations. These companies also provide assistance with travel emergencies such as doctor or dental referrals, emergency cash transfers, replacing lost or stolen credit cards or travel documents, travel safety advisories, e-mail and phone messaging to friends and family, and lost luggage tracing, You should check your individual policy for detailed information on how remedies are handled.
Some occurrences will be remedied with a 100% cash refund while others are remedied with 100% cruise credit toward a future cruise.
Your vacation can take several years to save for, but only a second to ruin. While you can’t do anything to prevent an unexpected storm from closing the airport, you can do something to help cover your travel investment - buy travel insurance. We typically purchase insurance from Access America. We have found their coverage to be as good as, or better, than any other company and we know from personal experience that they do pay claims.
Generally our policy provisions for our special Access America coverage are typically:
Trip Cancellation Up to purchase amt
Trip Interruption Up to 150% purchase amt
Emergency Medical/Dental Coverage $50,000
Emergency Medical Transportation $1,000,000
Baggage Coverage $2,500
Baggage Delay $200
Travel Delay $1,000
Missed Connection $500
Travel Accident $25,000
24-Hour Hotline Assistance Included
May possibly include a Pre-ex Waiver if
purchased no later than final payment date
