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Why Buy Travel Insurance?
Surefire strategies to get more cruise
insurance for less.
Even in the most difficult economic times,
savvy travelers can always find ways to save hundreds of
dollars off travel Insurance. Here are
tried-and-true strategies to help you get more bang from
your travel insurance buck: |
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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.
Here are just a few things that could happen to you:
- 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.
Trip insurance is even more important in a questionable
economy.
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.
Travel Direct Corporation's
family of "online" travel related sites
have something for everyone
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Cruise Traveler Magazine
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Raye and Marty Trencher's Cruise Blog
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